| Events & Happens at Contemplate Lincoln “The soul is a breath of living spirit, that with excellent sensitivity, permeates the entire body to give it life. Just so, the breath of the air makes the earth fruitful. Thus the air is the soul of the earth, moistening it, greening it.” – Hildegard of Bingen After a long winter spring is beginning to take form. This month at Contemplate we are celebrating Creation Care month on Wednesdays at 1:30 during our Contemplative Conversation group by practicing visio divina using the photography of Michael Forsberg. We also have a grounds clean up and spruce up day this Sunday at noon. All are welcome to come help us make the grounds come alive and add a little beauty to the neighborhood. Join us in contemplation, formation, and worship during Holy Week see our schedule below. It has been an exciting start to the month! We hosted Richard Rohr and the Universal Christ webcast. Westminster Presbyterian has partnered sponsoring Contemplate Lincoln in mission, outreach, and ministry. AND – Last Sunday our director Adam Luedtke was ordained at Westminster to carry out ministry and sacrament at Contemplate Lincoln. Big Thank You To All Who Helped Our Flood Relief Efforts. J-Tech Construction, Co-op 513, Westminster Presbyterian, and Everyone Who Came Out To Donate. We collected 8 trucks with over $100,000 worth of supplies and delivered it to areas of need. |
| Events Ground Clean Up and Spruce Up Sunday April 14th 12-4pm Good Friday Service Friday April 19th – 6pm Maundy Thursday Tenebrae: A Contemplative Liturgical Service Thursday April 18th – 6pm Easter Sunday Worship Sunday April 21 – 11am |
| Into Lent The struggle between the old and the new self is a constant theme in the New Testament. The [old] self easily adjusts to the circumstances of the spiritual journey as long as it does not have to change itself. Thus, it manifests its radical self-centeredness in various expressions of human activity: in material pursuits … in emotional satisfactions … in intellectual goals … in social goals … in religious aspirations … even in spiritual commitments such as prayer, the practice of virtue and every form of ministry. …. No amount of theological, scriptural or liturgical study can heal the egoic-self system, because as long as our self-centered programs for happiness are firmly in charge, such studies are easily co-opted by them. The heart of the Christian ascesis – and the work of Lent – is to face the unconscious, limiting values that underlie the emotional programs for happiness and to change them.(Thomas Keating, The Mystery of Christ) Weekly Schedule Be Still: Contemplative Worship Service – Tuesdays 6:00 pm Noon-hour Silent Prayer – Weekdays 12:15pm Contemplative Conversations – Wednesday 1:30pm Bible Study – Thursdays 5:30pm Tai Chi – Sundays 7:30am Nothing But Worship Music – Sundays 3:30 pm House Church: Integral Worship – Sundays 4pm Taizé Worship Service – 3rd Sundays 6pm The Practice of Visio Divina Pick a religious icon or other image.Look at the image and let your eyes stay with the very first thing that you see. Keep your attention on that one part of the image that first catches your eye. Try to keep your eyes from wandering to other parts of the picture. Breathe deeply and let yourself gaze at that part of the image for 2 minutes.Now, let your eyes gaze at the whole image. Take your time and look at every part of the photograph. See it all. Reflect on the image for 4 minutes.Silent reflection (5 minutes) consider the following questions:What emotions does this image evoke in you?What does the image stir up in you, bring forth in you?Consider how this picture speaks of faith, grace, and God?Does this image lead you into an attitude of prayer? Let these prayers take form in you. Close in Prayer. |
