Indianapolis, Indiana
"God's first language is silence. Everything else is a poor translation."
Thomas Keating
Indianapolis Chapter Servant Leadership Team
| Mary Beth Riner | Coordinator | mary.riner@gmail.com |
| Linda Farley | Past Coordinator | lleefarley@aol.com |
| John Drake | Treasurer | jdrake237@gmail.com |
| Mary Kendall | Secretary | mkendall@iu.edu |
| Don Nicholas | Education Coordinator | dnichola@bsu.edu |
| Karen Spear | Communications and Prayer Group Liaison | kspear@marian.edu |
| Chris Haynes | E-Communications Coordinator | chaynes56@gmail.com |
| Marilyn Webb | Centering Prayer Gatherings Facilitator | marilynfwebb@sbcglobal.net |
Contemplative Outreach of Indianapolis continues to offer opportunities to nourish and support one another in our practice of Centering Prayer and the process of divine transformation.
- Several active prayer groups continue to meet, pray and learn to provide support for our practice.
- Centering Prayer Introductory Programs by our chapter-commissioned Centering Prayer Presenters are available on request.
- An Intensive Centering Prayer 5-day retreat for experienced Centering Prayer participants offers the opportunity to extend the practice of centering prayer into daily life.
- Bimonthly opportunities continue where we gather to pray, learn, and share together as a Contemplative Outreach chapter.
For more information, please contact Mary Beth Riner on the Leadership Team.
Scheduled Events
Centering Prayer Introductory Program Workshop
The Indianapolis chapter of Contemplative Outreach invites you to an introductory workshop on Centering Prayer on Saturday, September 24 at St. Luke’s Methodist Church (100 W. 86th Street) from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. See the flyer to get more information and to register.
Weekend Intensive Centering Prayer Retreat
Contemplative Outreach of Indianapolis is offering a Weekend Intensive Centering Prayer Retreat at the Benedict Inn and Retreat House in Beech Grove, IN, from Friday, October 21 to Sunday, October 23, 2022. Get more information about the retreat and register by clicking here for the registration form.
Upcoming 2022 Programming
CO of Indianapolis meets via Zoom only from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on the 2nd Saturday of the month for Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina. On the 4th Saturday of the month, we meet in-person and via Zoom from 9:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. with Centering Prayer and special programing. An invitation e-mail with the link to Zoom will continue to be sent out to the CO-Indy email list prior to the Saturday gatherings.
Dates for 2nd Saturday Meetings: Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina at 9:00 a.m.
- July 9
- August 13
- September 10
- October 8
- November 12
- December 10
Dates for 4th Saturday Meetings: Centering Prayer and Special Programming at 9:00 a.m.
- July 23 – Mary Beth Riner - Lectio Divina III
- August 27 – Karen Spear – Circles of Trust
- September 24 – Introductory Centering Prayer Workshop
Lectio Divina
Engage with a small group as we explore the practice of Lectio Divina, a method of heart-to-heart conversation with God involving reading, reflecting, responding, and resting in the words of Scripture. Even if you practice Lectio, you will find this workshop will deepen the practice and will bring the scripture texts into your everyday life. This is not a scripture study. It is a way to allow God to have a conversation with you and to give you a gift of understanding.
Circles of Trust
Parker Palmer introduces the circle of trust as a safe space to invite the “shy soul” to emerge and dialogue with other shy souls. Learn more about Palmer’s vision for dialogue and join in a brief practice of a circle of trust.
Dates for Contemplative Nature Walks
- Autumn Equinox – September 22, 2022
- Winter Solstice – December 21, 2022
- Spring Equinox, March 20, 2023
- Summer Solstice – June 21, 2023
Contemplative Nature Walks
A contemplative walk in nature can foster our sense of connectedness to the natural world. It can create space for gratitude and honoring the creator of the world in which we live. For more information on taking a contemplative walk in nature, see our flyer.
The following Centering Prayer groups meet in the Central Indiana area.
|
Location |
Facilitator Contact |
Meeting Times |
|---|---|---|
| St. Thomas Aquinas 535 W. State St. West Lafayette, Indiana |
Becky Dick beckydick.wl@gmail.com |
Mondays, 5:30 p.m. |
| North United Methodist Church 3808 N. Meridian Street Indianapolic, Indiana |
Donna Sandage dsandage49@gmail.com |
Tuesdays, 5:30 p.m. |
| First United Church 2420 E. Third St. Bloomington, Indiana |
Chris Haynes chaynes56@gmail.com 812-360-0296 |
Zoom Centering Prayer Wednesdays, 7:00 p.m. |
| Holy Spirit Church at Geist 10350 Glaser Way Fishers, Indiana |
Helen Jean Bluemle 317-578-0792 |
2nd Wednesday, 12:45 p.m. |
| Northwest Indianapolis Indianapolis, Indiana |
Marilyn Webb marilynfwebb@sbcglobal.net 317-341-3512 |
3rd Thursday, 3:30 p.m. |
| St. Thomas Aquinas Church 4600 N. Illinois Street Indianapolis, Indiana |
Karen Spear kspear@marian.edu 317-213-7232 |
Thursday Evenings Discussion at 6:00 PM Centering at 6:30 pm Face-to-face in the chapel and virtual. |
| St. Mathew Catholic Church 4100 E. 56th St. Indianapolis, Indiana |
Judy Hipskind hippyhauS518@gmail.com 317-546-2970 |
Centering Prayer and book discussion Zoom gathering at this time--may be moving to face to face Monday Evening 7-8 PM |
About Contemplative Outreach of Indianapolis
Contemplative Outreach of Indianapolis is part of Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. Established in 1984 by Father Thomas Keating, a Trappist monk, Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. is a worldwide spiritual network made up of individuals and small faith communities committed to renewing the contemplative dimension of the Gospel in everyday life and to teach the method of Centering Prayer.
In the late 1980s, the Benedict Inn Retreat & Conference Center held a number of Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina workshops and retreats; through these experiences, an interest in contemplative prayer and a desire of many for Contemplative Outreach opportunities grew in the Indianapolis area. The chapter of Contemplative Outreach of Indianapolis began January 13, 2007, when 35 people met with the leaders from Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. to discern their intention to form a contemplative community. Today the Indianapolis CO chapter has an active leadership team identifying the needs of the chapter for on-going growth. As a chapter, we have facilitated two Living Flame series with national Contemplative Outreach teachers, several day retreats exploring St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, Thomas Merton, Meister Eckhart, and Thomas Kelly. We have prayed with and learned about the Welcoming Prayer, the Prayer of Forgiveness, Lectio Divina, Attention/Intention, and praying with poetry. In addition, we viewed many enlightening videos of Cynthia Bourgeault, Thomas Keating, James Finley, and Richard Rohr. Since 2020, we have met via ZOOM twice a month, praying and sharing Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina the 2nd Saturday of the month and offering prayer and education on the 4th Saturday. On April 23, 2022, we were pleased to return in person (while continuing virtually) on our 4th Saturday gatherings.
Contemplative Outreach Indianapolis continues to celebrate our past and plan for our future, offering opportunities to nourish and support one another in our practice of Centering Prayer.