Of Special Interest

June 2000 Newsletter

Two Features this month . . .

Centering Prayer in the North Carolina Mountains

Retreat: The Contemplative Dimensions of the 12 Steps

Centering Prayer in the North Carolina Mountains
by David Frenette

For the last two Springs, I have traveled to the mountains of Western North Carolina, near Asheville, to lead Centering Prayer retreats at an inter-religious retreat center. A small group of retreatants gathered from around the region to explore Christian contemplative practice together. By the end of the weekend, we had bonded together in the silence from which the Word of God emerges in contemplative prayer. Other than birds and the gentle rain, the only sound we heard was the bell summoning us to prayer in the spacious meditation hall.

The Southern Dharma Retreat Center is a beautiful, remote and absolutely silent facility. The warm staff provided us with wonderful vegetarian food to nurture our intensive prayer. Sleep-over, residential retreats in such a supportive environment are wonderful ways to renew and enrich our spiritual lives, especially when the contemplative instruction is geared towards supporting our everyday "at-home" practice, amidst busyness, noise and responsibilities. I found the experience with our community of Centering Prayer practitioners at Southern Dharma to be similar to the retreat experiences I have served at Chrysalis House, Snowmass and other such "havens" of silence and support.

I will be returning on July 20, 2000 to lead a three-day intensive Centering Prayer Retreat 1at the Center. The theme will be the awareness of God's presence and action in the present moment - all the present moments of retreat and the moments of our ordinary lives. I hope to meet more of the Centering Prayer people from the region. If you are interested, call the staff at the Retreat Center at 828-622-7112.

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Retreat: The Contemplative Dimensions of the 12 Steps
Purpose:

	To introduce or expand the experience of Centering Prayer as a part of a daily 12 Step practice;
	To stimulate a desire and resolve in participants to practice and meditation on a daily basis;
	To stimulate interest in participants to encourage others to a regular 11th Step practice.

About the Retreat: A week-end retreat, generally consisting of the following components:

	Centering Prayer periods each day
	Presentations of original material designed for the retreat by Brian Cook & Donald Masters
	Videotape series by Fr. Thomas Keating which was specifically designed for this Workshop
	Group process and discussion
	12 Step Meetings
	Prayer and meditation practice; and silence

Other Needed Information:

	Ideal facility is a retreat center like St. Andrew's Retreat House
	Appropriate size of group - 15-25 people
	Must be in a 12 Step Program
	Must have some prayer and meditation experience

If you would be interested in participating in such a retreat, please call Donald Masters at 303-320-1213, or Email donaldm@ix.netcom.com. Brian & Donald will conduct this retreat if the Facility and Group are available.

See Calendar of Events, Centering Prayer weekend section, for the next scheduled Contemplative Dimensions of the 12 Steps Retreat.

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Contact Information

Postal address:
    Contemplative Outreach Ltd.
    10 Park Place
    2nd Floor, Suite 2B
    Butler, New Jersey 07405

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Centering Prayer in the North Carolina Mountains by David Frenette

Retreat: The Contemplative Dimensions of the 12 Steps

Contact Information

Centering Prayer in the North Carolina Mountains
by David Frenette