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Contemplative Prayer Support GroupChad said Feb 24, 2008, 10:48 PM: |
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Invitation to those who are practicing Centering Prayer or another Contemplative practice (or who are considering taking up such a practice: I have been practicing Centering Prayer for about a year now, and I would like to be part of a group that meets once a week or every 2 weeks for support and mutual sharing of experience and knowledge. I can make available a virtual conference room with audio, whiteboard, and text chat. I have felt a need for a community of this sort, but was inspired to act on this feeling after reading this by Thomas Keating: “While centering prayer is done privately most of the time, a weekly sharing of the experience in a small group … has proven to be very supportive, as well as a means of continuing education. The weekly meeting also serves as a means of accountability. Just knowing that one's support group is meeting together weekly is an enormous encouragement to keep going…” “By sharing the experience of centering prayer with others, one's own discernment of the ups and downs of the practice is sharpened.” Open Mind, Open Heart, p. 135. Possibilities for group activity are studying one or more of Father Keating's writings (many of which are available free online) and even viewing his video series, The Spiritual Journey. Please post here or send me an e-mail here at Gaia if you are interested in being a part of such a group. Blessings, Chad
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Re: Contemplative Prayer Support GroupNicole said Feb 25, 2008, 8:47 AM: |
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Dear Chad, |
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Re: Contemplative Prayer Support GroupJayne said Feb 25, 2008, 9:18 AM: |
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Hello Chad (and Nicole) - saw this post on the II pod and was led here (thanks Nicole). I have been interested in starting a contemplative prayer practice and found a local group (in fact 2 blocks from where I live currently); however, am taking another class that night for the next several months. SO, yes, I'm interested in exploring a virtual group meeting! |
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Re: Contemplative Prayer Support GroupNicole said Feb 26, 2008, 3:01 AM: |
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This is exciting. Thanks Jayne! Love Nicole |
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Re: Contemplative Prayer Support GroupChad said Feb 27, 2008, 10:19 PM: |
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Great! Let's set a date and time to get together to talk about format, whether we will focus on a writing, frequency,and other details. What time zones are you in, Nicole and Jayne, and what hours and days are you available for an initial, exploratory session? Love and blessings, Chad
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Re: Contemplative Prayer Support GroupJayne said Feb 27, 2008, 10:32 PM: |
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Hello Chad - I'm in Mountain Time (USA). As far as hours and days - usually, but not always have to book things at least a week in advance to fit them into schedule. I try to take Saturday's off and always take Sundays off. So those are good days. Also, Monday's are quiet days - planning, scheduling, etc. (few if any appointments) - however, I am not a morning person - earliest available times - 11:00 am (I, however, am a late night person). What form are we using to communicate? |
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Re: Contemplative Prayer Support GroupNicole said Feb 27, 2008, 11:51 PM: |
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I’m eastern time and quite busy Most days during the week so perhaps a weekend in the late morning or early afternoon. Love Nicole |
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Re: Contemplative Prayer Support GroupChad said Feb 27, 2008, 11:02 PM: |
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Hi Jayne, I'm Mountain Time, too. Sunday evenings are normally good for me, but I'm quite flexible. I recommend we use a virtual classroom that only requires a headset (or mike and speakers) in addition to an Internet (preferable DSL) connection. I'll set up the room and send you a link using the Gaia mailbox so you can test to make sure you can enter. A small plug-in would be installed on your computer to enable you to use the features. The room has a whiteboard for PowerPoint and other presentations, as well as voice and text chat. Another option would be Skype, which does video as well. Blessings, Chad
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Re: Contemplative Prayer Support GroupChad said Feb 28, 2008, 12:33 PM: |
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Would this coming Sunday, March 2 at 11 a.m. or 12 noon MST (1 or 2 p.m. EST) work for the two of you? If so,I'll set up the room and send you a link to test your ability to enter. If that doesn't work, perhaps we can use Skype. I invited Clare (not a member of this group as yet, but you can read about her at http://seagull.gaia.com/
She must be in the UK because her local time is GMT (7 hours ahead of Jayne and me and 5 hours ahead of Nicole). Blessings, Chad |
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Re: Contemplative Prayer Support GroupNicole said Feb 28, 2008, 5:54 PM: |
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2 pm EST would work for me - and you other three? |
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Re: Contemplative Prayer Support GroupChad said Feb 29, 2008, 9:50 PM: |
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Dear Jayne and Nicole: I recommend that you try the link sometime soon after you receive it for testing purposes. I'll conduct a very brief orientation to the room and its features. I think you'll find it simple and straightforward.
Let's meet, as Nicole suggested, at 2 p.m. EST, which will be 12 noon for Jayne and me. Clare will join us if her children don't drop in for dinner about that time. She is in Ireland, and it will be 7 p.m. there. Our first order of business (but let's not call it that) will be to determine the focus and format of our meetings. I suggest that we adopt rotating leadership of our sessions. Blessings, Chad |
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Re: Contemplative Prayer Support GroupNicole said Feb 29, 2008, 10:01 PM: |
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I look forward to it! I will put out a couple of open invitations in the god pod as we lovingly call it and on my profile. Love Nicole |
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Re: Contemplative Prayer Support GroupChad said Mar 2, 2008, 7:04 AM: |
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Here is a link to be able to Open in your browser or Save as a PowerPoint file an Agenda with images of some of the books we might want to use as resources for our Group: http://online.e-lecta.com/tools/subscribeA.asp?cid=33&roomid=2571 |
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Contemplative Prayer Support Group to meet on Sunday, March 9Chad said Mar 8, 2008, 6:44 AM: |
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Last Sunday's meeting was attended by Clare, who is an Irish spiritual guide with many years of experience, Nicole from Canada, and me, an American in Mexico. It was a very stimulating and inspiring beginning. We agreed to meet again tomorrow, Sunday, March 9 at at 12 noon Mountain Time, 1 p.m. Central Time, 2 p.m. Eastern TIme, 18:00 GMT. Please beware of the time change in Canada and the U.S. Daylight TIme begins tomorrow. For Europeans, this meeting will take place one hour earlier than last week's meeting. All who have an interest are invited to attend. Here is the link to enterthe virtual conference room set aside for our meetings: Blessings, Chad
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Contemplative Prayer Support Group - time clarificationChad said Mar 8, 2008, 6:59 AM: |
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All times for the meeting as posted above are Daylight Time for the U.S. and Canada: Sunday, March 9 at at 12 noon Mountain Daylight Time, 1 p.m. Central Daylight Time, 2 p.m. Eastern Daylight TIme, 18:00 GMT. Please beware of the time change in Canada and the U.S. Daylight TIme begins tomorrow. For Europeans, this meeting will take place one hour earlier than last week's meeting. Blessings, Chad
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Re: Contemplative Prayer Support Group - time clarificationNicole said Mar 8, 2008, 8:47 AM: |
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Thanks for the reminder. I just realized about the time change this morning! |
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Re: Contemplative Prayer Support GroupClare said Mar 10, 2008, 1:20 AM: |
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Dear Chad and Nicole, |
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Re: Contemplative Prayer Support GroupNicole said Mar 10, 2008, 9:59 PM: |
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It was great, with Jayne too, but we missed you! hope next week's time is better for you Clare, which will be 4 pm your time. |
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Re: Contemplative Prayer Support GroupChad said Mar 10, 2008, 10:27 PM: |
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Hi Clare, Thanks for keeping us informed! We missed you and your wise counsel, but we are happy to have you drop in when you are available. Next Sunday, I think it will be at 15:00 GMT (3 p.m.) for you instead of 4 p.m. because Nicole needs to be free by noon her time (Eastern Daylight), which is GMT -4 hours. So if we meet at 11 a.m. her time, it will be 3 p.m. for you, and 9 a.m. for Jayne and 8 a,m, for me because we don't go on DST in Mexico until April 6. Clare, I'm sending you an invitation to join Skype if you don't have it yet. I think the sound will be better for Jayne and Nicole. If you join, please let us know you Skype ID so we can add you to our contact list and have a conference call (free) there on Sunday for our meeting. Interestingly, the 3 of us all became attracted to Christian mysticism through the writings of St, John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila. Next Sunday, we will share more of our personal spiritual journeys (with everyone able to speak and hear, we hope) and talk about what direction we would like the group to take. Interested was expressed in Oprah's interviews with Eckhardt Tolle, but also the thought that we might want to focus on something more nearly rooted in the Christian mystical tradition, perhaps something written by Thomas Keating. Many of Keatings books are available in their entirety online: http://www.contemplativeoutreach.org/archives.htm (See the list in the right-hand column.) I have joined Nicole's “Is there a God?” group and will post announcements there as well as here. Love and blessings, Chad
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Re: Contemplative Prayer Support GroupChad said Mar 10, 2008, 10:32 PM: |
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Hi again, Clare I can't invite you because i don't have an e-mail address for you, but here is the link to Skype's download for Windows page: When you have your Skype Contact ID, please send it to me by Gaia mail so I can invite you into our conference call on Sunday. Blessings, Chad
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Re: Contemplative Prayer Support GroupJayne said Mar 10, 2008, 10:46 PM: |
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Chad - have you clicked on the 'send email' link underneath Clare's profile photo? I know that I see personal emails easier when they are delivered in that way vs. in a post - which sometimes gets buried in the long lists of posts. Just a suggestion. |
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Re: Contemplative Prayer Support GroupChad said Mar 10, 2008, 10:53 PM: |
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Good point, Jayne! Chad
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Re: Contemplative Prayer Support GroupNicole said Mar 11, 2008, 4:20 AM: |
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clare has joined the god pod too so we can continue over there… |
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Contemplative Prayer Support GroupChad said Mar 15, 2008, 10:51 AM: |
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Contemplative Prayer Support Group will meet again on Sunday, March 16 at at 9 a.m. Mountain Daylight Time, 10 a.m. Central Time, 10 a.m. Eastern Time, 15:00 (3 p.m.) GMT Last Sunday, we began to share how we became interested in contemplative prayer and a bit about our own personal histories and spiritual journeys. Perhaps we can continue along those lines and, also, each of us could share one or more wise sayings or quotes that have resonated with us in helpful and/or powerful ways. It might be helpful if each of us who wants to would post such sayings or quotes here so that the rest of us could reflect on them and relate to them during our conversation on Sunday. Here is the direct link to the thread for our group, which Nicole has transplanted to the Is There a God? Group, for anyone who wants to bookmark it: http://pods.gaia.com/is_there_a_god/discussions/view/248888 Also, I thought I could put the sayings or quotes in a PowerPoint file and display them for us to read during our conversation. We could view the material in the virtual conference room while we are talking on Skype. We will use Skype for voice because not all of us were able to hear and speak in the virtual room last Sunday. Jayne, Nicole, Clare and I are all on each other's Skype contact list. I am Gaia-mailing this to Jim Stegall and Balder, both of who have indicated an interest. Here's the link to the virtual room: http://online.e-lecta.com/tools/subscribeA.asp?cid=33&roomid=2571 The idea for sharing meaningful quotes came to me from Jim Stegall, who referred me to quotes by Laura Teresa Marquez. Here's one that Jim has in his profile: “Bless the upward hearts who find all war, all envy and all regret to be unacceptable, especially inside themselves.” And another: “The Source of all Beauty surrounds me, the Source of all Joy uplifts me, and the Source of all Resilience protects me.” Here is one of hers that resonated with me, especially in connection with my practice of contemplative prayer: “Wanting to be better in performance is like wanting to be happy - it is very difficult to get there directly. It is much wiser, first, to focus on the building blocks - and, in the case of performance, the building blocks are commitment, resilience and ruthless disregard for distractions.” Blessings, and welcome to all who would like to participate, Chad |
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Re: Contemplative Prayer Support GroupChad said Mar 15, 2008, 12:11 PM: |
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Correction: |
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Re: Contemplative Prayer Support GroupJayne said Mar 15, 2008, 9:19 PM: |
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Chad and all - I am sorry that I will not be on the call tomorrow (Sunday). I had an unexpected house guest arrive who will be in the living room where the computer is and I don't see how I can make it work (no privacy, etc.). So so sorry. I'm sure I'll get word on next week's meeting. I might put in a request to make it later in the day? I think this week was scheduled earlier due to another commitment that Nicole had. Have a lovely time together. |
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Re: Contemplative Prayer Support GroupNicole said Mar 16, 2008, 7:37 AM: |
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Dear Jayne, |
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Contemplative Prayer Support GroupChad said Mar 15, 2008, 7:54 PM: |
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Contemplative prayer is not so much the absence of thoughts as detachment from them. It is the opening of mind and heart, body and emotions–our whole being–to God, the Ultimate Mystery, beyond words, thoughts and emotions– beyond, in other words, the psychological content of the present moment. We do not deny or repress what is in our consciousness. We simply accept the fact of whatever is there and go beyond it, not by effort, but by letting go of whatever is there. Thomas Keating, Open Heart, Open Mind, Ch. 2
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Re: Contemplative Prayer Support GroupTimothy Paul said Jun 28, 2008, 1:53 PM: |
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Hello Group! |
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Re: Contemplative Prayer Support Groupmaryw said Jun 29, 2008, 5:59 AM: |
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Hi Timothy, and welcome! Blessings, Mary |
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