CONTEMPLATION

“Contemplative prayer is a process of interior transformation, a conversation initiated by God and leading, if we consent, to Divine Union."

"The Daily Reader for Contemplative Living", Father Thomas Keating

CHAPTER EVENTS

CHAPTER EVENTS

2026 FACILITATOR'S GATHERING

Spiritual Formation through Reading and Discussing Books by Contemplatives

As suggested at our last facilitators gathering, we are inviting facilitators and other Centering Prayer group members to highlight contemplative books that their groups have read and discussed and would recommend to other groups.

Whether you are a facilitator or a group member, we hope you'll join us to learn about the wealth of books and other resources that we can use to encourage and inspire the contemplative practices of our group members. 

CONSIDER

God's Work of Art

"We are God’s work of art, created in Christ Jesus." Father Richard Rohr

We are still in the season of celebrating the incarnation of God in the birth of Jesus Christ. But as Richard Rohr points out, Jesus' birth was preceded by God's first incarnation when God created all things, as described in Genesis 1. 

God created the cosmos through Christ, who John calls "the Word" (John 1:1-3). According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, "word" is a gesture or series of gestures that symbolizes and communicates a meaning of an object or concept.

LIBRARY CORNER

After our recent Facilitators Gathering, one of the great ideas that came up that morning was to share ideas about books that are used in our groups. I decided to kick this off with the books used for the past few years in the Centering Prayer Group at St. Mary’s.

• Cloud of Unknowing. There are several editions of this work in the library and it is also available as a free pdf on the Internet. Cloud of Unknowing is a classic, foundational book on contemplation written by an anonymous author during the 14th Century. It is difficult to read and took our group a couple of years to get through, although it was time well spent. 

• de Caussade, Jean-Pierre. Abandonment to Divine Providence. This is a contemplative classic written by a priest in the 18th Century. de Caussade emphasizes surrendering to God in order to conquer pride and ego. Acceptance of what is, is another theme of this wise and wonderful book. There are several editions of this work in the library and it is also available as a free pdf on the Internet. We covered this book, a chapter a week, in about a year.

• Keating, Thomas. Fruits and Gifts of the Spirit. The Fruits of the Spirit are introduced and described in relation to contemplation in this short book. We covered a chapter highlighting a fruit of the spirit each week. This book was accessible and enjoyable to read as a group. It sparked thoughtful sharing on how centering prayer is influencing our lives in different ways, as defined as fruits of the spirit. It is not a long book and we covered it in a season (Sept - Dec.). Three copies are available in the library.

If you are interested in contributing to this list of resources with books you have used in your centering prayer groups, please send me the title, author and a brief overview. If you have any questions or suggestions, please let me know.

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.com).

Deepening Our Silence, Expanding Our Service: A Call for 2026



Dear Friends,

As we step into a new year, Contemplative Outreach of Pensacola (COPNS) is renewing our commitment to the vision of Fr. Thomas Keating: to embrace the process of transformation in Christ through Centering Prayer.

Our time in silence prepares us for action in the world. We are inviting you to bring the fruits of your Centering Prayer practice into the life of our community. There will be service opportunities listed each month as our events approach. 

Many hands make light work.  You are welcome to sign up for a small role, or many!

Save the Dates & Join the Circle:

• January 24, 2026

• Introduction to Centering Prayer Workshop – Christ Episcopal Church, Pensacola

• Sign up here to volunteer:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084AAEAD2CA3FC1-61398629-introduction

• February 7, 2026

• Facilitator’s Gathering

• Spiritual Formation through Reading and Discussing Books by Contemplatives

As suggested at our last facilitators gathering, we are inviting facilitators and other Centering Prayer group members to highlight contemplative books that their groups have read and discussed and would recommend to other groups.

Whether you are a facilitator or a group member, we hope you'll join us to learn about the wealth of books and other resources that we can use to encourage and inspire the contemplative practices of our group members. 

• Sign up here to volunteer:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084AAEAD2CA3FC1-61398803-facilitators

• October 2026 Retreat

• COPNS will host a one-day local retreat this coming October.

• We plan to have a speaker and provide lunch.

• Jenni Arnold will head up the retreat planning committee and meetings (via Zoom) will begin in February.

We are looking for volunteers to help with:

1. Logistics: Assisting with venue selection and setup.
2. Hospitality: Helping with lunch coordination and welcoming guests.
3. Speaker – helping to find a speaker for the event

Please email Jenni Arnold if you are interested in helping with the retreat in October - copns44@gmail.com or call or text: 850-712-1634.

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Other Opportunities to Serve: If retreat planning isn’t your gift, we are also forming service teams for future events and opportunities to become a Centering Prayer workshop presenter.

Whether you are interested in becoming a facilitator, a presenter, or simply helping behind the scenes, there is a place for you.

How to Say "Yes" - We do not ask you to do everything - only something. If you feel led to serve in another capacity, please email:

October Retreat Leader – Jenni Arnold – copns44@gmail.com

Service Leadership - Doug Heatwole - copensacola22@gmail.com

We look forward to an exciting 2026!

CALENDAR OF EVENTS



Saturday, January 24, 2026

Introduction to Centering Prayer Workshop

9 a.m. - Noon

Christ Episcopal Church

Pensacola, FL

REGISTER HERE

Saturday, February 7, 2026

2026 Facilitator's Gathering

10 a.m. - Noon

Location TBD

REGISTER HERE



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-December E-Bulletin.

Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. website: CLICK HERE

Theological Principle #11- We affirm our solidarity with the contemplative dimension of other religions and sacred traditions.

Commentary - "United in our common search for God, we respect and honor other religions and sacred traditions and those committed to them. We engage in ecumenical and interreligious dialogue and work together in areas of social justice, ecological concerns, and contemplative initiatives."