Centering Prayer Newsletter # 4--Bay Area
June, 2009
If you are having trouble reading this newsletter please go to our website http://www.contemplativeoutreach-norcal.org/newsletters/newsletters.html
Please Note:
You are receiving this newsletter because you have attended an event,
talk, or retreat sponsored by Contemplative Outreach of San Francisco. The contents of this newsletter describe
future Centering Prayer events which will occur during the remainder of 2009.
1.
Prison Ministry Need for Centering Prayer Books
2.
Facilitator Training to be held July 18 in East Bay
3.
Introduction to Centering Prayer Workshops
4.
Centering Prayer Retreats Coming Up in 2009
5. Update
on Spiritual Engagement Project
6.
Terry Ryan to speak on Julian of Norwich October 24
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Article 1: Prison Ministry Need for Centering Prayer
Books
In northern California, Contemplative
Outreach volunteers visit prisons and other correctional facilities every week,
bringing the quiet of Centering Prayer instruction and meditation to the
constantly noisy lives of inmates. This
well regarded ministry has been nurtured by volunteers for many years, and has
been blessed with visits by Thomas Keating to several of the prisons where
Centering Prayer groups occur. Although
volunteers are able to hold Centering Prayer instruction and prayerful practice
with inmates, there remains an identified need throughout the system for
Centering Prayer books that can be checked out and read by inmates. It is the intent of Contemplative Outreach of
San Francisco to establish a small contemplative prayer library in each of
these prison facilities.
There are half dozen titles in both Spanish
and English that are appropriate to this population and ministry, as well as
enrichment Centering Prayer DVDs and Videos as relevant and practical resources
for the prison groups. Costs of these
materials range from $15-25 per item.
Are you willing to donate $15-25 to
purchase one Centering Prayer book or DVD for inmates' use in Chapel libraries?
Every dollar donation will be used to
purchase and distribute Centering Prayer books and DVDs to the chapel libraries
of a dozen prisons and correctional facilities.
If you feel called to help, please make a check out to Contemplative
Outreach of SF, with a notation of "prison books" and mail check to
Mary Wyman, Coordinator, Contemplative Outreach at 202 Roosevelt Way, San
Francisco, CA. 94114. Your prayerful
discernment of this request will be deeply appreciated by inmates and
volunteers alike.
Article 2:
Facilitator Training to be held in East Bay on July 18
Facilitators of small Centering Prayer groups
throughout northern California are warmly invited to attend a day of prayer,
fellowship and training in the East Bay.
Lunch will be provided. There is
no registration fee but donations will be gratefully accepted. This is jointly sponsored by Eileen
Halliburton and John Neville, Co-Coordinators of East Bay and Mary Wyman,
Coordinator of San Francisco.
Arrival time (coffee and bagels) between 8:30am
and 9:00am. Activities will begin with
Centering Prayer at 9:00am and end at 4:00pm.
Training topics will include a) The Facilitator as Servant Leader; b)
Applying Contemplative Outreach Theological Principles to the Dynamic of the
Small Group; c) Deepening the Spirituality of the Group and d) Various Formats
for Prayer Meetings.
Please acknowledge your attendance by
emailing mary.wyman@yahoo.com, giving your name, county, where and when your
prayer group meets. Return directions
will be provided by email.
Deadline: July 10, 2009
Article 3:
Introduction to Centering Prayer Workshops
Contemplative Outreach of northern California
offers Introduction to Centering Prayer workshops to churches, prisons, schools
and other organizations where individuals desire to learn about contemplative
prayer and its method of practice. A
dozen ecumenical introductory workshops have been given in the first half of
2009, and the following remain:
First Presbyterian Church in Monterey---June 27,
2009---8:30am to 1:00pm---For information, call (831) 596-8299.
Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church---San
Francisco--Aug.1, 2009---9:30am to 3:00pm---call Sr. Cathy @ (415) 553-8776.
San Quentin---closed sessions--Summer & Fall,
2009
Mercy Center---Burlingame,
CA---September 27, 2009---To register, call (650) 340-7474.
If you are interested in learning more about
how to sponsor an Introductory Workshop, email mary.wyman@yahoo.com.
Article 4:
Centering Prayer Retreats coming up in 2009
If you have made a Centering Prayer retreat,
you know the extraordinary deepening of your personal practice through the
multiple
sits occuring through the days. Consider one of the following opportunities
remaining in 2009 to join a local, silent retreat and renew and deepen your
practice.
4-Day Centering Prayer Retreat---Mercy Center,
Burlingame, CA August 6-9, 2009 To register, call: (650) 340-7474.
Prison Retreat---Mercy Center,
Burlingame, CA August 7-9, 2009 For information, call Mary Wyman @
415-431-8590.
Centering Prayer for Korean Community--Aug. 7-9--San
Damiano Center, Danville, CA Email:
myounghwankim@hotmail.com.
Centering Prayer as the 11th Step--(12 Step
Program)--Mercy Center--Oct. 30-Nov.1---To register, call (650) 340-7474.
4-Day Centering Prayer Retreat---San Damiano
Center, Danville, CA--Dec. 10-13, 2009
To register, call (925) 837-9141.
Article 5:
Update on Spiritual Engagement Centering Prayer Project
Many Centering Prayer practitioners in the
Greater Bay Area are participating in the one-year Centering Prayer study
conducted by the Mind Body Medicine Research Group located at the California
Pacific Medical Center Research Institute in San Francisco.
The Mind Body Research Group is approximately
half-way completed with collecting information from Centering Prayer
practitioners, along with other spiritual practitioners, for the Spiritual
Engagement Project, a research study on how engagement in spiritual practices
and community influences health and wellbeing.
Participants have been wonderfully committed to completing the myriad
tasks for this project, including online questionnaires, two eight-day periods
of daily telephone surveys, forms and emails.
The Institute deeply appreciates this cooperation from all the northern
California Centering Prayer practitioners who are participating in the
Spiritual Engagement Project and expect to share the findings of this study
with our community. They expect to
finish collecting data in December of 2009 and will continue with the analysis
phase of the study into 2010.
Article 6:
Father Terry Ryan to speak on Julian of Norwich on October 24
Old St. Mary's Catholic Church
Paulist Book Store--Chinatown
Corner of California & Grant Avenue
San Francisco
Saturday, October 24, 2009
9:30am to 1:00pm
Freewill Offering
