Christian Contemplative Community events and resources as the programming season winds down.
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“Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit....”
John 19:21-22
This month the Easter season has come to completion and we celebrate Pentecost, an important reminded that the Holy Spirit is ever present to guide us. As spring continues to unfold into summer, local Contemplative programming is winding down. In Via Lumen would like to bring your attention to a consolidated list of opportunities and resources that are available in these upcoming months..
Here we also provide some insight into fall offerings here. Future updates will focus on the details of the exciting lineup of Contemplative Events set to be offered this fall.
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We continue to keep the situation in Ukraine in our hearts and in our prayers as well as the many senseless and tragic mass shootings that have occurred in various locations in the United States. May our witness to the loss of all life and destruction prompt us to renounce violence and hatred. May our prayers inspire us to find ways to provide assistance to all those suffering and put an end to this needless loss of life as well as the Evil that is behind it.
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Here is a summary of Christian Contemplative Programming for June, July and August 2022
- Saturday, June 11, 2022, 9:00 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time - The Way of the Heart: Mysticism Across Spiritual Traditions, Rev. Matthew Wright, Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107
- Wednesday, June 15, 22 and 29, 2022 6:30 pm-8:30pm Eastern Time - Six Continuing Sessions of the Introduction to the Centering Prayer Practice, Contemplative Outreach of CT
- Wednesday July 13, 2022 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time - North Central CT ITMS Summer Quarterly meeting Merton's Visual Art as Spiritual Expression, Mike Smoolca and Paul Uccello, Online and In Person at Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT 06107
- Sunday July 31 - Saturday August 6, 2022 Eastern Time - 6-Night Guided BioSpiritual Focusing Retreat, BioSpiritual Focusing Leadership Team, Genesis Spiritual Life Center, 53 30Mill Street, Westfield, MA 01085
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Rev. Matthew Wright is coming to share our June 11, 2022 Contemplative Day of Reflection with us. Matthew is an Episcopal priest, writer, and leader working to renew the Christian Wisdom tradition within a wider inter-spiritual framework. He is a senior student of Cynthia Bourgeault. Alongside his practice of Christianity, Matthew has studied and practiced within the Islamic Sufi and Vedanta lineages.
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The wonderful 2021-2022 Christian Contemplative Experience Retreat season is concluding with our Annual Day of Reflection on Saturday June 11 from 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. The Christian Contemplative Experience is delighted to welcome back Reverend Matthew Wright to lead the day on The way of the Heart: Mysticism Across Spiritual Traditions. During this spacious day of learning, prayer, community and retreat, Matthew will enlarge the sacred space for heart opening and Intermystical understanding. True to his previous presentations, this day promises to be filled with Matthew's deep wisdom and presence while giving participants a rich Interspiritual perspective.
More information about the Contemplative Day of Reflection is available here:
You can attend this session in-person or online over Zoom. The Zoom recordings of Matthew's Conferences will be made available to those who have registered to attend. In addition, Matthew will offer a Contemplative liturgy at the completion of the day for those who would like to participate.
Contemplative Outreach of CT has partnered with Holy Family to offer gently used Contemplative Books for sale at this event, please bring cash or a check to pick up some bargains!
If you haven't yet heard Matthew teach, I invite you to listen to his sermons available on SoundCloud. Here is one or Matthew's recent sermons which includes the theme of Interspirituality: https://soundcloud.com/stgregoryssermons/waves-on-the-ocean-of-oneness
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As part of CCE, a weekly Christian Contemplative Prayer group is offered each Thursday evening which meets online or in-person at Holy Family Retreat Center in West Hartford, CT as conditions allow. For more information on how to join us, please contact Mike Smoolca at cce@holyfamilyretreat.org or msmoolca@hotmail.com
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Contemplative Outreach of CT - The Connecticut Chapter's mission is to support, grow and share the Contemplative Outreach Prayer Practices as well as to foster and enhance the Christian Contemplative Community in the Connecticut and Southwestern New England area.
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Among various things, our Chapter offers Introductory workshops in Centering Prayer, Lectio Divina and Welcoming Prayer by Contemplative Outreach Commissioned Presenters as well as online training to become a Contemplative Outreach Commissioned Presenter of Centering Prayer.
Another class of Centering Prayer Presenter training is being held on 5/27-5/28 and 6/3-6/4. If you're interested in meeting the three classes that have been trained or finding out more about becoming a Commissioned Presenter of Centering Prayer and expressing your interest in future trainings please visit: https://www.co-ct.org/co-ctpresentertraining.html
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Contemplative Outreach of CT is offering a facilitated experience of Fr. Keating's follow-up to the Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop starting June 15, 2022: https://www.co-ct.org/co-ctsixfollowups.html
These sessions are ideal to deepen your understanding and practice of Centering Prayer. They are especially recommended for those who have recently attended a Centering Prayer Introductory workshop.
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Body Presence and Contemplative Awareness - Our bodies are warehouses of our life experiences, and they connect us directly to the rest of Creation and to God. Getting in touch with how our bodies react to our daily experiences leads to integration and healing while also opening us up to a direct connection to Creation and God "In whom we live and move and have our Being" (Acts 17:28).
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Upcoming Body Presence (BioSpiritual Focusing) events:
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Our summer Quarterly meeting will be held on Wednesday July 13, 2022 from 6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
The topic we'll be sharing is: Merton's Visual Arts as Spiritual Expression.
This will be a hybrid meeting held over Zoom and in person at Holy Family Passionist Retreat Center, 303 Tunxis Road West Hartford, CT. More details and a registration form will follow soon.
Members of the North-Central CT Merton Chapter email list will receive more information on this event. If you're not already a member of our Chapter's email list, you can sign up at the bottom of our web page: https://www.invialumen.org/northctitms.html.
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Spiritual Direction and Companioning
If you're a Christian Contemplative seeker in need of deep listening and a caring spiritual presence, In Via Lumen offers Spiritual Direction and Companioning specifically focused on serving Christian Contemplatives.
If you would like to explore these options further, please use the contact form on these pages or email Mike Smoolca at: msmoolca@invialumen.org.
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A Preview of Fall Programming
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Not all of these upcoming fall Christian Contemplative Offerings have firm dates yet. But please mark your calendars with the ones that do and keep the others in your awareness:
The Christian Contemplative Experience at Holy Family:
- September 16 - 18, 2022 The Word of God in Silence and Sound: Centering Prayer in the context of the Divine Office, a weekend retreat with Fr. Justin Lanier.
- Saturday, October 1, 2022 Centering Prayer Introductory Workshop with Mike Smoolca or Nancy Stimac
- Saturday, October 15, 2022 Waking Up with the Enneagram: A Guide for your Contemplative Journey with Rev. Nhien Vuong, J.D., M.Div.
- Saturday, October 29, 2022 Body Presence and Contemplative Awareness: Welcoming Prayer Introductory Workshop with Mike Smoolca
- Saturday, November 19, 2022 Heart Speaks to Heart: Correspondence as Spiritual Practice with Judith Valente and Brother Paul Quenon, OSCO
- Saturday, December 10, 2022 Lectio Divina Advent Experience with Frank Pendola and Mike Smoolca
In Via Lumen multi-week facilitated Groups:
- Nondual Themes and Logia from the Gospel of Thomas
- Falling Upward into the Second Half of Life
In Via Lumen Partner workshops:
- The Reality of Evil in our Times
- A Christian perspective on Death and the Afterlife
BioSpiritual Focusing:
- Saturday, September 10, 2022 Body Presence and Contemplative Awareness - BioSpiritual Focusing Day of Presence with Mike Smoolca Online sponsored by Contemplative Outreach of Atlanta
- September 14 - November 9, BioSpiritual Focusing Book Study and Practicum, onsite at Genesis Spiritual Life and Conference Center
Contemplative Outreach of CT:
- Centering Prayer Presenter Training over Zoom
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I hope you will take advantage of some of these opportunities to enrich yourself and strengthen the Christian Contemplative Community as this programming season transitions from spring into summer and keep the upcoming events in mind.
I invite you to visit the In Via Lumen, LLC web page for more information and other resources. Among a variety of resources, you'll find a month-by-month list of featured programs that is updated periodically.
Please forward this email to anyone who you feel might be interested in any of this programming. Also, if you have a need or an idea for a program that you feel would enrich the Christian Contemplative Community, please send me an email!
Hoping that as you transition into summer, you will experience a time of relaxation and refreshment!
Peace, Prayers, and Blessings of Hope and Joy,
Mike Smoolca
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