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New 10-week Spiritual Formation class
- Aug 21
- 6 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
This fall the OHUMC Spiritual Formation team is launching The Contemplation Lab— a space for curious hearts to explore contemplative prayer in community. Together, we’ll slow down, listen deeply, and experiment with time-tested spiritual practices that have nurtured believers for centuries. Whether you’re spiritually curious, new to contemplative practices, or just craving a deeper connection with God, this 10-week journey is your invitation to pause, reflect, and grow.
What to Expect:
Each week, we’ll dive into one contemplative practice —think ancient, time-tested ways of connecting with God that feel surprisingly fresh today. Examples include lectio divina (sacred reading), praying the psalms, walking a labyrinth, centering prayer, etc. Our rhythm is simple and intentional:
Shared Reflection – We start with honest conversation. What showed up in your practice this week? Where did you feel God’s presence — or absence? What stirred, surprised, or challenged you? This is a safe space for real talk, not spiritual performance.
New Practice Preview– The second half of our time will be dedicated to introducing the next contemplative practice. You’ll learn the basics, try it out together, and then explore it on your own during the week before we meet again.
This rhythm of practice + reflection helps us tune into the Spirit’s work and create a space to deepen our relationship with Christ.
Contemplative Practices We'll Explore:
Lectio Divina - allowing Scripture to read us
Praying the Psalms - joining our hearts to ancient prayers
Labyrinth Walking - experiencing prayer as a pilgrimage
Centering Prayer - quieting the mind and resting in God's presence beyond words
Ignatian Contemplation - entering Scripture through imagination
Breath Prayer - weaving prayer into daily rhythms
Examen - prayerfully reviewing your day with God to recognize God's presence in ordinary moments
Silence - learning to quiet the external and internal noise to better hear the still, small voice of God.
Who This Is For:
If you’re longing for something deeper than information — you’re in the right place. Maybe you've been on this path for years but crave fresh connection. Maybe you’re newer to faith and want to explore prayer that feels real. Or maybe you’ve been practicing solo and are ready for a community to share your experience with. What matters most is your willingness to show up — open-hearted, curious, and committed to the journey.
Dates:
Mondays from 6-7:15 pm starting Sept. 8 (ending Nov. 10).
Location: Adult Education Bldg., Room: A-203.
Facilitator (more like fellow explorer, or lab partner!):
Corinne Weisgerber, Spiritual Formation Team Chair
Come experiment with stillness. Come listen for God. Come be transformed — together.
The Contemplation Lab
10-Week Course Outline
(Click on each week to see details)
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
Handout:
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: https://sacredspace.com/daily-prayer/
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.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
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.
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