CONTEMPLATION

"Out of Nothing"

Thomas Keating

To be nothing

is to consent to being a simple creature.

This is the place of encounter with

“I AM that I Am.”

When there is no more “me, myself, or mine,”

Only “I AM” remains.

Then the “I” may fall away,

Leaving just the AM.

God empowers our powerlessness

so that we never despair

Of unconditional forgiveness and infinite mercy.

Such is the grace of inner resurrection,

And the reward for seeking no reward.

CONSIDER

CHAPTER EVENTS

Appreciation of Service by Ann Mazenko and Carol Lewis

For those of you who have received our newsletter and participated in our events over the past decade, you are aware of the mighty gifts and selfless giving of Ann Mazenko and Carol L. Lewis. They together took on the leadership mantle from Carol D. Lewis, the founder of our chapter, and carried us gallantly for the past 7 years. At the end of 2024, they passed the torch to others after a race well run.

At our Visioning Workshop on May 10, we recognized the humble and enduring service of Ann and Carol, appreciating them with gift cards to a local restaurant and thanking them for their many years of dedication and service. They continue to support the Servant Leadership Circle and chapter with sage guidance, historical knowledge, and empowering prayers. We ask that you continue to hold them in prayer and thanksgiving and to express your gratitude to them both.

“Seeing With God’s Eyes"



COPNS Visioning Workshop Summary

On Saturday, May 10, a group of seventeen Centering Pray-ers came together to envision the future needs and activities of Contemplative Outreach of Pensacola (COPNS). Participants included people from as far away as Mobile and Marianna and represented at least a dozen of our Centering Prayer groups. During our discussions, we allowed ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit in pursuing the mission of the chapter, which is "To embrace the process of transformation in Christ both in ourselves and in others through the practice of Centering Prayer."

The group expressed gratitude for many things offered by their CP groups and the chapter that support their practice of CP. Some of the strengths mentioned were the availability and consistency of many CP groups, the chapter's annual group events such as the Advent Day of Silence, and the strong sense of the Holy Spirit leading. 

The group then discussed the needs of the chapter, identifying and prioritizing nearly a dozen types of needs. The top ranked priorities were: providing more “Introduction to Centering Prayer” workshops, holding at least four “Morning of Silence” events each year, hosting multi-day retreats and/or day-long special events, sustaining CP’s Christian foundations & theological principles, and providing facilitator training and mentoring. Read more details in the full workshop summary. Visioning Workshop Summary

Regardless of whether you attended the workshop, we invite everyone to attend future planning meetings, participate in the weekly Servant Leadership Circle ZOOM meetings, and/or serve a particular need. Details regarding these opportunities will be featured in coming issues of this newsletter. Your involvement in our chapter is welcome and needed for our chapter to sustain its offerings and evolve with the changing needs of our contemplative community. 

CHAPTER SPOTLIGHT

We are excited to launch a new series highlighting the impactful ministries of Centering Prayer groups within our chapter. Contemplative Outreach of Pensacola spans from Mobile, AL to Tallahassee, FL.

Our first feature shines a light on the vital prison outreach in Tallahassee, a testament to how Centering Prayer is being shared in diverse settings, including prisons, schools, and 12-step programs.

We invite all Centering Prayer groups in our chapter to share how your group is fostering contemplative practice in our community.

Please email Doug Heatwole at copensacola22@gmail.com to submit your chapter spotlight.



Image by "Holding Still" documentary

Centering Prayer Brings Hope and Transformation

A Focus on Prison Outreach

Tallahassee, FL – Contemplative Outreach of Pensacola is deeply committed to supporting and highlighting the vital work of the Centering Prayer prison outreach in Tallahassee. Prison Contemplative Fellowship (PCF), a nonprofit organization with an office in the Panhandle, is partnering with Contemplative Outreach, Ltd.’s Prison Outreach Service Team (COPOST) to build a contemplative community that transcends walls.

For over a decade, PCF has served as a beacon of spiritual support for those living inside correctional facilities. Many participants have found solace and guidance through accessible resources like Ray Leonardini's impactful books, Finding God Within: Contemplative Prayer for Prisoners and Toxic Shame: From Hiding to Healing. Additionally, the powerful documentary, Holding Still (2022), is available on tablets in many locked facilities via the Edovo app, extending the reach of this transformative practice. These resources may also be accessed for free outside locked facilities, via PCF’s website HERE.

At the heart of this outreach is the practice of Centering Prayer itself, a method of silent prayer that, as taught by Father Thomas Keating, helps individuals consent to God's presence and action within. Father Keating, a pivotal figure in modern contemplative practice, emphasized how this profound practice can help individuals peel away the "onion" layers of the false self to reconnect with their true self and, ultimately, the "Ground of Being"—God's healing embrace. This journey inward, even within the confines of prison, can lead to deep healing and a renewed sense of purpose.

In a recent "Centering Inside" newsletter, JP, a formerly incarcerated individual, shared a powerful testimony from a Centering Prayer retreat co-hosted by PCF and COPOST. JP spoke about the profound benefits of the "grand silence," noting how it allowed for deeper introspection and the processing of thoughts often obscured by daily life. The retreat fostered a "profound unity" among participants despite the silence, and the integration of bodywork provided new skills for navigating tension. These retreats consistently demonstrate that those who engage are "changed, for the better." As PD, another participant, succinctly put it, "The retreat helped to resolve a longtime question: ‘Who am I?’"

An Invitation to an Intensive Centering Prayer Retreat

We are pleased to announce that the Contemplative Outreach Prison Outreach Service Team (COPOST) and Prison Contemplative Fellowship/Praestolari (PCF) are sponsoring an Intensive Centering Prayer retreat this September for those affected by incarceration.

As individuals interested in the overall mission of these two organizations, we wanted to share the details of this powerful opportunity. You may know of someone for whom this retreat would be a good fit. Often, it's the personal contact that brings someone to the prayer and, in this case, to consider attending the retreat.

We want to emphasize that cost is not a barrier. Through the generosity of donors, much or all of the expenses will be covered. Father Thomas Keating strongly encouraged those with a Centering Prayer practice to participate in an annual retreat, and for those affected by incarceration, the experience is greatly supportive of the practice post-incarceration.

Please download the brochure for full details using the button below. We deeply appreciate your sharing this information with anyone you think might be (or know someone who might be) interested. Retreat Flyer

Questions about the retreat? Please contact the Prison Outreach Service Team (Contemplative Outreach) via email: centering@cpprisonoutreach.org.

PCF and COPOST are committed to serving all who engage in contemplative practices, including current and formerly incarcerated individuals, their families, friends, chaplains, and volunteers. We continue to build community by sharing Centering Prayer meditation and fostering connections to support personal and communal healing and transformation.

For those interested in learning more about supporting these vital prison outreach efforts, we encourage you to visit the Prison Outreach website HERE.

LIBRARY CORNER

At our recent Visioning Workshop, one of our participants, Chandra Hanson (Executive

Director at Prison Contemplative Fellowship) spoke about prison ministry. Chandra generously donated two books to our library, both by Ray Leonardini, a former lawyer who has led centering prayer groups as a volunteer chaplain in California’s Folsom State Prison.

More information about Prison Contemplative Fellowship may be found on their website at https://www.uspcf.org/ and in the article above.

You may also be interested in the preview of Holding Still, a documentary about the experiences of several men who practiced centering prayer while serving time in Folsom Prison.



Check these and other resources out at the Carol D. Lewis Centering Prayer 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 online catalog: https://CenteringPrayerLibrary.librarika.com. 

There are no due dates or fines, so feel free to use the collection. Please contact Caroline Thompson, the librarian, at cthompson57@gmail.com if you have any comments, questions, suggestions, or donations. 

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Save the date ~ Mark your calendar

June 6 - 8, 2025

2025 June Eight Day Centering Prayer Retreat — St. Mary's Sewanee

CLICK HERE

COMMUNITY

CONTINUING

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

CLICK HERE for the mid-May E-Bulletin.

Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. website: CLICK HERE

Theological Principle #4 - Consenting to the Divine Presence and action within us is the heart and soul of Centering Prayer.



Commentary - "To respond to the call of the Spirit is to consent to God’s presence and action within us and to the transformative process initiated by the Spirit, which enables us to participate in the divine nature and to become one family in Christ."