bridges to contemplative living with thomas merton
Fall 2014 - Living Your Deepest Desires Has Finished
COMING SPRING 2015 - Exploring Thomas Merton's New Seeds Of Contemplation
We have completed the Fall 2014 Bridges to Contemplative Living with Thomas Merton Program at the Spiritual Life Center, 303 Tunxis Rd., West Hartford, CT.
We used volume 3 of the bridges of contemplative living with thomas merton guide book entitled Living Your Deepest Desires.
The program was held on Thursday evenings from 7:00 - 8:30 in the Anam Cara Room at the Spiritual Life Center and we covered the following sessions:
(9/11) Session 1 - Finding Our Identity in God (pg 14)
(9/25) Session 2 - Contemplative Living as Continuous Inner Renewal (pg 19)
(10/9) Session 3 - Contemplative Prayer and Prayer of the Heart (pg 24)
(10/23) Session 4 - Contemplative Living and Community (pg 29)
(10/30) Session 5 - Inner Work and the Struggle to Live Contemplatively (pg 33)
(11/13) Session 6 - The Spiritual Discipline of Solitude (pg 39)
This workshop was meant is to increase each participants capacity for Contemplative living, that is a way of noticing and responding to everyday experiences by taking a long, loving look at what's real. In this way we become increasingly open to the word of God that each moment of our day pronounces. Each evening session was conducted in a contemplative manner.
Each evening was conducted as follows:
We used volume 3 of the bridges of contemplative living with thomas merton guide book entitled Living Your Deepest Desires.
The program was held on Thursday evenings from 7:00 - 8:30 in the Anam Cara Room at the Spiritual Life Center and we covered the following sessions:
(9/11) Session 1 - Finding Our Identity in God (pg 14)
(9/25) Session 2 - Contemplative Living as Continuous Inner Renewal (pg 19)
(10/9) Session 3 - Contemplative Prayer and Prayer of the Heart (pg 24)
(10/23) Session 4 - Contemplative Living and Community (pg 29)
(10/30) Session 5 - Inner Work and the Struggle to Live Contemplatively (pg 33)
(11/13) Session 6 - The Spiritual Discipline of Solitude (pg 39)
This workshop was meant is to increase each participants capacity for Contemplative living, that is a way of noticing and responding to everyday experiences by taking a long, loving look at what's real. In this way we become increasingly open to the word of God that each moment of our day pronounces. Each evening session was conducted in a contemplative manner.
Each evening was conducted as follows:
- Silence and Welcome to group
- Sharing of lived experiences from last session’s insights
- Opening Reflection and Introduction by facilitator to the evening’s theme
- Readings with Group Contemplative Sharing followed by group Dialogue
- Recording of inspirations and intentions for Contemplative Living
- Silence and Closing Meditation
Session Reflections
The Reflections from each week have been captured and are shared on the Bridges To Contemplative Living Blog page
Contemplative Sharing
Contemplative sharing is the means by which participants openly share their reflections during our sessions. It is not outcome-oriented and is not about fully understanding what one reads or hears from others. The focus is on listening to another rather than formulating a response. Simply hearing and listening to another's point of view can inform and enlighten our own perspective in a way that debating or analyzing cannot. We are enlightened by opening ourselves to the deeper values and issues of another expressing thoughts freely and openly.
The following are the basic principles underlying Contemplative sharing:
The following are the basic principles underlying Contemplative sharing:
- Keep comments rooted in your own "lived experience" and refrain from remarks that are overly abstract, philosophical or theoretical
- Focus on how things touch you. Use I statements like "I believe..." or "I am confused by that response ...". Frame remarks with phrases such as "My assumption is ..." or "My experience has been..."
- Reflect before speaking and be concise. Make one point or relate one experience then stop to allow others to do the same.
- Go beneath the surface of your initial thoughts asking yourself what is drawing you to the particular part of the reading or what makes you feel this way?
- Contemplation starts with deep listening and accepting, so listen first and accept what is being shared as another's reality before thinking about how you might respond or comment.
- Expect periods of silence during the period of sharing and resist the urge to speak just because there is silence.
- Avoid cross-talking by focusing on listening to another and giving them the time to fully express themselves.
- Observe how participants' ideas, reflections common concerns, assumptions and attitudes come together to form a collective group mind.
Holy Listening
A Holy Listening group was offered as an optional experience to participants of the fall Thomas Merton workshop and will take place from 6:15 - 6:45 p.m. on the nights of each Thomas Merton session starting on 9/25/2014. Holy Listening focuses on developing participants' spiritual presence and awareness to one another and the Spirit of the Divine in our midst. It is conducted as a circle of contemplative sharing.
What you need: paper and pen/pencil.
Before beginning: each member should list the names of those in the group on your paper so that as each person shares, you may write on your paper what comes to you from listening.
Begin: A member of the group volunteers to open with a brief prayer.
Presenter: Share a recent happening (last 24 hours) in your life, emphasizing the affect in you (emotion it invoked). Contemplate an ordinary event with new eyes.
Listeners:
Pause ... Then:
Conclude: with a spontaneous or other form of prayer.
What you need: paper and pen/pencil.
Before beginning: each member should list the names of those in the group on your paper so that as each person shares, you may write on your paper what comes to you from listening.
Begin: A member of the group volunteers to open with a brief prayer.
Presenter: Share a recent happening (last 24 hours) in your life, emphasizing the affect in you (emotion it invoked). Contemplate an ordinary event with new eyes.
- Make your sharing brief
- Use "I" statements and be specific
Listeners:
- Listen openly, contemplatively and silently
- Do not comment
- Allow the words to touch you at the core of your being
- Listen for a word or scripture passage that comes to mind
- Jot down this word or scripture on your paper next to the name of the person who is speaking
Pause ... Then:
- After everyone has shared, everyone reads to the first person the word or scripture passage they wrote down.
- Continue around the circle in a contemplative manner without commenting.
- Write down the "gifts" you have received from each person. Give thanks for what you have received and ponder these gifts later.
Conclude: with a spontaneous or other form of prayer.