The School of Contemplative Life

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The School of Contemplative Life

We teach an ancient way of meditation from the Christian wisdom tradition as a path to peace, community & oneness.

Join our free online practice community (Sat AM & Wed PM) and meditate with others:
www.linktr.ee/schoolofcontemplativelife

13/01/2025

One space has unexpectedly become available for our sold-out weekend retreat "Resting in God" happening between Friday 24 - Sun 26th January at the beautiful Launde Abbey in Leicestershire.

Click here for more information: https://www.laundeabbey.org.uk/event/restingingod/

Words from a previous participant:

"There are innumerable things that I valued about this retreat experience. It was highly organised, yet there was true space for the self to sit, rest and be free, with God. I felt guided and nurtured. I came away with an almost elated sense of peace and joy, knowing that God was with me at all times, and that the journey of my life (which has struggles but also many blessings) would be a continual encounter with God. I feel that, through this retreat experience, I 'met' God (who was always there!). I came away feeling 'in love', with God, with my life, and with creation. I am so full of gratitude for this moving experience, which will stay with me forever."

Launde Abbey

17/12/2024

We may think of creation as something that happened in the past. Perhaps 13.8 billion years ago for the universe. Perhaps at the moment of our conception for each of us.

But what if creation is continuous? What if we and all things are ceaselessly being created by God’s ceaseless gift of himself?

~~~~~

Continuous Creation: The ceaseless arrival of God within'
Half-day online workshop on Sat 18 Jan from 10am - 1pm (£15)

This ancient and beautiful Christian understanding does not claim that we are God, but rather that God is our being.

As David Bentley Hart put it, “I’m just me. I’m just a finite being. But the ground of all I am, the essence of all I am, the existence of all I am, is not my own. Considered in terms of my source and end...I’m God...there is nothing other than God that gives being.”

If we could be aware of God’s ceaseless influx into us and all creation as the gift of being, said my teacher at Prinknash Abbey, Sylvester Houedard, then we would see God reflected in everything, see that everything is a manifestation of God, theophany (“God appearing”).

“When we come to see that creation is continuous, we come to see that our creativity is not just simply a continuation of God’s creativity, as though that stopped at a certain point and we took over. Rather, we come to see that all that we do is part of God’s creative act.”

How might this understanding help transform how we live?

Drawing on teachings from David Bentley Hart, Sylvester Houedard, Julian of Norwich and others, we will explore:

*the classical Christian understanding of continuous creation as an important and liberating message for today

*how many contemporary ways of speaking about God and creation arise from a forgetfulness of classical Christian theology and reinforce the illusion that we are separate from God

*how meditation (silent prayer) can help us open to the ceaseless arrival of God within us and all creation

As we step into a new year, this workshop offers an opportunity to lay a new foundation and refresh your intention to open to the ceaseless arrival of God within.

Visit this link to book:
https://ow.ly/bpo050UsX92

04/12/2024

Words from someone who comes to our online practice group:

"I feel God 'carrying' me and within me. I feel like a lot of fear has dropped away I feel that I am so much more open, and at one, with myself, and with others. Although I was meditating before I joined you, there is something about the whole dynamic of the School's way of teaching and group meditation which has truly bolstered me."

Join us tonight for online meditation between 8 - 8:45pm UK time. Over 100 people gather for a short reflection, 25 mins of silent meditation and a short period of conversation. It's free to join. Just click the link below:

www.linktr.ee/schoolofcontemplativelife

29/11/2024

Each moment, each breath, is an invitation to open ourselves to the birth of Christ within us, says the great medieval spiritual teacher Meister Eckhart.

This birth is always happening within us. It is the gift of our life, the energy that sustains the whole of creation. But to know this in our own experience changes everything. Our awakening to the birth of Christ in our heart is our rebirth within the infinite love of God, to become that love for each other.

There are a few tickets left for our one day online advent retreat 'The Birth of Christ in the Heart' on Sat 7 Dec from 10am-5pm. Tickets are £25 (although please get in touch if the cost is an issue).

In this special retreat, we’ll explore this important teaching with help from a remarkable Christmas Day sermon given by Meister Eckhart over 700 years ago.

For more information, please visit: https://ow.ly/jmqQ50Ui2vu

13/11/2024

If you've not experienced it yet, there is something very special about meditating with others.

Join over 100 people from different backgrounds and beliefs and meditate with us online tonight (and every Wednesday) between 20:00 - 20:45 UK time.

We'll begin with a short reflection, followed by some simple guidelines for anyone who's new, 25 mins of silent meditation and a time of conversation (for those who want to speak).

It’s a warm and welcoming space and suitable whether or not you’re completely new to meditation or an experienced practitioner.

Click here to sign up - it's free:
www.linktr.ee/schoolofcontemplativelife

~~~~~

A few words from recent participants:

“A sense of community is something that took me by surprise. There is unity in the silence and the internet doesn’t take it away.”

“I signed up to another Christian-oriented group but it does not provide the level of teaching I have found here. The teachings fill me with awe, inspiration and strength and help me feel held by God and the community.”

“I have finally found a spiritual home within my belief structure.”

“I was a bit anxious as I thought meditation was Buddhist or New Age - partly through ignorance. I was delighted to come across The School of Contemplative Life on Instagram. Everything fell into place.”

07/11/2024

A space for this weekend’s silent retreat at St. Mary’s Convent in Oxfordshire has unexpectedly become available.

‘Discovering the Sacred in Daily Life: the Monastic Way to Happiness and Holiness’ will begin tomorrow at 4pm. The cost is £300 to include a single room, delicious meals and teaching across the weekend.

In this experiential retreat, we’ll explore how living within a monastic wisdom framework - St. Benedict’s 'little Rule for beginners' - can help us become aware of our immersion in God, discover grace in the seemingly mundane and live our ordinary life in a way that makes room for the extraordinary.

Do join us for this special weekend at one of the most beautiful retreat centres around.

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/theschoolofcontemplativelife/1397397

28/10/2024

Thinking of everyone on our five-day silent retreat at Launde Abbey which began at 2pm today.

This is a precious opportunity to be still, to be silent, to practice living simply and peacefully and cultivate the gift of loving-awareness as, together, they devote themselves to the depth-dimension of faith and life.

___

We are delighted to announce that we're also running a weekend retreat at Launde Abbey towards the end of January, 'Resting in God'.

Visit this link for more information. https://www.laundeabbey.org.uk/event/restingingod/

Launde Abbey

28/10/2024

Words from this week's blog and podcast which is now live. Subscribe on your favourite podcast player or listen at schoolofcontemplativelife.com/teachings

22/10/2024

We have a new podcast!

'Becoming Places of Peace' aims to help us live from our innate potential for peace, compassion, relationship and oneness - by amplifying the voices of wisdom teachers across the centuries.

During this week's episode, Chris considers how we can discover a deeper sense of connection with God (one of the main reasons people give for signing up to our free online practice group) drawing from the anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing.

Subscribe on your favourite podcast player or listen at schoolofcontemplativelife.com/teachings

-----

A bit about us if you're new here...

The vision of The School of Contemplative Life is to help people establish peace in themselves and become places of peace in the world.

We teach meditation (or silent prayer) to people of all faiths and none - an ancient spiritual practice that opens us to the Sacred within.

Chris Whittington (our Founder) was introduced to contemplative practice during several years of formation when he lived at the Benedictine monastery of Prinknash Abbey.

His monastic teachers taught meditation from the Christian tradition as a universal wisdom and pathway to peace and solidarity with people of all faiths and none.

We host a free online practice group which meets every Saturday between 08:30-09:30 (UK time) and on Wednesday between 20:00-20:45 (UK time). Click here to sign up:
www.linktr.ee/schoolofcontemplativelife

The group is free to join and great for beginners or people with an established practice. It's so much easier to build a regular practice (and experience the many benefits) when you commit to meditating with others.

22/10/2024

Chris is really looking forward to leading a five-day silent retreat at Launde Abbey starting on Monday, based on 'Into the Silent Land' by Martin Laird OSA.

Due to the interest in this, we will be running the retreat again next July at Launde Abbey.

Paste the URL below into your browser for more information:
https://ow.ly/IkEV50TQBKR

11/10/2024

A place has just become available on the 'Into the Silent Land' retreat, led by Chris Whittington, founder of .
28th October - 1st November 2024.

Be sure to grab that last place quickly! Book online now: https://www.laundeabbey.org.uk/event/intothesilentland/

10/10/2024

On World Mental Health Day, we would like to thank every single person who comes along to our online practice group.

Together, they help to create a safe, welcoming and supportive space for people of all faiths and none to practice meditation together. Building a regular habit is so much easier when you're not practicing alone.

Here are some of the words which meditators have shared with us recently.

If you feel like giving meditation a go, do come along on Saturday morning and/or Wednesday evening and practice with over 100 others.

It's free to join. Click here to sign up:
www.linktr.ee/schoolofcontemplativelife

07/10/2024

The first time I came across The Cloud of Unknowing and its companion work, The Book of Privy Counsel, was in the library at Prinknash Abbey during my formation.

To be honest, I came across it quite by accident as I was looking for another book.

I’d heard it mentioned in passing by the Novice Master and my own teacher, so picked it up and took it to my room to read.

The books, written as meditation manuals for a young student by an anonymous author, had an impact on me straight away. Though I didn’t realise it at the time, they are works of enormous importance for the practice of meditation in the Christian tradition.

And it wasn’t until I picked them up again, after many years of meditation practice, that the extraordinary, practical wisdom of the anonymous medieval writer really struck me.

One of things that the author writes about so well, is how the absolute simplicity of the practice can be resisted. He has particular fun pointing out how highly educated people can resist the simplicity of the practice very strongly and loudly.

As the Cloud author says so well, in meditation, instead of generating thoughts about God, we allow ourselves to rest in God.

Instead of generating thoughts about our life, we allow ourselves to rest in the gift of our life.

We discover that it’s not necessary to have a thought about God to be with God, anymore than it’s necessary to have a thought about the person we are with in order to be with them.

It’s so simple. Which is why meditation in this tradition is so simple.

____

Join us for an online day retreat on Sat 26th Oct (10am-5pm): ‘Meditation and The Wisdom of The Cloud of Unknowing'. Tickets cost £25.

The day will be relevant and accessible to anyone searching for truth and peace, regardless of their faith, beliefs or experience of meditation.

Click here to learn more:
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/theschoolofcontemplativelife/1393177

25/09/2024

We are very fortunate to be in receipt of some bursaries to enable people on a low income to experience the life-changing impact of meditation via a residential retreat.

Every time we host a retreat, we allocate a number of places to people with limited financial means (which most people face at one moment or another in their lives). This is because one of our greatest priorities is making sure our offering is truly accessible to all.

If you are interested in coming along to our weekend retreat in Oxfordshire in November via our bursary scheme which typically reduces the cost by 50%, please do email Rachel (rachel@schoolofcontemplativelife.com) and we can share more.

___

'Discovering the Sacred in Daily Life: The Monastic Way to Happiness and Holiness' will be held between 4pm on Fri 8th Nov and 3pm on Sun 10th Nov at the beautiful St. Mary's Convent in Wantage, Oxfordshire.

In this experiential retreat, we’ll explore how living within a monastic wisdom framework, St. Benedict’s 'little Rule for beginners', can help us become aware of our immersion in God, discover grace in the seemingly mundane and live our ordinary life in a way that makes room for the extraordinary.

Spoken of as a “guide for happiness and holiness,” St. Benedict’s Rule suggests ways to approach every aspect of our lives – from working in the kitchen to sacred practices.

Drawing on wisdom from the much-loved twentieth-century monk Thomas Merton, the retreat leader’s own monastic teachers at Prinknash Abbey, as well as other teachers from across the centuries, we will focus on:

*Listening - meditation and learning to “attend with the ear of the heart”
*Working – how day-to-day tasks can become windows of grace
*Feeding – nourishing the body, nourishing the mind, nourishing community
*Hospitality – receiving everyone as Christ, acknowledging the divine in all beings

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/theschoolofcontemplativelife/1397397

17/09/2024

We are delighted to announce a weekend silent retreat happening at St. Mary's Convent from 4pm on Fri 8 Nov to 3pm Sun 10 Nov.

'Discovering the Sacred in Everyday Life: The Monastic Way to Happiness and Holiness'. Tickets cost between £300 - £320 (NB - there is a bursary scheme available for people with limited financial means).
___

We live in the era of mass-distraction. But what are we being distracted from?

Amidst the noise of life, there is a growing hunger for the depth-dimension of life, for moments of stillness and silence, to know greater peace.

Against the rising tide of social media, people are looking for authentic connection, to find or build communities based on collaboration and friendship, with shared values and commitments.

Bombarded by seemingly endless consumer options, many people are opting to declutter and re-use. They are thirsting for simplicity.

In our twenty-first century culture and all its complexities, there is renewed interest in how ancient monastic wisdom can help us live lives of balance, purpose and connection that honour and reveal the sacred.

In this experiential retreat, we’ll explore how living within a monastic wisdom framework - St. Benedict’s 'little Rule for beginners' - can help us become aware of our immersion in God, discover grace in the seemingly mundane and live our ordinary life in a way that makes room for the extraordinary.

Spoken of as a “guide for happiness and holiness,” St. Benedict’s Rule suggests ways to approach every aspect of our lives – from working in the kitchen to sacred practices.

Drawing on wisdom from the twentieth-century monk Thomas Merton, the retreat leader’s own monastic teachers at Prinknash Abbey, as well as other teachers from across the centuries, we will focus on:

*Listening - meditation and learning to “attend with the ear of the heart”
*Working – how day-to-day tasks can become windows of grace
*Feeding – nourishing the body, nourishing the mind, nourishing community
*Hospitality – receiving everyone as Christ, acknowledging the divine in all beings

Please click here for more information: https://ow.ly/zyiK50TomSo

16/09/2024

A beautiful message we received recently...

Keep an eye out for an announcement tomorrow morning with details of a very special weekend silent retreat happening at St. Mary's Convent in Oxfordshire in November.

14/09/2024

Our sold-out retreat happening today at Prinknash Abbey - "Meditation & the Wisdom of Julian of Norwich: oneness, new life & the sacred feminine" - is being hosted online next Saturday.

Tickets are £25. Click here to book https://ow.ly/woFq50Tnzrq

---

'A Revelation of Love' by Julian of Norwich is one of the world’s greatest spiritual texts.

Written after her experience of a life-threatening illness in a time of great social turmoil, Julian speaks about what was ‘revealed’ to her in both the ordinariness and complexity of her life. With directness and warmth, she turns many familiar ideas about God and prayer on their head.

Increasingly recognised as a sophisticated and original theologian, it is Julian’s ability to guide us into contemplative awareness - a wholly new way of seeing - that explains her immense appeal to so many today.

Through a flow of short talks, periods of silent meditation and conversation, we’ll explore key aspects of Julian’s wisdom teaching, including:

*Our essential oneness with each other and God: “I saw no difference between the divine substance and the human substance; it was all God”

*The central place of the feminine in her understanding of God, and of Christ as “Mother” of all humanity, through whom God will bring all to new birth and new life

*Julian’s radically positive and joyful understanding of the meaning of our life and relationship with God, including the so-called “problem of sin” and her deeply liberating perspective on the atonement and salvation

Meditation (or silent prayer) helps bring our whole being into harmony, including what has been described as the “masculine” and the “feminine” – the archetypal patterns or energies present in every human being. In a patriarchal culture that prizes power and control, many believe that the restoration of the sacred “feminine” (of Wisdom/Sophia) is essential for our individual and collective healing and future.

This day will be relevant and accessible to anyone searching for truth and peace, regardless of their faith or beliefs.

12/09/2024

Are you are a female entrepreneur in the social or commercial sector looking to build your connections with like-minded women?

My name is Rachel and, along with Chris, I am one of the Co-Founders of The School of Contemplative Life. I'm responsible for running the organisation.

Our vision is to help people establish peace in themselves and become places of peace in the world.

On 3rd October, I will be sharing more about The School of Contemplative Life at a lunchtime event run by The British Association of Women Entrepreneurs in London.

"Finding Peace in the Face of Fear" will be a conversation between me and Ali Mortimer, a joy coach. We will draw on our own experiences and the powerful stories of women we have worked with.

If you would be interested in coming along and connecting with a room full of inspiring women of all ages and backgrounds, just drop me a message - it would be wonderful to see you.

___

A bit about me. Prior to co-founding The School of Contemplative Life, I was Group CEO of three national social action charities and also spent a decade working in the commercial sector which took me all over the world.

In recent years, I have spent quite a bit of time in India including volunteering for Mother Teresa's charity in Kolkata, teaching primary children in a slum and completing my 200 hour yoga teacher training in Dharamshala.

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Born in a stable, or born in your heart? When the great medieval teacher Meister Eckhart speaks of “the birth of the word” within us, he is speaking of the birth of awareness. Eckhart wants us to realise that God is our being, that our deepest “me” is love - and to manifest this love in how we live. Join us next Saturday (7/12) from 10-5 UK time for a special online Advent retreat ‘The Birth of Christ in the Heart’ where we will explore this important teaching. Tickets cost £25 (but if this is unaffordable, please get in touch). Click the link in bio to book. #eckhart #meistereckhart #onlineretreat #christianmeditation #meditation #peace #peacewithin #cominghome

Amongst the noise of life, there is a growing hunger for moments of stillness and silence, for greater peace, for the depth dimension. Join our one day online retreat on Saturday 30th November from the comfort of your own home. ‘Discovering the Sacred in Daily Life: the Monastic Way to Happiness and Holiness’ will explore how living within a monastic wisdom framework, St. Benedict’s ‘little rule’ for beginners, can help us become aware of our immersion in God, discover grace in the seemingly mundane and live our ordinary life in a way that makes room for the extraordinary. We will draw on wisdom from the much loved twentieth century monk, Thomas Merton, and the retreat leader’s own monastic teachers at Prinknash Abbey. Written 1,500 years ago, Benedict’s rule for monastic life has been one of the most influential texts in the history of Western Europe. In a world facing so many challenges, Benedict’s simple guide offers us a wealth of transformative wisdom. Running from 10am to 5pm, the retreat will involve a flow of short talks, silent meditation practice and conversation. The day will be relevant and accessible to anyone searching for truth and peace regardless of their faith, beliefs or previous experience of meditation. The cost is £25 however if this is unaffordable then please get in touch. Click the link in our bio for more information or paste the following URL into your browser: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/theschoolofcontemplativelife/1397879 #thomasmerton #onlineretreat #christianmeditation #Contemplative #innerpeace #outerpeacethroughinnerpeace #onlinemeditation #theschoolofcontemplativelife

Thinking of everyone on our five-day silent retreat at Launde Abbey which began at 2pm today. This is a precious opportunity to be still, to be silent, to practice living simply and peacefully and cultivate the gift of loving-awareness as, together, they devote themselves to the depth-dimension of faith and life. ___ We are delighted to announce that we're also running a weekend retreat at Launde Abbey towards the end of January, 'Resting in God'. Visit this link for more information. https://www.laundeabbey.org.uk/event/restingingod/ #LaundeAbbey #InnerPeace #LovingAwareness #SilentRetreat #MartinLaird #IntoTheSilentLand Launde Abbey

We have a new podcast! 'Becoming Places of Peace' aims to help us live from our innate potential for peace, compassion, relationship and oneness - by amplifying the voices of wisdom teachers across the centuries. During this week's episode, Chris considers how we can discover a deeper sense of connection with God (one of the main reasons people give for signing up to our free online practice group) drawing from the anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing. Subscribe on your favourite podcast player or listen at schoolofcontemplativelife.com/teachings ----- A bit about us if you're new here... The vision of The School of Contemplative Life is to help people establish peace in themselves and become places of peace in the world. We teach meditation (or silent prayer) to people of all faiths and none - an ancient spiritual practice that opens us to the Sacred within. Chris Whittington (our Founder) was introduced to contemplative practice during several years of formation when he lived at the Benedictine monastery of Prinknash Abbey. His monastic teachers taught meditation from the Christian tradition as a universal wisdom and pathway to peace and solidarity with people of all faiths and none. We host a free online practice group which meets every Saturday between 08:30-09:30 (UK time) and on Wednesday between 20:00-20:45 (UK time). Click here to sign up: www.linktr.ee/schoolofcontemplativelife The group is free to join and great for beginners or people with an established practice. It's so much easier to build a regular practice (and experience the many benefits) when you commit to meditating with others. #ChristianMeditation #ChristianMindfulness #spiritualmeditation #meditationandspirituality #oneness #nonduality #meditationcommunity #onlinemeditation #contemplativespirituality #mysticaltheology #wccm #wccmeetup #centeringprayer

"I and many of my colleagues have discovered a simple pathway to mental peace. It has been revolutionary. Rather than skilling us up, it has started a movement." Jon Ford, Principal of Open Academy in Norwich _____ In 2021, we ran a series of free online meditation workshops for school staff across the country in response to the pressures of the pandemic. Over 2,000 staff signed up for these. Last month, we visited the Open Academy in Norwich to hear about the impact that Meditation from the Christian tradition has subsequently had across the school and in the lives of participants. Jon Ford, the Principal, together with three members of his senior team, share their reflections. This is a short clip from the 9 minute film available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJ4dJiD4xng Jon's story, in the form of a blog, is available here: https://schoolofcontemplativelife.com/the-gift-of-christian-meditation/ #ChristianMeditation #christianmeditationinschools #christianschools #meditationinschools #mindfulnessinschools #mindfulnessforschools #mindfulnessforschoolsproject #schoolstaffwellness #schoolmentalhealth #educatorwellness #meditationworkshops

1e0f9b38-1d8d-4214-9fa6-50591ec63a11.MP4

Such a beautiful location for the young people's retreat being run by The Forum for Discussion on Israel-Palestine in Belfast. I'm looking forward to facilitating a session today on meditation and peace. Join us tonight for online meditation which I will be hosting between 8 - 8:45pm from Corrymeela, Ireland's oldest peace and reconciliation organisation. Sign up here - www.linktr.ee/schoolofcontemplativelife #PeaceAndReconciliation #Corrymeela #CorrymeelaCommunity #FODIP

What are the benefits of meditation?

"It’s a fascinating place to be, finding out what it’s like when I am not reacting to life. The little things are now little things. Really early on, people were saying "gosh, you’re a bit different nowadays". ________ These words are from a Headteacher who leads a secondary school. There are many benefits which arise even after a short time of meditating daily. However, as Chris mentions in this short video, perhaps the most important one is how to practice deepens and enriches our relationships. #PeaceWithinPeaceWithout #Contemplative #SilentMeditation FreeOnlineMeditation #MeditationCommunity

Looking forward to welcoming everyone in an hour or so for this weekend's sold out silent retreat 'Resting in God'. Grateful to the Community of the Resurrection in Mirfield, Yorkshire for sharing their beautiful space. #SilentRetreat #RestingInGod #CommunityOfTheResurrection #SpiritualRetreat #InnerPeace

What a blessing to visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar last week and experience the outpouring of love at the largest community kitchen in the world, feeding over 70,000 people per day. I was reminded of words by the great Meister Eckhart on the priority of love: “If a person were in an ecstasy as St Paul was, and knew of a sick person who needed a bowl of soup from them, I would consider it far better if you were to leave that rapture out of love and help the needy person out of greater love.”

What are the benefits of meditation?.mp4

Once, at the end of a workshop for headteachers, a person of obvious compassion and deep commitment to others said that she would love to be able to bring the practice into her life and enjoy the peace it brings. “But,” she said, “I find it hard to allow myself me-time.” So, I suggested she might think about meditation as the practice of our-time. Whatever our initial motivation to practice might be (and our motivations are as varied as we are), the gift of inner peace we receive always radiates out as an atmosphere of peace which benefits others. What might initially appear to be “me-time” (and there’s nothing wrong with that) opens into “our-time.” #HeadteachersWorkshop #CompassionateLiving #InnerPeace #MeditationPractice #PeacefulMind #ChristianMeditation #Contemplative #MindfulnessforTeachers

Blessed are the peacemakers

“If our thoughts are kind, peaceful and quiet, turned only towards the good, then we influence ourselves and radiate peace all around us – in our family, the whole country, everywhere." Elder Thaddeus At the heart of Christianity, there is an ancient form of meditation that can change a person and change the world. Yet few people know about this simple and transformative way of silent prayer. To join our free online meditation practice sessions, click the link below. These happen every Saturday morning and every Wednesday evening. All are welcome. https://schoolofcontemplativelife.com/meditation-in-the-christian-tradition/

A homecoming

The effect of Christian meditation – of silent prayer - has been described as a homecoming. We come home to the truth of our being, to the person whom God calls us to be. Christian meditation is, in large part, about cultivating interior silence, quietening our noisy minds. What do we mean by silence? Is it merely a quiet moment between thoughts and words, an absence of sound? Not at all. Silence is infinite fullness, infinite presence. As are told in the Psalms, “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps 46:10). When the mind is still and silent God speaks in silence within the silence (1 Kings 19:11-12). Silence is never about isolation, but always about relationship. And so, the silence of meditation is never about avoidance or rejection, but always about acceptance - acceptance of ourselves, acceptance of each other, acceptance of the Other. The silence of meditation is an orientation of open receptivity and, above all, of listening. We learn to attend with the ear of the heart. Join us on Wednesday evening (8pm - 8:40pm UK time) or Saturday morning (8:30 - 9:30am UK time) for a short teaching, a period of silent meditation and conversation. All are welcome. No experience is necessary. Click the link to register. It's free. https://schoolofcontemplativelife.com/meditation-in-the-christian-tradition/ #christianmeditation #silentprayer #homecoming #interiorsilence #quietmind #bestillandknow #earoftheheart #meditationcommunity

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What are the benefits of meditation?

What are the benefits of meditation?.mp4

Blessed are the peacemakers

A homecoming

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