Letting Go and Awaiting the Surprise
“Much of the Christian religion has largely become holding on instead of letting go. But God, it seems to me, does the holding on (to us!), and we must learn the letting go (of everything else).” Richard Rohr
Change is in the air. Spring is near and soon sprouts, buds, and greening. Contemplate is doing something new too. Tomorrow our building at 135 North 31st Street is officially on the market. The building has been a great home to us and it will be a great home to its next owner. The building holds a special place in my heart with so many great memories of the birth and beginnings of Contemplate Lincoln. Much of the work on building was done by me and my family including Joselyn, my parents, and siblings. Work that included painting, installing a bathroom, and even using heavy machinery to regrade the outside of the building. But change calls and it is time to let go.
The last two years have changed our ministry in many unexpected ways. The spiritual journey always surprises. So does God. Over the last two years we have grown, formed a vibrant online community, and discovered spiritual connection while immersed in our native prairie landscapes. For Contemplate Lincoln, like so many of us, the pandemic has shed light on what is important, and what has value. It has taught us the blessings of Zoom meetings, bird watching, and slowing down. This change doesn’t mean Contemplate won’t have a new home in the future or perhaps even the near future. We have set the intention to be open and curious to what may emerge as we seek a home that is accessible and ecologically friendly with outdoor space for worship and meditation.
In the meantime we will continue with our online ministry of Contemplative Conversation Groups, House Church, Book Studies, and Prayer Times. We also plan to meet monthly at a prairie or park this Spring through Fall, eventually set up a weekly gathering at a local restaurant or coffee shop, and offer pop-up workshops and Taize services.
The Lenten Bio-Spiritual Focusing Workshop Starts Saturday. This is a Lent long dive into a practice that has meant a lot to me with a very special teacher in Patty Forsberg.
Letting go and awaiting the surprise,
Adam
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Ways to Support Contemplate Lincoln
- Become a recurring donor by clicking the “Donate Now” button.
- Share your gifts. Contribute to the community by sharing your gifts and talents. Email [email protected]
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Workshops with Patty Forsberg
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Bio-Spiritual Focusing a Lenten Journey
Starts this Saturday!
Learn, grow, and go deep with the practice of Bio-spiritual Focusing Saturdays during Lent. BioSpiritual Focusing provides a way to bring the body’s sense for grace and God into everyday awareness, helping you to become more fully present to yourself, others and to God. Over the course of 7 Saturdays Patty Forsberg will take us to the depth and blessings of the practice. Cost $100 some scholarships available.
Schedule: All CST
March 5th & 12th 12:30pm-2:30pm
March 19th, 26th, April 2nd, & 9th 12:30pm-1:30pm
April 16th 12:30pm-2:30pm
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A Summer of Enneagram
NOT your ordinary personality test. Yes, you can take a test but that is not even the tip of the iceberg. With the Enneagram you will gain insight into who you are and how you got here, and maybe even why. You will learn what healthy and unhealthy changes look like, spiritual practices to move toward mature transformation. The enneagram is a life-long learning and leaning into who we are in this magnificent universe. In this 4 session course spread over 4 months Patty will take us to the depths of the wisdom of the Enneagram with the spaciousness to fold it into our lives. Cost $100 some scholarships available. Course will have some reading and require the purchase of a book.
Schedule: All classes 9:30am-12:30pm CST
May 21st
June 18th
July 16h
August 13th
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All events are on Zoom!
Links:
Lectio Divina Mondays 9:15am: Register via this link on zoom
Pray the scriptures. We read a passage 4 times with short silences followed by discussion.
Centering Prayer Tuesdays 9:15am: Register via this link on zoom. Simple contemplative prayer in which we consent to the transformative power of God in lives.
Contemplative Wespace Wednesday 9:15am: Register via this link on zoom. A whole body meditation awakening us to our deep connection to each other, physical reality, and each other. Our time also includes a brief check-in.
BioSpiritual Focusing Thursdays 9:15am: Register via this link on zoom. A practice that provides a way to bring the body’s sense for grace and God into everyday awareness, helping you to become more fully present to yourself, others and to God.
Contemplative Movement Fridays 5:30pm-6:30pm: Register via this link on zoom. A contemplative whole body experience for every body.
House Church Sunday’s 4pm-5pm: Register via this link on zoom. Worship, conversation, and contemplation. A house church style church service with Eucharist.
Contemplative Conversation Sundays at 2:30 PM (The Work of the People Short Films & Other Lectures and Talks) Register via this link on zoom. We watch films with today’s influential theologians and contemplatives gaining wisdom and finishing with a time of sharing.
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Support CL While You Shop
Help make a difference while you shop in the Amazon app, at no extra cost to you. Simply follow the instructions below to select “Transformative Life Inc” (Contemplate Lincoln) as your charity and activate AmazonSmile in the app. They’ll donate a portion of your eligible mobile app purchases to us.
How it works:
1. Open the Amazon app on your phone
2. Select the main menu (=) & tap on “AmazonSmile” within Programs & Features
3. Select “Transformative Life Inc” as your charity
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to activate AmazonSmile in the mobile app
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“Being” Grateful
“Prayer is sitting in the silence until it silences us, choosing gratitude until we are grateful, and praising God until we ourselves are an act of praise.” Richard Rohr
I love this quote by Father Richard Rohr. Reminds me that prayer is as much a gift as it is a practice. So often, we come to prayer hoping for God to change our circumstances, our world, other people, the next door neighbor. However, we find God changing us, stirring new life, birthing compassion, cultivating gratefulness. What a gift, a Pearl of Great Price indeed. For that I am truly grateful.
This month evokes gratefulness. An opportunity to practice gratefulness which has the power to change our very being. Connecting more people to other people, to beauty around us, to God’s good creation. May you practice well and often.
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House Church: We Make the Road by Walking by Brian McLaren
Join us on our year long journey at our online House Church through Brian McLaren’s “We Make the Road by Walking: A Year-Long Quest for Spiritual Formation, Reorientation, and Activation” This study follows the church calendar with an insightful unpacking of scripture along the way. Join us for contemplation, communion, conversation, and worship. Register to receive the link to join us on zoom.
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