Contemplation Lab: Schedule & Resources

The Contemplation Lab

10-Week Schedule

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Week 1 | Sept. 8 | Opening the Heart - Introduction to Contemplative Prayer

Focus: Building a safe, confidential community. Establishing group values—commitment, openness, spiritual friendship—not performance. We'll explore what it means to pray with the heart rather than just the mind, and distinguish contemplative prayer from other forms of prayer and study.

Sharing: Share your hopes for this group—what draws you to this journey? What are you hoping God might do in your heart over these 10 weeks?

Practice Introduction: Basic Centering Prayer (5-10 minutes) - Learning to rest in God's loving presence through a sacred word. We'll experience this together and discuss how to create space for this practice at home.

Week's Commitment: Daily 5-10-minute Centering Prayer sessions, noting what arises—journal if possible.

Resources: 

• Centering prayer method

• Centering Prayer App

• Brief Intro to Centering Prayer

• Centering Prayer guide with tons of links

• Handout:

CenteringHandout.pdf

Download PDF • 316KB

Week 2 | Sept. 15 | Sacred Reading - Lectio Divina

Sharing: Reflection on the first week's Centering Prayer practice. Where did you notice God's presence or absence? What surprised you about simply "being" with God?

Practice Introduction: Lectio Divina - The ancient four-step process of reading Scripture for transformation rather than information: Read, Meditate, Pray, Contemplate. We'll practice together using a selected passage.

Week's Commitment: Daily Lectio Divina, allowing God's word to read and shape the heart rather than analyzing or studying the text. Want to go deeper? Use the same Scripture passage every day. Journal about the word or phrase that resonated.

Resource: 

• Guided daily lectio from Sacred Space (be sure to click "open guide" in the top right hand corner if you want more guidance)

• Brief overview of lectio divina

Week 3 | Sept. 22 | Ancient Prayers for Modern Hearts - Praying the Psalms

Sharing: Discoveries from Lectio Divina practice. How did it feel to let Scripture speak to you rather than studying it? What words or phrases lingered in your hearts?

Practice Introduction: Praying the Psalms contemplatively - Using the Psalms as personal prayers, breathing them slowly, allowing ancient words to give voice to modern emotions. We'll explore both praise psalms and lament psalms as pathways to authentic prayer.

Week's Commitment: Daily praying of selected psalms, allowing these ancient prayers to become your own heart's expression before God.

Resources:

·      https://www.upperroom.org/resources/praying-the-psalms

·      Talking Back to God: Speaking Your Heart to God Through the Psalms: https://www.amazon.com/Talking-Back-God-Speaking-Through/dp/0891126465

Week 4 | Sept. 29 | Prayer in Motion - Walking the Labyrinth

Sharing: Experiences with praying the Psalms. Which psalms resonated most deeply? How did it feel to pray in the words of the psalmists? What emotions or insights emerged?

Practice Introduction: Labyrinth walking as contemplative practice - Understanding the labyrinth as a tool for prayer, meditation, and spiritual journey. Weather permitting, we'll walk our labyrinth together, so wear appropriate foot wear. Alternative: a finger labyrinth experience. Discussion of walking meditation principles.

Week's Commitment: Walk the labyrinth at least once this week (or do a walking meditation), using the journey as prayer and paying attention to what arises during the walking.

Resources:

·      https://socialwork.web.baylor.edu/labyrinth-walk

·      Finger labyrinth: https://www.upperroom.org/resources/praying-with-a-finger-labyrinth

·      https://www.upperroom.org/resources/walking-prayer

Week 5 | Oct. 6 | Deepening the Silence - Extended Centering Prayer

Sharing: Reflections on labyrinth walking or walking meditation. What did you notice about prayer in motion? How did your body and heart respond to this form of contemplative practice?

Practice Introduction: Extending Centering Prayer practice to 15-20 minutes, exploring deeper dimensions of contemplative silence. We'll address common challenges like restlessness, spiritual dryness, or overwhelming emotions that can arise in extended silence.

Week's Commitment: Daily 15-20 minute Centering Prayer sessions, with gentle attention to how God meets you in the deeper quiet.

Resources:

·      https://www.upperroom.org/resources/centering-prayer

·      https://www.contemplative.org/contemplative-practice__trashed/centering-prayer/

Week 6 | Oct. 13 | Entering the Story - Ignatian Contemplation

Sharing: Experiences with extended Centering Prayer. How did the longer periods of silence feel? What resistances or graces emerged? What is God teaching through the practice of simply being present?

Practice Introduction: Ignatian Contemplation - Using imagination to enter Gospel scenes, allowing Scripture to become a living encounter with Christ. We'll practice together with a Gospel story, learning to notice details, emotions, and our heart's response to Jesus.

Week's Commitment: Daily Ignatian Contemplation with provided Gospel passages, paying attention to how Christ meets you within the scenes and what invitations emerge.

Resources:

·      https://prayasyougo.org/category/imagining-prayer-21

·      https://prayasyougo.org/series/praying-with-your-imagination-21

·      https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-spiritual-exercises/ignatian-prayer-and-the-imagination/

·      https://www.upperroom.org/resources/the-ignatian-method-of-prayer

Week 7 | Oct 20 | Breath of the Spirit - Breath Prayer and Sacred Phrases

Sharing: Discoveries through Ignatian Contemplation. What was it like to "be present" in Gospel stories? How did you encounter Jesus within these scenes? What did you notice about your heart's response to Christ?

Practice Introduction: Breath Prayer - Learning to weave prayer into the rhythm of breathing, using sacred words or phrases that rise from the heart. We'll explore traditional breath prayers that can accompany you throughout each day.

Week's Commitment: Practicing Breath Prayer throughout daily activities, allowing prayer to become as natural as breathing while noticing how this affects their awareness of God's presence.

Resources: https://www.upperroom.org/resources/the-breath-prayer

Week 8 | Oct. 27 | Noticing God's Presence - The Daily Examen

Sharing: Experiences with Breath Prayer integrated into daily life. How did carrying prayer throughout the day affect your awareness of God? What did you notice about the rhythm of prayer and breath?

Practice Introduction: The Daily Examen - Ignatian practice of prayerful reflection on the day, noticing where God was present and active. We'll learn the simple structure: gratitude, presence, review, forgiveness, and grace for tomorrow.

Week's Commitment: Daily Evening Examen, reviewing each day with God and learning to recognize the Spirit's movement in ordinary moments.

Resource: 

·      https://prayasyougo.org/series/examen-prayers-29

·      https://www.upperroom.org/resources/a-spiritual-practice-the-examen

·      https://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/the-examen/

Week 9 | Nov. 1 | Contemplative Prayer Retreat at Berkley UMC

Week 10 | Nov. 10 | Living Contemplatively - Integration and Going Forward

Sharing: Final reflections on the entire 10-week journey and the contemplative prayer retreat. How have you noticed God's work in your spiritual lives? What practices have become most life-giving? What has surprised you about your own heart's response to God?

Looking Forward: Creating sustainable rhythms for continued contemplative living. We'll discuss how to maintain practices, how to adapt practices for different life seasons, and how to continue growing in Christ.