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Contemplative Outreach of Central Pennsylvania Newsletter
In This Issue
Message from Our Chapter Co-Coordinator
A Prayer from Father Thomas
What is the Value in Praying with Others?
New Workshops and Retreats
State College Thursday Evening Prayer Group Update
Praying By Starlight in the New Year
Chapter Resource Library
Please Share!
Upcoming Retreats & Workshops
Unless otherwise noted, all retreats are at the Bethany Retreat Center

Jan 22 - 24, 2010  Centering Prayer Weekend

Jan 30, 2010, 10 am - 3 pm, St. John's RC Church in Bellefonte, first session of a Seven Session Introduction to Centering Prayer. Follow-up sessions will be the following six Monday evenings at 7:30 pm. Cost is $30, scholarship available. Contact Phyllis Austin 814-357-8077.

Feb 19 - 21, 2010 Centering Prayer Weekend

Mar 12 - 20, 2010  8-Day Intensive Retreat

April 9 - 11, 2010  Centering Prayer Weekend

Jun 2 - 22, 2010 21-Day Centering Prayer Immersion Retreat

Jun 24 - 27, 2010 4-Day Intensive Centering Prayer Retreat

Jun 24 - Jul 1, 2010  8-Day Intensive Retreat

Jun 27 - Jul 1, 2010 5-Day Intensive Centering Prayer Retreat

Jul 25 - Aug 1, 2010 Centering Prayer 8-Day Post Intensive Retreat

Jul 28 - Aug 1, 2010 5-Day Intensive Centering Prayer Retreat

Aug 27 - Aug 29, 2010  Centering Prayer as an 11th Step Retreat

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January 2010
Happy New Year! And welcome to the January 2010 issue of the Contemplative Outreach of Central Pennsylvania newsletter. We are a chapter of Contemplative Outreach.

We had a wonderful response to the question in our last issue, "What is the value of praying with others?" This month's question is at the bottom of this newsletter. Please consider sending us a few words for the next issue. We'd love to hear from you, whether it's for the first time or you've contributed in the past.

Please note that at the bottom of this newsletter is a Forward email link you can click to forward this newsletter to a friend.

If you have suggestions or comments on the newsletter, please send them! 

Gwen Stimely and Jet Schneider, Newsletter Co-Editors

p.s. This issue's photos come compliments of Jet Schneider and Oedi Oudshoorn. Thank you!
Message from Our Chapter Co-Coordinator
Nancy Cord-Baran and Father Keating
I am honored to be a Co-Coordinator of our chapter, Contemplative Outreach of Central Pennsylvania, along with Tim Reddington.  The Holy Spirit was definitely at work during our last Steering Committee meeting when I volunteered.  Contemplative Service is the God in me serving the God in you.

Thomas Keating has been a great mentor to me. The last time I was out in Snowmass he came and met with our group a couple of times.  The first day he took our questions and we learned so much from his wisdom.  The next day he said our questions were so hard that he had prepared a talk.  He was planning to talk about The History of the Universe.  I thought he was joking but he went on to talk for a couple of hours about just that and about the connection between God and science.

What struck me the most about his talk was when he said that the greatest thing that we could do for God was just to let Him love us.  Wow.......ok.........but how? 

When I asked him he said: "How to let God love us?  My suggestion is allow whatever happens to happen.  Feel the feelings just as they are, even welcome them, especially the tough ones, and then give them all to God without any commentary.  Like picking flowers in a meadow to give to someone you love."

With Blessings for the New Year, Nancy Cord-Baran
A Prayer from Father Thomas
Sunset on the Ocean From Divine Therapy & Addiction: Centering Prayer and the Twelve Steps, based on interviews with Father Thomas Keating, Lantern Books, 2009.
Holy Spirit of God, we believe in Your presence within us. Anoint us with Your gifts, draw us inwardly to Your presence. Heal the wounds of our lifetimes and enable us to enter into the fullness of your divine presence, which is life, light, and Love without limit.

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answersWhat is the value in praying with others?
 
From Jet Schneider, State Collegered berries in winter
     Praying together reminds me of the Bible verse "where two or more are gathered in My Name, I'll be in their midst;" it reminds me of God's presence among us and within us. It reminds me of community, and that we are all created in God's image. I am so grateful  for the opportunity to pray with others.
     Praying with others is important to me, because by praying together, we support each other. Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh wrote that one tree alone can grow, but when the tree is surrounded by other trees, it will grow higher and it will be supported by the others in the strong winds. We can help each other, just by being present, when the going gets tough.

From Roseanne M. Havird
Friendship, deep sharing, laughter, appreciation for others, holiness, a desire to be like the people I pray with, someplace to go in the storm(s), a time to look forward to, a touchstone during the time apart, a place where I more deeply reach Christ, an understanding that I am doing my best to be Christ, a knowing that my bad habits are not all that terrible, .....and where else can I go? We all give through Christ "the words of eternal life" to each other.

From Marian, State College
For a long time, I felt shy about praying with others.  Then I attended a workshop with guided prayer and loved it.  Next step was Centering Prayer and I learned that the positive group energy allowed me to relax into prayer and to 'go deeper.'  Community also seems to develop when folks share prayer experience, even though no words are spoken.

By Robert Barclay, a Quaker and eminent writer who lived during the 1600's
"As when many candles lighted and put in one place do greatly augment the light, and make it more shine forth, so when many are gathered together
into the same life here is more of the glory of God...for each partakes not only for the light and life raised up in himself, but in all the rest."

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New Workshops and Retreats
Tracker the Cat at Bethany Seven Session Introduction to Centering Prayer Workshop
Saturday, January 30th, from 10:00-3:00 at St. John's RC Church in Bellefonte. The six follow-up sessions will be on the following six Monday evenings at 7:30 pm. Cost is $30, scholarship available. To register call Phyllis Austin 814-357-8077.

Centering Prayer as an 11th Step Retreat
Centering Prayer as an 11th Step Retreat will be held August 27-29, 2010, at Bethany Retreat Center.
State College Thursday Evening Prayer Group Update
Empty Bench in Forested Park
The Centering Prayer group that meets on Thursday evenings at 7 pm in the chapel of Good Shepherd Catholic Church in State College will start watching Fr. Thomas Keating's new Heartfulness series on DVD beginning January 21st.  We will center first, then watch a section of the DVD and then discuss the viewed material. All are welcome!

For more information, please contact Jet Schneider  814-238-0010.
Praying By Starlight in the New Year
Angel and Foliage A poem for the new year, by Glenn Mitchell

O Star-flinging God,
   whose light dances across eternity,
      dazzle me into your presence this new year.
Open my heart to the mystery of your love;
Awaken my days to your presence,
   knit to my ordinary;
Reveal to me what is possible but not present;
Heal me just enough that I might be a healer;
Reconcile me to you and to myself
   that my living might be reconciling;
Stop me often, I pray, with news that is good;
   with hope that holds,
      with truth that transforms with a Word
         tailored to this trail I'm on.
May the wonder of your grace guide my steps
   like the sun by day
      and the north star by night,
as I travel in to the gift of another year.
Chapter Resource Library
Wooded Meadow
Sr. Therese, on behalf of Bethany, has donated a  variety of videos to the Chapter Library, which Claire Caputo has generously offered to manage. This means that anyone -- any individual or prayer group -- may borrow materials. Your only cost will be the cost of mailing with insurance.

Materials include videos from the Spiritual Journey series, and other videos featuring Thomas Keating, David Frenette, Gail Fitzpatrick-Hopler, and more. If you are interested in borrowing materials, please contact Claire to make arrangements.

Materials are also available to borrow from the library at Good Shepherd Catholic Church in State College. These include 24 VHS tapes of the Spiritual Journey Series by Fr. Thomas Keating, donated by Sr. Therese. There is also a VHS tape about the Welcoming Prayer, by Fr. Thomas Keating, Sr. Bernadette Teasdale, and Gail Fitzpatrick-Hopler. For more information, contact Barbara Ballenger in the office at Good Shepherd by e-mail or call 814-238-2110.

 PleaseSharePlease Share!
Some people get discouraged with Centering Prayer, because they find it difficult to keep up a daily practice, because they have trouble with thoughts, or other reasons. What advice do you have for someone who feels discouragement?
Marsh Reflection
Please write a few words (or lots of words!) and send them to us. Submissions received by March 1st will appear in the March newsletter. Please include your town and note how you would like your name to appear - Anonymous, Initials, or Full Name.

Suggestions?
If you have suggestions for the newsletter, suggestions for "Please Share" questions for future issues, or comments of any sort, please send them to us.

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