Posted July 17, 2017

Read About a Wisdom Circle Experiment: Collective, Collaborative and Concurrent

This spring a collective of three Wisdom teachers, Marcella Kraybill-Greggo, Jeanine Siler Jones and Heather Ruce, completed an eight month series of Wisdom Circles in their respective communities. They coordinated and supported one another as a group, working through the steps together from planning to de-briefing, as the cycle unfolded. The interesting thing about this collaboration was that it took place long distance, with the three women holding their posts in their groups on the same day in the northeast, the southeast and on the west coast; the groups working in concert in both time and content. Together, the three have written this piece for Breaking Ground, speaking to their commitment, how it yielded unexpected fruit, and evoked deep noticing. Thank you Marcella, Jeanine and Heather! Stay tuned to Breaking Ground for further conversation about their process. Read more

Posted July 14, 2017

“Inside Sacred Texts” on PBS stations now.

Cynthia Bourgeault is a guest on “Inside Sacred Texts,” a video discussion that is now airing on PBS throughout the country. For a rare sign of hope and optimism about the healing between different cultures, the program looks into the phenomenal rise of language translation in our times and answers the questions: What makes a text sacred? Have there been biases in the translations of sacred texts? Why are the newly-discovered gospels of Thomas, Philip, Judas and Mary Magdalene so important? Here’s a 30-second trailer. To learn more about the program, find out where to watch on PBS or order a DVD, go to Global Spirit.

Posted June 2, 2017

Schedule for our 2nd Annual Maine Ingathering

Events open to the public 

Full schedule of events available to those who are registered. Any questions, please email Wendy Johnston.

Sunday, June 4:

(Arrivals throughout the day)

7:30 pm: welcome and orientation; chanting and meditation (town hall)

Monday, June 5

7:15 am: chanting and meditation (town hall)

9:15 morning teaching (town hall) CB: Teilhard for Troubled Times

10:30 break

11:00 practical work in teams

(Darlene leads cooking team, Oddfellows; Cynthia leads morning music group in site at St Mary’s Church. Emphasis on Taize vocals; some Brendan music. )

12:30 Lunch (Oddfellows Hall, followed by time off

            2pm: Centering Prayer with Guthrie Sayen , Town Hall

            3 pm: Contemplative Movement with Allen Borque, Town Hall

            (unscheduled time for small groups and special explorations, individual music lessons)

4:15: PUBLIC TALK by CB at Town Hall: “St Brendan the Navigator: Introducing our Local Celtic Hero”

5:30: chanting and meditation

6:00 Dinner on your own and night off

Tuesday, June 6

7:15 am: chanting and meditation (town hall)

9:15: morning teaching (town hall)

10:30: break

11 am: practical work (Darlene and Wendy work with Taize instrumentalists and vocalists at St. Mary’s Church; will need assistant chef to lead cooking team.

12:30 Lunch (Oddfellows Hall) followed by time off

(unscheduled time for small group and special explorations: music lessons, practical work, drama group, children’s group, recreation and excursions, Centering Prayer with Guthrie at 2, Contemplative Movement with Allen at 3)

4:15: afternoon teaching (town hall): GEOFF WARNER, founder of Owl Furniture:

“HEALTHY ERGONOMICS FOR DAILY LIVING “

5:30: Chanting and meditation

6: dinner (on your own)

7:30 TAIZé JAM at St. Mary’s Church

Wednesday, June 7

7:15 am morning chanting and meditation followed by

Free Day to Explore the Neighborhood: Excursions to Eagle Island, Isle au Haut; Old Quarry kayaking, sightseeing in Acadia National Park; Contemplative Movement continues at 3.

No scheduled evening event.

Thursday, June 8

7:15 am chanting and meditation (town hall)

9:15: morning teaching , Town Hall (Teilhard exploration continues)

10:30 break

11:00 practical work (Darlene in Kitchen; CB leads Troupe for Brendan Scene Study prep)

12:30 Lunch followed by time off (contemplative movement, Centering Prayer, and private lessons continue)

NOTE: Cynthia will be speaking on Global Enneagram Summit at 1 pm today!

 4:15 Afternoon Teaching: St Brendan Play, Scenes 1-4

5:30 chanting and meditation (town hall)

6:00 dinner break

7:30 public talk by CB: Teilhard and the Conscious Circle of Humanity (town hall)

 Friday, June 9

7:15 am: Chanting and meditation (town hall)

9:15 am morning teaching with CB (Teilhard exploration continues)

10:30 break

11:00 work in teams (CB leads Troupe for Brendan Scene study)

12:30 Lunch followed by time off (DARLENE works at Oddfellows Hall with Musicians to prepare for evening kirtan/zikr; centering prayer (2 pm) and Contemplative Movement (3 pm) continue at Town Hall

4:15: afternoon teaching: St Brendan play, scenes 5-7

5:30 chanting and meditation

6:00 dinner

7:30 pm: “For our one world: Evening of Sacred Chanting, Prayer, and Movement at Town Hall

Saturday June 10

 7:15 am: chanting and meditation

9:15 morning teaching (Teilhard track continues)

10:30 break

11:00 practical work in groups (Darlene with kitchen team; CB with Troupe as needed

12:30 Lunch followed by free time (CP and Contemplative Meditation continue)

4:15 afternoon teaching: Brendan voyage concludes

5:30 meditation and chanting except for kitchen and set-up team

6:00 “Gaudeamus” (beverages and munchies) at Oddfellows; dinner on your own (or make the party your meal)

Sunday, June 11

7:15 morning sitting” followed by departure at your own pace (most houses must be vacated by 10 am)

Posted November 2, 2016

First Ever Quaker Wisdom School Event

Cynthia is very excited about this first-ever Quaker Wisdom School for Quakers and Wisdom seekers of all faiths. It will take place May 14-19, 2017 in Wallingford, PA.  Space is limited so please check out the details here.

Posted October 4, 2016

Cynthia’s New Book Available

Cynthia Bourgeault’s illumination of the Centering Prayer path provides compelling evidence of how important the practice has become in the half-century since it first arose among American Trappist monks, and of its maturation and refinement over the ensuing years of sincere study and practice. It will resonate with beginners on the Centering Prayer path as well as with seasoned practitioners.

Available wherever books are sold or at Shambhala.com

Posted September 21, 2016

Long-awaited e-course “Teilhard for Our Times”

Cynthia will lead you step by step into the heart of Teilhard de Chardin — both figuratively and literally.

Though email messages sent to you on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays for five weeks, you will learn your way around the basic building blocks of “The Teilhardian Synthesis,” his great overarching vision. You’ll catch moving glimpses of his life and the spiritual resources he drew on to keep himself going through long years of struggle and exile. You’ll get to work with some of these resources directly through spiritual practices based directly on Teilhard’s writings. Above all, you’ll have access 24/7 to the online Practice Circle to post your reflections and questions and hear responses from Cynthia and your fellow students. You’ll also find a veritable treasure chest of additional resources to help you dig deeper if you’re so inclined.

For more information and to sign up, click here.

Posted June 30, 2016

Cynthia’s “Four Voices” Discernment Course Now Available On-Demand

Contemplative Journal is offering Cynthia Bourgeault’s popular class on discernment as an “On Demand” course: The Four Voices Method of Discernment. Here’s what they have to say about it:

“Our most popular class ever is getting an upgrade! With a newly made workbook to help you walk through the class and an entirely new class platform that is much more user-friendly and easy to navigate, you won’t want to miss this updated on demand offering.”

If you haven’t had the chance to take this wonderful course, now is your chance! Click here to get started!

Posted May 12, 2016

Penobscot Bay Press about the Maine Ingathering

Originally published in Castine Patriot, May 12, 2016 and Island Ad-Vantages, May 12, 2016 and The Weekly Packet, May 12, 2016

 

Click here to see the article about “Internationally acclaimed writer and retreat leader—and Stonington resident—Cynthia Bourgeault will host a pilot “Wisdom Ingathering” during the week of June 5-12.”

Posted April 11, 2016

Maine Wisdom Ingathering–Public Events Announced

Cynthia Bourgeault will be gathering with students from all over the world in Stonington, Maine, June 5-12. The following evening events are open to the public; all are welcome!

Maine Wisdom Ingathering Poster

Posted March 3, 2016

Contemplative Practice & Wisdom Christianity Series in Boston

Contemplative Practice and Wisdom Christianity: Series 2016: This series consists of workshops presenting the renewal of contemplative spiritual practices and the recovery of a way of faith rooted in inward and outward transformation. Dates are April 16, April 23 and April 30. 

These workshops are offered for people engaged or interested in contemplative spiritual practices and/or the renewal of the church. No prior experience or knowledge required. Click here for more information or to register.

Posted March 3, 2016

Contemplative Presence to offer Midwest Wisdom Schools beginning in June

With Cynthia’s recent prompting, Beth O’Brien announces that Contemplative Presence will be offering four Wisdom School gatherings in southern Wisconsin and eastern Iowa, beginning in June 2016. Each of these events will carry forth the Christian Wisdom lineage, bringing contemplatives together for deepening spiritual practice and Wisdom teachings. As a direct student of Cynthia for many years and the founder of Contemplative Presence, Beth trusts that these upcoming Wisdom Schools will serve as ‘widening circles of transmission’ within the Wisdom network–and extends a gentled invitation to all to Come and see . . .

  • Placing Our Mind in Our Heart:  Introductory Wisdom School, PART A, June 22-25.
  • Wisdom School:  Mary Magdalene as Unitive Wisdom, August 24-27.
  • Seeing With the Eye of the Heart:  Introductory Wisdom School, PART B, Oct. 26-29.
  • Placing Our Mind in Our Heart: Introductory Wisdom School, PART A, Nov. 26-29.

For more information on these and other contemplative offerings in the Madison, WI, area go to: www.ContemplativePresence.org. 

 

Posted January 4, 2016

“Teilhard de Chardin and World Religions: Ultra Catholic or Ultra Human?”

New Year Greetings!

In 2015 Cynthia launched “The Year of Teilhard,” encouraging our community to discover this extraordinary French mystic and begin familiarizing ourselves with his tremendous work. In 2016 the exploration of Teilhard’s theology continues as we approach the first of multiple Teilhard themed Wisdom Schools led by Cynthia, beginning with La Casa de Maria in Santa Barbara next month.

In addition to the upcoming wisdom schools, there is another exciting Teilhardian gathering on the horizon that we would like to bring to your attention:

The 2016 American Teilhard Association Annual meeting on May 14 at Union Theological Seminary in New York city, featuring a lunch followed by a talk by Ilia Delio, OSF titled “Teilhard de Chardin and World Religions: Ultra Catholic or Ultra Human?”  Cynthia and I have already purchased our tickets and would like to invite all those in our community who are able to attend to join us in participating in this momentous gathering.

For more information and to purchase tickets simply click on the following link: http://teilharddechardin.org/index.php/event.

Hope to see many of you there!

Gabrielle (Brie) Stoner

Posted December 22, 2015

Merry Christmas from Thomas Keating and Me

I thought some of you might like to see these recent pictures of Thomas Keating and me. He’s nearing 93, would you believe? Merry Christmas to all you contemplatives out there from Cynthia and Thomas.

 

IMG_3214

Posted November 18, 2015

Sign Up for Advent Desert Wisdom E-Course

Okay, dear friends, here’s something I would like to offer to our planet, the small bit I can contribute. I invite ALL of you who belong to my network of the heart in any way – family, friends, students, readers of my books – to pool our energy and sign up for my advent e-course. This hard earned wisdom, garnered once upon a time in the deserts of Egypt and yes, Syria, is sorely needed again to reclaim our world. If we can get 1000 folks working together gathered together around this material in the four weeks preparing for the Prince of Peace, I wager we can shift the energy field. Worth a try, anyway. Here’s the link. Do it TODAY.

Posted November 17, 2015

Fundraising Campaign Continues

We officially announced Northeast Wisdom’s inaugural fundraising campaign on Nov. 4 — wondering if using modern technology was a good idea. Cynthia’s letter was sent to friends and colleagues electronically, she posted a blog, and we configured the site to accept online payments. Within the hour we received a notification from PayPal that our first donation had been received. Thank you! There’s no question that there is something less personal online…but technology sure does make contributing easier and faster. If you missed it, here’s the contribution page.

We thank you again for helping Northeast Wisdom take this first big step.

Posted October 23, 2015

Altered States: A Weekend of Chanting

Do you want to learn more about chanting/singing in different faith traditions? Are you curious to find out what a deeply wise Sufi scholar, a quietly warm Indian Hindu, and a funny-to-the-bone Jewish rabbi have to say about the power of singing and chanting in their spiritual practices? Want to hear about the latest scientific research exploring how the body and mind is affected by each of these practices?AlteredStates2

ALTERED STATES 2015 is the place to be!! Dr. Amer Latif, Shital Kinkhabwala, Rebbe Moshe Waldoks, and Dr. Lesley Fishelman will be our guest presenters and teachers on the weekend of November 14-15. Thanks to a generous gift from the Diocese of Vermont, the cost of the weekend is very affordable. For more information, check out our events page.

Posted October 12, 2015

St. Mary’s Sewanee launches a new resource

The Reverend John Ander Runkle, RA, is the Executive Director of St. Mary’s Sewanee: The Ayres Center for Spiritual Development in Tennessee. He announced that St. Mary’s Sewanee recently launched a web page named “Teach Us to Pray” where Cynthia is mentioned. This new resource includes reflections on prayer and is intended to provide a form of encouragement to pray and come to know God better. Click here for the link if you’d like to check it out.

Posted October 9, 2015

A well-stocked library shelf

Kind of cool! Cynthia’s books were spotted sandwiched right next to those of Teilhard de Chardin in Andrew Breitenberg’s library. Andrew is a student at the Living School.

library shelves

Posted September 8, 2015

POSTPONED — “Chanting in the Heart of Sophia” workshop/retreat.

Hey, all, can I tempt a few more souls out there in the Wisdom network to sign up for a unique and wonderful teaching retreat coming up on September 17-20 at Hallelujah Farm?

This Wisdom workshop/retreat, called “Chanting in the Heart of Sophia,” is the labor of love of senior Wisdom student Laura Ruth and will reunite some of the “old gang” from our Bluestone Farm days as participants gather together under the leadership of Matthew Wright and Sister Helena Marie to explore the wonderful wisdom world of Gregorian Chant and Marian devotion. Click here for the details.

I will be on a pilgrimage (in Uzbekistan!) September 13-24, so I won’t be able to personally attend the retreat. But I want to encourage others in the network to do so, both for the beauty of the topic being explored and for the initiative of Laura, Matthew, and Sr. Helena Marie in putting this opportunity together. ~ Cynthia

Posted August 10, 2015

Contemplative Retreat in December — Registration is now full!

We have started a wait list for the Contemplative Retreat with Cynthia Bourgeault at Glastonbury Abbey in Hingham, MA December 6-11, 2015. This advent contemplative retreat will feature silence, group meditation, participation in the monastic liturgy of the Abbey as well as teaching and readings from Thomas Merton, whose birthday into eternal life we will commemorate on December 10. The only requirement is an established meditation practice. For details, click here.

Posted July 27, 2015

Desert Mothers and Fathers Retreat – A Wonderful Synopsis

As many of you know, Cynthia Bourgeault led a 4-day retreat in Auckland, New Zealand in May. The event was fully booked well in advance, so for those of you who could not attend or are just curious about what transpired there, Marty Schmidt has written a wonderful synopsis. Read Marty’s post, learn from his experience and see some photos from the event…you can almost feel as if you were there! Here’s the link to his “Social Conscience and Inner Awakening” blog. Enjoy.

Posted June 2, 2015

Cynthia’s recovery and gratitude

Cynthia is recovering nicely from pacemaker surgery on May 19 and hopes to be fully back in the
saddle in short order. To find out about what happened, follow this link to her letter.

Posted June 1, 2015

Owen McKenna funeral

Owen McKenna, husband of our longtime Boston Wisdom student Jane, died on May 30 after a long journey with leukemia, in which Jane closely and beautifully accompanied and supported him. The funeral will be held Friday, June 5 in Marblehead, Massachusetts. Here’s a link to more details and his obituary.

Posted May 30, 2015

It’s not too late to sign up for June 5-7 Maine retreat

There are still a few spots left for the retreat “Letting Go — Silence, Surrender, and Song” co-led by Cynthia Bourgeault and Paulette Meier. The Northeast Guild for Spiritual Formation presents a weekend devoted to the “core, sacred gesture” of self-emptying or kenosis through the practices of centering prayer and sacred chant in the Quaker tradition.

More information and registration click here.

Posted May 7, 2015

Warm smiles from North Carolina

Northeast Wisdom teachers and board members Cynthia Bourgeault and Matthew Wright shared a special moment at the recent Wisdom Leadership Training School in Valle Crucis, North Carolina (photo courtesy of Robbin Whittington).

 

Posted April 17, 2015

Inaugural Practice Circle in Richmond, VA

Eleanor Winsor announces the first organizational meeting of a Practice Group in Richmond (2209 E. Grace St.) on May 5. This informal gathering is for Wisdom School participants or people who are interested in attending a Wisdom School. The group will Center together from 10am-2pm to discuss Part I of Teilhard de Chardin’s The Divine Milieu.  For more information contact: Nancy Delach or Eleanor Winsor

Posted April 16, 2015

Teilhard de Chardin’s Tombstone

California Wisdom student Faye Cox visited Teilhard de Cardin’s gravesite in March and captured this
photograph.

Teilhard tombstone

Posted March 10, 2015

The Teilhard Challenge: more than 70 takers and still climbing!

In January 2015 Cynthia Bourgeault issued the “Year of Teilhard” challenge, inviting Wisdom students worldwide to familiarize themselves with the writings of this great contemporary visionary in preparation for a number of Teilhard Wisdom Schools upcoming in 2016. Schools already “on the books” will be taking place in California, the Pacific Northwest, the Hudson Valley in New York, and North Carolina. Stay tuned to the Upcoming Events page as registration details become available. For a link to the basic Teilhard bibliography, go to the Resources page on this site, under Reading Lists.

Posted March 4, 2015

Launching The Year of Teilhard

Teilhard de Chardin’s star is now rising powerfully on the horizon, heralding the dawn of an entirely new kind of Christian theology. Misunderstood in his own times, silenced and exiled by his Jesuit superiors, he is finally coming into his own as the most extraordinary mystical genius of our century and the linchpin connecting scientific cosmology and Christian mystical experience on a dynamic new evolutionary ground. Let’s declare 2015 the year to take on the collective task of getting to know his work better. Here’s the reading list.

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