Lenten Formation Study

Wednesdays, Feb. 17 - Mar. 31, 2010

This year during Lent, The Center for Christian Spirituality will offer an opportunity to make the Lenten journey in the company of a man who did more to raise awareness of contemplation and the contemplative life than anyone else in over a century. For Lent you are invited to read portions of New Seeds of Contemplation by Thomas Merton, a monk at the Abbey of Gethsemani who died in 1968. On the Wednesday evenings in Lent, Jerry Webber will offer teaching and interpretations of New Seeds, and then a time for discussion and questions about contemplation, Merton’s understanding of true self/false self, and the place of prayer in a world of hurt.

New Seeds of Contemplation is available from the Chapelwood bookstore (kjodon@chapelwood.org) for $13. Participants are encouraged to have a copy of the book and to read along as the group wrestles with Merton’s spirituality.

The Wednesday night class begins on Ash Wednesday, February 17, at 6:30 p.m. in LC201. 

Recurring Classes: Please check with us for upcoming dates.
Spiritual Foundations

The Spiritual Foundations class seeks to provide an intensive experience in spiritual formation for those who want to give concentrated attention to the work of God in their lives. The class was originally designed to assist church leaders (staff, teachers, board members, committee members, volunteers, etc.) in developing a growing inner life that would support the work of their ministry. We believe that leadership has the power to transform individuals, groups, institutions, and society when anchored in a growing relationship with God through Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit. The class is now structured as an aid to anyone desiring a more intentional and alert relationship with God. Through daily prayer and meditation, weekly large and small group experiences, personal reflection, journaling, and outside readings participants will be able to formulate life-patterns that open them to the transformation of Christ. Spiritual practices alone do not cause a person to experience formation in Christ, but rather prepare us and open us to the work God does within our hearts. The course is designed for anyone who is serious about a growing, deepening relationship with God as revealed in Jesus Christ.

This continuous experience over a course of weeks is not designed to be the end of our spiritual growth, but rather a launching pad for a lifetime of encounter with God. Though the class will move rapidly, we intend to be deliberate and attentive to the movement of God as we read, pray, meditate, reflect, and listen. Thus, our goal is not to complete of a body of material, but to come to a growing awareness of our journey with God and a growing awareness of our own lives in relationship to God and others. Various reflections and exercises will engage us at different levels, each one deliberately selected to lead us into God's presence.


Building on the Foundations
Building on the Foundation is an eight-week follow-up to the Spiritual Foundations course. Like the first course, Building on the Foundation is a practicum in spiritual formation. The original material has been developed by the class leader, Jerry Webber. Readings come from five books that are part of the core curriculum. Various spiritual practices will be introduced. This class relies heavily on class participation and sharing. An orientation and introduction to the course will be held the first week prior to classes beginning. The weekly two-hour class will include class instruction and discussion, large and small group work, guided exercises, and quiet time for reflection. Presentations by Jerry Webber will accompany outside readings from authors such as Henri Nouwen, Thomas Keating, and Margaret Silf. Significant amounts of time will be given for small group and large group interaction.
 

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