Contemplative Outreach
Contemplative Outreach provides an accessible path for those seeking to integrate silence, Scripture, and spiritual transformation into everyday life. Its practices center on Centering Prayer, a receptive form of silent prayer that invites participants to rest in God’s presence and consent to divine action within. Complementary practices such as Lectio Divina, the Welcoming Prayer, the Active Prayer Practice, and retreat time apart support this ongoing process of deep inner transformation.
Through its extensive website, Contemplative Outreach offers written guides, video instruction, local group connections, and online courses designed to help individuals or congregations cultivate contemplative awareness. Together, these practices nurture what the community calls the indwelling presence of God, transforming ordinary life into sacred encounter.
Core Practices Include:
Centering Prayer: A twice-daily silent prayer using a sacred word as a symbol of consent to God’s presence and action within.
Lectio Divina: “Divine reading,” a slow, prayerful engagement with Scripture through four movements—read, reflect, respond, and rest.
Welcoming Prayer: A prayer of consent to God’s presence in life’s physical and emotional experiences, releasing control and embracing divine grace.
Active Prayer Practice: A short sacred phrase synchronized with the heartbeat to carry prayer into daily living.
Retreat and Time Apart: Extended silence and solitude to deepen the contemplative journey and renew awareness of divine presence.
Theological Vision:
Founded on the teaching of Father Thomas Keating, Contemplative Outreach embraces transformation in Christ through consent to the indwelling Spirit. Its theology emphasizes the goodness of every person, the healing of the false self through divine love, and the unity of all creation in God’s presence.