Our Mission

Our mission is to provide a safe, participatory, and holy space to foster spiritual growth deepening our love for God, ourselves, neighbors, and all of creation. We are a hub for Christian contemplative prayer, spiritual practice, and living.

In communion with others we participate in the Christ mystery through contemplative practice, learning, growing, and doing life together. Through this sacramental tapestry, we and our world are transformed.

Our Story

As our mission statement says Contemplate is a hub for Christian contemplative prayer, practice, and living. Born out of a felt need to practice in community, Adam and Joselyn Luedtke co-founded Contemplate Lincoln in 2017 and began hosting in-person workshops, retreats, practice sessions, and a Sunday Gathering. Though the contemplative tradition has its roots in communities such as the Beguines, Franciscans, and monastic orders. The modern contemplative movement has largely been rooted in one-time retreats, workshops, and solo practice. Contemplate Lincoln and The Contemplative Cathedral serve to firmly root contemplative practice in spiritual community. 

Since its founding, Contemplate Lincoln has responded to severe floods in 2019 through food and water distribution. The 2020 pandemic by moving online, delivering free groceries, and creating an online community, The Contemplative Cathedral. Today, Contemplate Lincoln and the Contemplative Cathedral are home to multiple groups for learning, growing, practicing, and doing life together. Where people can share their journey, be curious, and practice in communion with others.

While we are firmly rooted in the Christian contemplative tradition, we learn from other traditions and have members from other faith groups find themselves at home in our spiritual community. Contemplate Lincoln is a space to deepen your spiritual life.

What’s In A Logo

“The very center of your heart

is where life begins.

The most beautiful place on earth.”

― Rumi

Beginning in the last newsletter, we embarked on an exploration of the meanings of our new logo. In this edition, we will explore the significance of the heart. 

First, about the location. We located the heart in the back center of the logo. The heart is central to all we do and all else flows from the heart, depends upon the heart. Love is the question we come back to over and over again. It is the standard, the check point, the litmus test. If it doesn’t serve and cultivate love it doesn’t belong. 

What is it about the heart that is so meaningful? The imagery of the heart is rich in meaning at many different levels. First, the heart symbolizes love, and as Jesus’ followers, we take seriously the greatest commandment to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these”. I could write a book on the implications of this commandment, but for our purposes, I simply want to highlight the three parts of this call to love: love of self, love of neighbor (which includes strangers), and love of God. Often love of self, self-care, compassion, and development is overlooked in this teaching, but if “as yourself” is the foundation of how we love others and love God, it seems incredibly important that we cultivate a capacity for self-compassion and gentleness. We get can’t give more than we have. As a practice-based spiritual community, we believe that how we practice love in one area is likely often how we will practice love in every area. To be habituated in the way of loving that God is calling us to, requires us to live a life of pervasive love. Love of self must grow to include those broken or unresolved places of ourselves, and love of neighbor must expand to include all of creation even those people who push our buttons, stir our shadows, or that we have been trained through our cultural encoding to fear, dislike, or think of as less than. When we begin to love what God loves, which is everything God created, then we can truly love God with our whole heart, soul, and strength. 

Second, in the mystical and contemplative lineages, the heart is a spiritual organ through which we perceive, receive, and act. Cynthia Bourgeault writes that “the heart is first and foremost an organ of spiritual perception. Its primary function is to look beyond the obvious, the boundaried surface of things, and see into a deeper reality.” It also, as Rumi states, the place where we find our true selves, thus our emphasis on self-knowledge and coming to know the true self. It is the place where we find God and where God often shows up as Love. It is the place where we find wisdom, connection, and true seeing. The great mystics write about what it is like to live from the heart and I think we too, each in our own way, know what it is like when we live and be from the heart. What was once looked at as spiritual mumbo jumbo science is now starting to confirm. We can literally think from our hearts. Studies have found upwards of 40,000 neuron receptors, synapses in the heart, and it self produces dopamine, serotonin, and other neurotransmitters formerly only associated with the brain. Not to mention studies on the heart’s electromagnetic field. The mysteries of the heart long known to the world’s mystics and contemplatives are now being explored through the fields of science. Though the mysteries of the heart are truly endless. 

A heart can say a lot. 

“It is amazing how a caterpillar spins about itself a hiding place from which it emerges and takes flight as a butterfly with delicate, iridescent wings. Similarly, Christ lived as a human being who freely entered into the hiding place of death to emerge, deathless, filled with light and life, utterly transformed. Our faith proclaims that in following Christ we experience the same thing: “Therefore if any person is in Christ, they are a new creature; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).” – James Finley.

Flowing forth from the heart, the next image that we see in the new logo is the butterfly. The butterfly is such a profound symbol of transformation, and almost everyone recognizes it as such. There may not be a better symbol for transformation than the butterfly. From caterpillar to butterfly, the whole journey speaks to ours. 

First, a word about why transformation is so important to us. We believe we are always in transit, never stagnant. Life is never stagnant around us, it is always asking us to change. What do we do with that change? We can certainly shrivel up or deny the elephant in the room, but eventually, even the little shifts add up to a tsunami sure to overtake us. We all have times when reality has its way with us, where we are confronted with our lack of control. But in those moments, God waits, ready to reveal the way forward. As scripture reveals, as Christ reveals, there is always more life, more love. The path also teaches us there is always more to let go of, more to shed. Christian contemplative Beatrice Bruteau, in her book Radical Optimism, says that Jesus is always two inches in front of us, beckoning us forward into more life, more love, more compassion, and more wisdom. Every destination we reach, there waits, a new invitation. 

Some deeper notes on the butterfly. We can easily look at the butterflies unfolding and skip right over the process itself. Looking deeper into the process, we see that the butterfly must surrender to the process, to spin their chrysalis, and fully dissolve to become something new. Talk about surrender, literally surrendering its form and what it has been completely. Then as its time to emerge ripens, it must break free from its chrysalis, unaided, to form the strength it needs to fly. For if the work is done for it, it will never fly. Looking at the caterpillar-to-butterfly process, one can see why Christian mystic Meister Eckhart said, 

“Every single creature is full of God and is a book about God. Every creature is a word of God. If I spent enough time with the tiniest creature—even a caterpillar—I would never have to prepare a sermon. So full of God is every creature.” 

The cross is a perfect metaphor for what we mean by “Everything Belongs.” The rational, calculating mind can never fully understand the mystery of the cross.

– Richard Rohr

You may have noticed that in our logo, the butterfly’s body is a cross. For this reflection, I am going to lean toward brevity for a couple of reasons. One, we call it the mystery of the cross for a reason, as its meaning can continually unfold for each of us in our journey. So rich with meaning that it can hardly be unpacked in a book, let alone a short blog. Second, I don’t want to pretend I can surmise all the different ways the meanings of the cross manifest themselves in the lives of those who belong to our community. So for this newsletter, I will simply highlight a couple of things knowing its meaning goes well beyond what I will say here. 

First, the cross firmly places us in the tradition and lineage of the Christian contemplative tradition. While we are open to and study other wisdom traditions, especially the Mystics from other traditions, our anchor is in the Christian tradition. Second, it is a remembrance of Jesus, the path he followed, and how he revealed the ultimate character of God. Third, the cross embodies so many elements of the contemplative tradition and the spiritual path. Some examples:

  • The reconciling of opposites as Fr. Rohr mentions in the above quote. 
  • The imagery of dying to self.  
  • The imagery of pouring one’s self out.
  • The worst thing is never the last thing.
  • God can redeem all things.
  • Surrender.
  • Both and.

We continue our deep dive into the symbiology of our new logo with the circle that holds the rest of the logo. At first thought, the circle could be skimmed over and simply seen as a nice container for the rest of the logo, simply a finishing touch for aesthetics. While it does add a nice look to the logo, the circle, in fact, is full of meaning. Across time the circle has been used to symbolize totality, wholeness, perfection, the Self, eternity, the infinite, cyclical movement, and God. As Hermes wrote, “God is a circle whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere.” In our logo, I had a few meanings in mind. 

First, it symbolizes the way we do community, a sitting circle either physically or virtually through Zoom. A circular seating arrangement isn’t hierarchical, we share equal space and on Zoom, everyone’s square is the same size. It is communal and welcomes individuals to speak into the collective and not “at” an individual. We face each other in a circle as one body. We are part of the circle, not a spectator or audience. We form a container that holds each other.

Second, a circle forms a perfect container. It embraces the rest of the logo like a Divine embrace, like a gathering force. Sitting circle likewise holds us in a sacred co-created space held by God and each other. In the circle, whether we speak or not, we participate by holding space, thus holding others as they share. Our presence is active and not passive in a circle as we hold space for others. 

Third, the circle symbolizes our place in the body of Christ and in the chain of time. We are deeply connected to each other and all of creation. We are one, as scripture tells us. We are also connected to those who came before us, and intimately connected with those who come after. May we take our place in the circle.

We included the establishment date as a way to celebrate that we have been doing this for 6 whole years, through pandemics, re-openings, cultural shifts, and a preverbal changing of the guard in the contemplative movement as many of the long-time leaders of the movement have passed away or slowed down. Over the course of 6 years, we have, in a sense, started over several times in response to the changing world around us. The always-in-transition, always following the Spirit’s call nature of ministry has kept it continually fresh and new, but also easy to forget we have a few years under our belt as a community, and together we have done some pretty amazing and beautiful things.

Contemplative Practice

Contemplative practices in essence are spiritual activities that open us up to be transformed by a power higher than ourselves and open one to an experience of that higher power. In the contemplative Christian tradition, in contemplative practices, we consent to the Divine presence and transforming power of God. Contemplative practices have diverse expressions across a variety of traditions and religious backgrounds. While no single definition can fully capture the spectrum of contemplative practices. Through these practices, one grows in: 

  • Cultivating growth in self-knowledge; 
  • Deepening one’s relationship to God, others, and creation; 
  • Enhancing our ability to be present in the moment; 
  • Fostering capacities for compassion, forgiveness, relationship, love, service, peace (inner state and way of being in the world), and justice.

Examples Include:

  • Non-discursive (silent) prayer such as Centering Prayer;
  • Prayerful meditation on sacred texts such as Lectio Divina;
  • Embodied practices such as Yoga or Contemplative Movement;
  • Guided meditations such as the Welcoming Prayer;
  • Shared contemplative practices such as WeSpace, Drumming, or Dance.
The Contemplative Cathedral Resource Page

Centering Prayer is a method designed to facilitate the development of contemplative prayer by preparing our faculties to receive this gift. It presents ancient Christian wisdom teachings in an updated form. Centering Prayer is not meant to replace other kinds of prayer; rather it casts a new light and depth of meaning on them. It is at the same time a relationship with God and a discipline to foster that relationship. This method of prayer is a movement beyond conversation with Christ to communion with him.

The Guidelines

  • Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God’s presence and action within.
  • Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to God’s presence and action within.
  • When engaged with your thoughts,* return ever-so-gently to the sacred word.
  • At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes.

*Thoughts include body sensations, feelings, images, and reflections.

Video

Lectio Divina, literally meaning “divine reading,” is an ancient practice of praying the Scriptures. During Lectio Divina, the practitioner listens to the text of the Bible with the “ear of the heart,” as if he or she is in conversation with God, and God is suggesting the topics for discussion.

Moment One: (Lectio) Read the Scripture passage for the first time. Listen with the “ear of your heart.” What phrase, sentence or even one word stands out to you? Begin to repeat that phrase, sentence or one word over and over, allowing it to settle deeply in your heart. Simply return to the repetition of the phrase, sentence or one word, savoring it in your heart.

Moment Two: (Meditatio) Reflect, relish the words. Let them resound in your heart. Let an attitude of quiet receptiveness permeate the prayer time. Be attentive to what speaks to your heart. Moment Three: (Oratio) Respond spontaneously as you continue to listen to a phrase, sentence or word. A prayer of praise, thanksgiving or petition may arise. Offer that prayer, and then return to repeating the word in your heart. Moment Four: (Contemplatio) Rest in God. Simply “be with” God’s presence as you open yourself to a deeper hearing of the Word of God. While the monastic method of Lectio Divina starts with listening to the Word of God in Scripture, the moments can occur or reoccur in any order following the lead of the Spirit. 

Video

The Welcoming Prayer is a method of consenting to God’s presence and action in our physical and emotional reactions to events and situations in daily life. The purpose of the Welcoming Prayer is to deepen our relationship with God through consenting in the ordinary activities of our day — “consent-on-the-go.

The Welcoming Prayer Method – There are three movements of the prayer:

  • Feel and sink into what you are experiencing this moment in your body.
  • “WELCOME” what you are experiencing this moment in your body as an opportunity to consent to the Divine Indwelling.
  • Let go by saying “I let go of my desire for security, affection, control and embrace this moment as it is.”
Video

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