Transformation

The butterfly has long been a symbol of transformation.
What begins as a caterpillar emerges from the cocoon
and spreads wings of rainbow brilliance.
We too can make changes in life that take us to
Greater heights than we ever dreamed possible.

We have made a prison for ourselves by building the walls of defence, the False Self. We are not free. The Warden of this prison is us. We can set ourselves free by dismantling the False Self. 

Comments on The False Self Teaching Weekend held via Zoom.
Saturday 1^st May to Sunday 2^nd May 2021.

The False Self’. I enjoyed it immensely.

I drank in spiritually the entire weekend. I have been on one of the Contemplative Outreach UK retreats at Buckfast Abbey a few years ago but had let the plethora of religious inputs available distract me, and had not looked after myself, mainly from my co-dependency, as I saw it, but which I now can readily understand in terms of the over-investment in seeking power, esteem, and security from or over others – incessantly!!!  I have not looked after my own crying spiritual needs, and had stopped practising Centering Prayer, and the other tools I had learned on my retreat. This weekend was therefore exactly what I needed.

What I gained from it was: delight in praying with the group, joy at having Centering Prayer back in my life, relief at being told that my emotional make-up was laid down by age 3 or 4, so emphatically not my fault, and especially a page of notes on “where do we go from here” to take away with me, made during the last summary talk.

I noted the comments on spiritual gluttony, and on taking one practice and sticking with it. In another setting, I have been told something which pertains: “It is better to dig one ten-foot hole than ten one-foot holes”. The practices outlined which I intend to utilize are, firstly, beginning each day with unconditionally loving all the people in my life – and I note you said that does NOT mean I have to interact with them – but that, if I do, I will have a better chance of a good attitude. 

Secondly, and I have memorized it and am using it several times a day, the ‘Welcome Prayer’, which you had also mentioned at my original residential retreat. I have been told in another setting to ‘detach with love’ and to ‘let go and let God’, that ‘acceptance is the answer to all my problems’, etc. But nobody before has told me just HOW to go about these worthy goals. 

I am finding the Welcome Prayer to be exactly right for that, with its caution not to have aversions nor attachments, and the simple prayers which help me feel more on beam. Even when I begin, by sinking into my current experience, and repeating ‘Welcome’ several times, with a little smile, I feel in touch with God before I even finish.

I am grateful too for the reading list, and I shall buy them, but I shall focus on my copy of ‘Open Mind Open Heart’ first, to keep things simple. I am only too aware of my tendency to over-involve, as you said, with my given peer group, and to try to achieve a prize… esteem and power de la crème… and the spiritual gluttony again. Which my previous Spiritual Director warned me leads to spiritual indigestion.

That is my take-home from your weekend. As you can see, it impacted on me deeply. I will resume my practice of Centering Prayer and contact another lady in my county who used to run a group: might still do, for all I know. It would be good to pray at their time, with them, at home, as she originally invited me to do.

With grateful thanks, and every blessing, Kathie Salter.

At the beginning of May, we were privileged to attend a teaching weekend on The False Self, led by Elizabeth Smith.  Each talk was preceded by a period of Centering Prayer.  For some of us embarking on Book 2 of The Spiritual Journey, it was a revelatory and challenging experience. It outlined the ways in which our emotional programmes for happiness, formed in early childhood, become fossilized into energy centres, and come to motivate us at every level of our human functioning. The weekend ended with a review of practices to counteract and dismantle that false self which denies our true self made in the image of God. Thank you, Elizabeth.

Halina Good (Ushaw Prayer Group)

Irene’s Updates. Practices for Dismantling the False Self.

• WELCOMING PRAYER

contemplativeoutreach.org Click on Practice. Welcoming Prayer.

contemplativeoutreach.org Welcoming Prayer-Consent on the Go a 40-day Praxis Booklet.

spiritualityandpractice.com : Embracing Living the Welcoming Prayer 2020 updated version e-course

• ACTIVE PRAYER SENTENCE

contemplativeoutreach.org Active Prayer Sentence

contemplativeoutreach.org The Contemplative Life Program 40 Day Praxis Booklet Open Mind Open Heart Father Thomas Keating Pages 171,172, Anniversary edition. Pages 133-135 Older Editions.

• GUARD OF THE HEART

Open Mind Open Heart Father Thomas Keating new edition printed 2006, Pages 169,170.“Prayer is not asking. Prayer is putting oneself in the hands of God, at His disposition, and listening to his voice in the depth of our hearts.” Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Elizabeth is the founder of Contemplative Outreach UK and is Chair of the Committee. She first met Thomas Keating in 1988, and in 1989 began training in the USA, overseen by Thomas Keating, to present the work of Contemplative Outreach. Elizabeth was on the Faculty for a time and various committees. Thomas Keating was her contact person in the USA and became her mentor and friend until his death in 2018. With her co-author, Joseph Chalmers, Elizabeth wrote the book “A Deeper Love”, An Introduction to Centering Prayer, Thomas Keating writing the preface for the book. She facilitates retreats and leads training workshops. She is an official mentor for the Introductory Day and the Lectio Divina Workshop.

Elizabeth studied Theology and Scripture at Christ College, Liverpool and later studied Christian Spirituality on a Correspondence Course from Ealing Abbey. Elizabeth is married and is a mother and grandmother.

Sandra Ford is a Commissioned Presenter of Centering Prayer and facilitates a small group. Sandra started practising Centering Prayer in 2014 after reading ‘Invitation to Love’ by Thomas Keating. She joined a 5-day retreat led by Elizabeth Smith as part of Contemplative Outreach UK the following year. Sandra has found Centering Prayer a gentle practice, which introduced her to contemplative prayer. It has become a practice that her day now revolves around. During the rest of the day, she is a mum, wife, daughter, sister, friend, GP, and dog lover. She lives in Glasgow.

David McCormick is a Commissioned Presenter of Centering Prayer and feels blessed to share this treasure with others. He has been practising Centering Prayer since 2010, after discovering Thomas Keating’s classic book ‘Open Mind, Open Heart.’ An Anglican priest and Franciscan Tertiary, David lives in Lincolnshire and is Rector to a parish after a period of self-supporting ministry as a coach, mentor, and retreat giver. The twin disciplines of Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina have encouraged and enabled him to accept God’s invitation to grow steadily into a space of open heart and mind. 

Hugh Reid is a Commissioned Presenter of Centering Prayer. He currently facilitates an online ‘Just Prayer’ meeting every Monday afternoon. Hugh is a retired lecturer of Physics from the University of the West of Scotland. He lives in Dunfermline with his wife and works as a writer of Science Fiction stories. After exploring a form of Eastern meditation, Hugh found his way to Centering Prayer, which he has been practising since 2018. 

Sian Griffith is a trainee Presenter of Centering Prayer and has been facilitating a Centering Prayer group since 2018. She is an Assistant Hospital Chaplain, lecturer, and meditation teacher, and formerly worked as a lawyer. After many years of practising Eastern meditation, she heard a talk on Centering Prayer by David Frenette, former assistant to Thomas Keating, which brought her back to her Christian roots. Since 2017 she has been practising Centering Prayer. She lives in Bath with her partner and cats.

New Commissioned Presenters of Centering Prayer in mainland Europe.

It was a great pleasure and privilege to take Kirsti, Sirkku and Kristel through the Presenter Training for Centering Prayer Workshop. They are three, highly intelligent, and committed women. It was humbling to hear how well they spoke English.  Congratulations to Kirsti Silvola, Sirkku Aitolehti and Kristel Ehala-Aleksejev who all qualified as Presenters for Centering Prayer.

• Kirsti lives in Oslo, Norway and has join others teaching Centering Prayer in her area.
• Sirkku lives in Tuusula, Finland and will be introducing Centering Prayer in her area. Sirkku also will be translating the teaching into Finnish.
• Kristel Ehala-Aleksejev lives in Tallinn, Estonia and will be introducing Centering Prayer in her area. Kristel with the help of Sirkku will be translating the teaching into Estonia.

I am looking forward to keeping in touch to hear how they are getting on. We wish them every success in their -mission. 

Meditations on The Parables of Jesus

“The parables help us to see how extraordinary a wisdom teacher Jesus really was and how revolutionary, in the best sense of the word, was the content of what he taught” Thomas Keating.

Thomas Keating shows you how to apply the profound meaning of the parables to your spiritual journey today.

Thomas Keating’s wisdom will help you:

• Let go of your expectations about spiritual growth. 
• Distinguish between momentary experiences and genuine transformation.
• Look for the kingdom of God in the most unexpected places.
• Welcome a more contemplative approach to your life.
• Accept the pure gift of the kingdom of God.

“Hold your eyes on God and leave the doing to him. That is all the doing you have to worry about”. St. Jane Frances Dr Chantal. 1572 – 1641

Sold by Contemplative Outreach UK. £12.50 incl. p + p.  UK. only
Information from infocouk@btinternet.com

ON-LINE CENTERING PRAYER SUPPORT GROUPS.      

MONDAY AFTERNOON Weekly.

Every Monday at 3pm. Twenty minutes of Centering Prayer followed by a time for sharing and discussion. Normally finishes by 3:40pm. To participate send an email to: Hugh Reid at hugh_reid2@yahoo.co.uk.

WEDNESDAY MORNING fortnightly

Fortnightly on Wednesdays at 11 am. Twenty minutes of Centering Prayer then space to share for those who wish until 11:45 am. Contact Elaine at: elainewatson387@yahoo.co.uk

THURSDAY AFTERNOON Fortnightly
Fortnightly on Thursdays at 2pm. Twenty minutes of Centering Prayer. After the time of silence one of the ‘Guidelines for Christian Life, Growth, and Transformation’ from Thomas Keating’s book ‘Open Mind, Open Heart’ is read out. Participants then discuss the guideline. The meeting finishes at 3pm. 

To participate send an email to Sandra Ford at: sandra.ford32@gmail.com

On-Line Teaching Weekend

The Canticle by St John of the Cross.
Sat. 26th to Sun.27th June 21.
John’s overview of the Spiritual Journey set out as a love song,
the bride looking for her bridegroom.
A copy of the Canticle will be sent to you by e-mail.
To register, please e-mail infocouk@btinternet.com

A suggested donation of £20 to continue the work of C.O.UK would be appreciated.
Donate by bank transfer:
Account: 84444108. Sort Code: 40 37 25
or by cheque payable to Contemplative Outreach UK and send to
10 Hawthorne Ave, Higher Walton, PRESTON, PR5 4EE.

A new page on the website www.contemplativeoutreachuk.com “Calendar” will keep you updated on events.