CONTEMPLATION

In the indignities and sufferings that we may experience, what

is most painful is not what happens, but our attitude to what

happens. This is why when we pray for deliverance from evil,

God often does not take away our difficulties, but joins us

in enduring them. That is a greater gift than taking away the

trial. It is a much greater gift because it unites us to the cross

of Christ and to His redemptive activity. Through our union

with Him we are sharing in the greatest project in human life,

which is the redemption of the world. To suffer in union with

Christ is to offer to those we love, and try to serve, the

greatest of all gifts, the one that we have been freely given:

God’s unconditional love.

Thomas Keating,

The Paschal Mystery:

A Journey into Redemption and Grace.

IN LOVING MEMORY OF DR. STORNE SHIVELY

Contemplative Outreach of Pensacola lost one of its beloved leaders and teachers

when Dr. Storne Shively unexpectedly passed away on February 27, 2026. Storne was

a Centering Prayer practitioner who was involved in the earliest stages of the formation

of our chapter and served on our Servant Leadership Team for many years. She was a

close companion of our chapter founder, Carol Dianne Lewis. Storne was very involved

with most of our chapter events, large and small, and often had roles in their planning

and execution. She and Carol Dianne teamed up to co-teach Contemplative Journey I

and II, multi-week classes that offered an in-depth look at Father Thomas Keating’s

teaching on Centering Prayer as well as the works of other Christian contemplative

teachers. After Carol Dianne’s passing, Storne continued offering these classes,

eventually bringing in other chapter leaders to teach with her. She was particularly well-

suited for this role with her vocational background as a psychologist for the Veteran’s

Administration.

In fact, Storne was in the midst of teaching a Contemplative Journey II course when the

pandemic hit. She was quite “tech savvy,” and soon mastered Zoom to keep the class

going. That class was so beloved by its members that it continued meeting on Zoom

after the curriculum ended and continues to this day. Storne often helped out with the

tech at our events, especially when Father Carl Arico couldn’t come in person to our

2022 Beckwith retreat and had to appear via Zoom. She was able to record his talks

and shared them on the internet.

Storne loved to travel, whether it was to see family and friends, participate in

professional conferences, or go on spiritual retreats. She loved meeting new people and

learning new things through these experiences and eagerly shared her learning with

other chapter members when she returned. One of these experiences was truly a

mountaintop experience in her spiritual journey—her 10-day intensive silent retreat at

St. Benedict’s Monastery at Snowmass, Colorado, in 2017. As she reflected on this

experience, she wrote, “It took approximately four days for my body and mind to ‘down

shift’ and settle into the rhythm and routine of the retreat. At that point I noticed that in

the sustained silence the mind quiets down and there are periods of ‘not thinking’—just

‘being.’ My mind felt clearer and more attuned and receptive to the spiritual wavelength

and dimension.”

One of the most striking aspects of Storne’s character as she participated in the chapter

was humility. Because of her academic background, she had far more knowledge of the

psychological underpinnings of the prayer than most of us, but we often had to coax her

to share her knowledge because she didn’t want to dominate the discussion. She felt

everyone’s experiences and thoughts needed to be shared. She was open and

vulnerable about her own struggle to integrate her everyday life with the contemplative

life. And she continued to look for practices that would deepen her spiritual life and

connect her to the wider community of contemplatives.

Even though Storne was often dismayed by the current events of the day, she had an

unwavering belief that the consciousness of all humanity was evolving and growing

more and more toward love. In March 2020 as we were all becoming aware of the

scope of the pandemic, she wrote, “I see this as a real opportunity for each of us, our

country, and our world to reconnect with each other, with nature, with God. Everywhere I

see that happening—friends calling each other or emailing. Millennials helping the

elderly, people out walking, smiling at each other. God is in control and is nudging us

back to Him/Her, reminding us that we are stewards of the world and each other. And

that’s bringing His/Her kingdom to the earth as it is in Heaven.”

Contemplative Outreach of Pensacola was immeasurably enriched by the presence and

contributions of Dr. Storne Shively, for which we will be forever grateful. May light

perpetual shine upon her.



If you would like to honor the memory of Dr. Storne Shively by making a donation to

Contemplative Outreach of Pensacola, please click on the button below. Storne was an

integral part of our chapter from the beginning—a leader, teacher, and faithful friend andcompanion on the spiritual journey.

Storne Shively Obituary - Pensacola, FL

CONSIDER

UNFATHOMABLE

"Think of God in a big way and if you do, that's too small."

Father Thomas Keating

God is unfathomable. Unfathomable is a metaphorical word. For millennia, sailors used a long rope, called a sounding line, with a weight tied on the end and lowered over the side of their ship until they felt the weight hit bottom. The line was marked with a colored rag or leather strip at a regular interval, typically every 6 feet, which was called a fathom. Sailors and explorers could create charts showing the depth of the ocean in fathoms along their route. But in some locations the bottom of the ocean was deeper than the length of their finite sounding line. These areas were called unfathomable -- deeper than could be measured. So, when we say God is unfathomable, we mean that God is beyond the limits of man's ability to measure or even conceive.

We do our best to try to conceive of God. We try names and concepts on God, and we apply the ones that best suit our needs or understanding. But God is higher, wider, and deeper than any name or concept or category we might devise. 

LIBRARY CORNER

For the next few months, Library Corner is going to highlight recommendations from the Facilitator’s Gathering in February. The second in our series, Recommendations from the Facilitator’s Gathering, features selections recommended by Sister Margaret Ann Calcutta.

Keating, Thomas Invitation to Love: The Way of Christian Contemplation.  1996 (paperback version of 1992 ed.)

In his book, Invitation to Love, Keating describes the stages in the process of spiritual growth as a contemplative. Keating states, “This is an attempt to provide a roadmap, as it were for the journey that begins when Centering Prayer is seriously undertaken, and to point out some of the recognizable landmarks on the journey as well as to its ultimate destination….The regular practice of contemplative prayer initiates a healing process that may be called divine therapy…while at the same time establishing the climate and necessary dispositions for a deepening relationship to God and leading, if we persevere, to divine union.”



Kelly, Thomas R. A Testament of Devotion: Five Quaker Essays on Finding Inner Peace Through God’s Presence and Simplification. 1996 (Originally published in 1941)

Through five essays, Kelly, who was a Quaker missionary and scholar, urges us to center our lives on God’s presence, to find quiet and stillness within modern life, and to discover the deeply satisfying and lasting peace of the inner spiritual journey. In his words, “I have in mind something deeper than the simplification of our external programs, our absurdly crowded calendars of appointments through which so many pantingly and frantically gasp. These do become simplified in holy obedience, and the poise and peace we have been missing can really be found. But there is a deeper, an internal simplification of the whole of one's personality, stilled, tranquil, in childlike trust listening ever to Eternity's whisper, walking with a smile into the dark.”



These and other amazing books may be borrowed from the Carol D. Lewis Library housed in the Centering Prayer Room on the second floor of Christ Church's Education Building. The collection is listed by author, title, and subject in the library catalog:

https://CenteringPrayerLibrary.librarika.com.

There are no due dates or fines charged to use the collection. If you have any comments, questions, suggestions or would like to donate materials, please contact the librarian (Caroline Thompson, cthompson57@gmail.comthompson57@gmail.com).

RECENT EVENTS

Image from nps.gov

Drawing Together in Nature: Blessings from the Contemplative Forest Walk

Nearly 50 people gathered at the Naval Live Oaks Bayside Picnic Pavilion on Saturday,

March 21, 2026, for a contemplative retreat led by William Thiele, PhD, author of the

books, The Gate of Heaven is Everywhere and Monks in the World: Seeking God in a

Frantic Culture.

The retreat was hosted by the Center for Sacred Space with support from Contemplative Outreach of Pensacola. The location and weather were perfect for connecting with the beauty and silence of the towering pine trees, the sandy shoreline, and the aquamarine waters of Pensacola Bay. The half-day retreat included four periods of readings of contemplative poems and quotes and guided Centering Prayer/meditative silent periods together, followed by individual silent time, walking, sitting or wading as each person was led, and small group sharing.

A delicious buffet lunch allowed people to gather for informal conversation or to seek silence and connection to nature.

William Thiele had a premonition of the retreat several days before the group gathered,

saying, “We can begin the celebration now that in these harsh times the retreat … is

speaking to people, drawing them into a moving meditation that helps us unite with the

divine through the natural world. May every single one of us have this direct Spirit

experience…. I truly believe as we practice the Presence together, through inner and

outer sanctuary, Someone will come to us and bring what we need.”

Following the retreat, Kaye Westmark, Executive Director of the Center for Sacred

Space, confirmed William’s foresight: “I am basking in the blessing of such a rich day of

being in community with singleness of heart! My heart is smiling with delight of new

friendships and kindred spirits.”



Doug Heatwole of COPNS’s Servant Leadership Circle expressed his experience this

way: “It was a day of blessing upon blessing...God putting us in intimate contact with

each other and His creation and weaving everything together to create a new sense of

beauty, belonging, and blessing.”

COPNS is grateful for the opportunity to support the Center for Sacred Space in this

retreat and anticipating future opportunities to collaborate with the Center on other

contemplative prayer events.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Center for Sacred Space

Labyrinth & Stations of the Cross:  A Holy Week Prayer Room

Dearest Community!



As we journey into the holiest week of the Christian year, I invite you to step away from the busyness of life and join us for a profound time of reflection and prayer.

This Holy Week, Center for Sacred Space will host a Prayer Labyrinth and the Stations of the Cross in the Upper Room located on the second floor in The Consulate at 2 East Wright Street, Pensacola, FL These spiritual tools offer sacred space to prayerfully meditate on Christ’s last hours and journey with him from the passion of the cross to the hope of the Resurrection.



• The Stations of the Cross: Walk through 14 stations depicting Jesus’ journey to Calvary, offering a moment to stop and contemplate his sacrifice.
• The Prayer Labyrinth: Walk the path as a meditation, an outward physical expression of our inward journey toward Christ.
• When: Tuesday – Thursday, March 31th – April 2nd
• Time: From 10:00am – 2:00pm & 4:00pm— 6:00pm
• Location: The Upper Room, located on 2nd Floor of The Consulate 2 East Wright Street, Pensacola, FL

Whether you have an hour or just five minutes, I encourage you to make this space a part of your Lenten observance. It is a gift to yourself to enter into the mystery of these days.

One of last year’s participants said the following about her experience in the prayer room, “I was so thankful to get to experience the Stations of the Cross with my sons, age 10 & 11. It sparked rich conversation about the surrender and love of our God that know no end. We got to see the cross though the perspectives of so many and feel our way through his journey. The images were so evocative and invited us into deep reflection.”

Another person shared that “it was an amazing. I loved the different ways to experience Jesus’ last moments and follow his path to the cross. The art, scriptures, reflections and labyrinth all added dimension and different perspectives. It really was holy, sacred ground.”

If you have any questions, please contact Donell L. Seager, Director of Spiritual Formation and Worship, via email at DSeager@CenterforSacredSpace.org or via phone or text at (850) 723-5781.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Pentecost Morning of Silence

"When We Breathe Together"

Each holy breath we take is a gift from God.

Join us as we celebrate God's Holy Breath, surrounding and uniting us in community. There is no charge for this event. Donations are graciously accepted.

Image: Tongues as of Fire

© Jan Richardson janrichardson.com

COMMUNITY

CONTINUING

You are invited to enjoy the monthly Contemplative Outreach, Ltd E-Bulletin for beautiful offerings and E-bulletin.



CLICK HERE to read the mid-March E-Bulletin.

Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. website: CLICK HERE

The Contemplative Outreach YouTube Channel offers a treasure of free videos of

shorter and longer lengths:

Contemplative Outreach - YouTube

Theological Principle #14 - The good accomplished through Contemplative Outreach is the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Commentary - "To cooperate with grace is to co-create and co-redeem the world with Christ from its beginning to its consummation. At the same time, divine transformation is the gratuitous gift of the Holy Spirit and the Source of all the good that God may accomplish through us."