Consenting to Divine Love: 25 Years of Contemplative Outreach

Greetings! I take my place on this blog representative of ordinary time, very ordinary work. I am a retired special ed teacher from the New Orleans public schools. Now I help Ed with house and garden, take long walks, aid and assist our five adult children and six grandchildren when needed. As they are scattered across the country, I am a frequent flyer to Chicago, El Paso, Boston and Washington DC. As years are added, I have had to give more time to physical upkeep with heavy dependance on medical and dental professionals. In all this, Centering Prayer has been essential in several ways. Through it I stay in the present moment ,not concerned about the length of my days and open to the presence and action of Spirit wherever I am . It reminds me to work my way through the ordinary with an attempt at extraordinary love.
 
 I have been Coordinator for Contemplative Outreach in New Orleans since before the flood in 2005. Our structure and membership was completely changed by Katrina and we have not yet come to what will be our new normal. So we live in times of movement and change and hopefully new growth. Through these last years we have depended on Contemplative Outreach personnel to lend us a helping hand as well as keep us in their prayers and we are most grateful. I look forward to sharing with you all what I find especially helpful during the 2009 Conference. Peace. Vivien

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As many of you know, Fr. Thomas Keating was hospitalized last week with a pulmonary embolism. On Saturday, September 12, he had a simple surgical procedure to ensure the clots do not move into his lungs. Sunday evening, September 13, he returned to his home at St. Benedict's Monastery in Snowmass, Colorado, and is resting and in good spirits.  At this time he is not traveling but we look forward to connecting with him via technology when possible. 

We at Contemplative Outreach and Abbot Joseph and the monks of St. Benedict's appreciate your continued prayerful support.

- Gail Fitzpatrick-Hopler, President, Contemplative Outreach, Ltd.

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Welcome to CO2009, the weblog of the 2009 Annual Conference of Contemplative Outreach.

Last year a weblog was used for the first time to share the activities of the 2008 annual conference in Pittsburgh with those who were not in attendance and it was well-received. The 2008 weblog resides here with its reports, photos, videos and interviews.

So, we wanted to host a weblog again for our special, 25th anniversary conference. Whether you are attending the conference in Chicago or will be looking-on from a distance, we would welcome your comments including what you would like to see here on the weblog, any questions, etc.

We have a fine group of contributors this year to cover the spirit and activities of the conference with words, photos, and videos. You are invited to engage them by leaving comments under their respective posts when they appear (no registration needed). They would love to hear from you!

 In closing, I invite you to join me in thanking Marie Howard (Conference Coordinator), the Conference Planning Committee, and the local folks in the Chicago area in particular for organizing the conference. Its been a true community effort and their efforts have laid the foundation for what promises to be a time of inspiration and spiritual richness.

May Contemplative Outreach continue to be blessed in its conveyance of God's grace in the world...

Ronald Barnett

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While the entire conference can be viewed as spiritual enrichment, on Saturday the 26th the conference focuses on four specific areas of spiritual enrichment as described below.

• The Sacred Breath of God. Presenter: David Frenette, M.A., Spiritual Director, Teacher, Researcher and Retreat Leader. Taste the deeper teachings on the Sacred Breath in Centering Prayer and learn about the new resources being developed to further and deepen your practice during all the stages of the spiritual journey; including purification, union and unity with God.

• Divine Compassion: A Fruit of Centering Prayer and Contemplative Service. Presenter: Rev. Carl J. Arico, Companion on the Journey of Centering Prayer since 1975 and a founding member of Contemplative Outreach.  Author, Teacher, Retreat Leader, International presenter and Member of the Circle of Service. Known for his down to earth and human approach in presenting contemplative practices, this session will explore how Divine Compassion, a fruit of Centering Prayer, transforms our daily routine into transformative contemplative service.

• The Human Condition and Divine Therapy. Presenter: Susan Komis, Director of  the Chapter Resource & Communication Services, Member of the Circle of Service, Past Coordinator of  St.Louis, Missouri Chapter and an International Presenter for CO.  Transformation of the world demands first the transformation of self.  Reawakening the soul to the realization of our impact on the world and seeking Divine Therapy as a replacement of our false values for the values of Christ. The result is an exciting journey to interior freedom and liberation.

• Lectio Divina-Praying with Scripture. Presenter: Michael Potter, Team Leader of the Lectio Divina Service Team on the Resource Faculty and Co-coordinator of Contemplative Outreach of West Tennessee. The ancient practice of Lectio Divina (Praying with Scripture) will be presented by the Lectio Divina Service Team, led by Mike Potter. He will provide the history and the role of Lectio Divina as a means of deepening one’s relationship with God. This session will show the interplay between Lectio Divina and Centering Prayer and how we can learn to be attentive to responding to all of life with a deeper level of listening.   

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CO2009 Contributors: Carl Arico, Marilu Ason, Ron Barnett, Bruce Gardener, Gail Fitzpatrick-Hopler, Maru Ladron de Guevara, Vivien Michals, Mike Potter, Carol Leach (remote).

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Ron Barnett talks with Gail Fitzpatrick-Hopler, President of Contemplative Outreach, about the growth of Contemplative Outreach and its upcoming 25th anniversary conference in Chicago, September 24-27, 2009. At the end Gail extends to all a personal invitation to attend the conference. Blessings -

Clarification: The annual conference with Fr. Basil Pennington was held in Chicago in 2000 and the 20th anniversary conference was held in Toronto in 2004.

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The conference is just around the corner and in preparation the planners have begun to burn the midnight oil. Starting today, CO2009 will preview upcoming sessions at the conference. Naturally, there will be daily periods of Centering Prayer - and on Friday of the conference the following workshops will explore ways to support contemplative community.

• Building Consensus in Groups: A Better Way? Presenter: Susan Rush, Coordinator of New Mexico, Member of the Circle of Service. Consensus is a process of arriving at decisions through compromise. This workshop explores the basic philosophy of Consensus, explores attitudes of decision-makers and provides a simple method for  arriving at group consensus.

• Resource Faculty/Chapter Resource & Communication Services. Presenters: Bonnie Shimizu, Faculty Chair, Member of the Circle of Service and Kay Powers, Former Chapter Coordinator, Member of the Chapter Resource & Communication Services. Bonnie will explain the Resource Faculty role in presenting the national programs of Contemplative Outreach with emphasis on the cooperation of the Faculty and the CRCS in bringing these to the Contemplative Outreach Community. Kay will represent and explain the role of the CRCS in bringing these programs to the Chapters.

• Can Web Based Social Media Serve the Vision of Contemplative Outreach? Presenter: Ron Barnett, Former Chapter Coordinator of Metropolitan Washington DC and Member of the Circle of Service. This workshop will explore if web-based, interactive social media such as blogs, wikis, social networking, etc. have the potential to support the Vision of Contemplative Outreach. Participants will have an opportunity for questions and dialogue about possibilities and challenges for the CO community.

• Technology: Practical Helps for Chapters. Presenter: Bob Gordon, Coordinator; Contemplative Outreach of Chicago, Illinois. How can technology help Coordinators and Contact Persons? How can we create and maintain an effective flow of communication within our Chapters and Regions? This workshop will offer simple ways to use technology to your advantage. Bob will share his expertise and demonstrate practical tips for your use.

• Technology: Browsing the Contemplative Outreach Web Site. Presenter: Pamela Begeman, Web Site Manager. Pamela will introduce you to the new Contemplative Outreach Web Site and demonstrate easy steps to finding what you need on line; from calendars to ordering media products. Learn how to browse with ease and discover what the new Contemplative Outreach Web Site has to offer.

•  A Taste of Centering Prayer: A Condensed Preview of Centering Prayer for Groups. Presenter: Michael Kramer, Co-coordinator; Contemplative Outreach of St. Louis, Missouri. Does your Chapter receive invitations from persons or organizations desiring information about contemplative prayer? Perhaps offering a “taste of centering prayer” will lead to a greater interest in hosting the Centering Prayer Introductory Program for their group. Michael will share how some Chapters present this condensed preview in one evening.

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L-R last month at the Aspen, Colorado airport: CO2009 Contributor Maru Ladron de Guevara, Fr. Thomas Keating and Marie Howard (2009 Annual Conference Coordinator). Maru and Fr. Thomas were taking Centering Prayer down south way to Mexico and Marie was returning to her home.

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Hi! My name is Mike Potter. I'm one of the contributors to the CO2009 Blog. I'd like to tell you a little about myself and some of the activities that I'll be involved in at the 2009 Annual Conference in Chicago.
 
I currently serve on the Resource Faculty as the Team Leader of the Lectio Divina Service Team, as well as Co-Coordinator of Contemplative Outreach of West Tennessee. I'm a commissioned presenter of both Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina.
 
On Friday, I'll be participating in two panel discussions with members of the Resource Faculty and how each of the Faculty members and their Service Teams serve the Contemplative Outreach community. My presentation will include a description of the Lectio Divina Service Team and the programs we have developed to promote and support the practice of Lectio Divina (Praying with Scripture), as well as practical advice about how to introduce this practice in your local community. These sessions will give you a clear picture of the Resource Faculty and it role in providing and supporting the programs of Contemplative Outreach, Ltd.
 
On Saturday, I will be working with several of my Service Team members as we present a Spiritual Enrichment Session on the practice of Lectio Divina. This will be a mini-workshop that will give participants the actual experience of this ancient method of praying with scripture. It will be first presented at 11:30 a.m. and again at 2:00 p.m.
 
This Conference promises to be a wonderful event. I look forward to seeing many of you in Chicago!
 
Blessings,
 
Mike
 
Mike Potter, Team Leader
Lectio Divina Service Team
Contemplative Outreach, Ltd.

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