Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening by Cynthia Bourgeault (Cowley Publications) The Examen Prayer: Ignatian Wisdom for Our Lives Today by Timothy Gallagher (Crossroads Publishing Company) Spiritual Torrents by Madame Jeanne Guyon Moving in the Spirit: Becoming a Contemplative in Action by Richard J. Hauser (Paulist Press) Pilgrimage of a Soul: Contemplative Spirituality for the Active […]
This post is an update to our previous statement on June 14, 2020 in relation to allegations of misconduct made against Chris Heuertz. The Board of Directors of Gravity, a Center for Contemplative Activism (“Gravity”), requested an inquiry conducted by an independent third party. That inquiry has concluded and in the spirit of transparency we […]
“Winter preserves and strengthens a tree. Rather than expending its strength on the exterior surface, its sap is forced deeper and deeper into its interior depth. In winter, a tougher, more resilient life is firmly established. Winter is necessary for the tree to survive and flourish.” Thomas Merton It is March 20, 2020 and we […]
by Lynn Ungar What if you thought of it as [an unexpected] Sabbath —the most sacred of times? Cease from travel. Cease from buying and selling. Give up, just for now, on trying to make the world different than it is. Sing. Pray. Touch only those to whom you commit your life. […]
by Mark Kutolowsk In every life circumstance, there are spiritual gifts, freely given to those who are able to perceive them. This outbreak is no different. What then, are some of the spiritual opportunities of this pandemic? To recognize and honor the instinctual self: Everyone has both a material body and a psyche […]
by Chris Heuertz I’ve been pretty sad for a couple weeks given the assault on our collective consciousness’s peace of heart & mind. Lots of us aren’t going to be able to adjust to the new reality without each other. So right now, let’s make an intention of hope & resiliency for those […]
by Debbie Stevenson In spring 2018 I was on a personal silent retreat. It was one of the last steps before graduating from a 3 year spiritual direction program. During those 3 days of silence, I discovered a desire for expression. I first began to notice this desire during my spiritual direction training and it […]
by Kevin Eicher Many years ago I was deeply involved in what I will call “the church of my youth”. One day a friend asked me a question about my beliefs. That question lead me to other questions and I soon found myself, as I put it then: “lying on the valley floor” beat up and […]
by Allison Cloud One summer day last year, while repeatedly surrendering to the unraveling of mid-life, I found myself caretaker of two caterpillars, one monarch and one black swallowtail. As they munched and grew on my screened porch, I was able to watch them molt to their pupa state, the chrysalis. Did you know that […]
by Eric Leroy Wilson Holy Monday is fast approaching. I am faced with a time of reflection about Jesus turning over tables and benches as He cleanses the Court of the Gentiles. While several moments in Jesus’ life are not included in all four gospels this moment certainly is. John places this event early in […]
by Matthew Wright Running through the history of our planet is a current of spiritual awakening. Beginning as a trickle, it flows through the cracks of history, touching at first individuals, now washing out, over and through interconnected circles, building in force, moving to gather up all things in its embrace. The current flowed in […]
A Reflection by Phileena Heuertz Last year, at the invitation of renowned Cistercian monk Fr. Thomas Keating, four of among the most prominent living western Christian contemplative teachers gathered in Snowmass at St. Benedict’s Monastery. In addition to Fr. Keating, three others gathered in respectful friendship: Rev. Dr. Tilden Edwards, Fr. Laurence Freeman, and […]
by Eric Leroy Wilson The memories of the older women I observed as a child at Riverview Church are etched indelibly in my mind. This church, built by the sweat and labor of my grandmother and grandfather, was the seedbed of my contemplative life. That church was sacred ground defended and held by these warrior women of faith. […]
by Elisabeth Barahona Marriage is a mysterious journey of learning how to consent to God in order to learn how to say “yes” to one’s spouse. It is a delicate interdependence of honoring both the I and the we in this journey towards marital togetherness. Archbishop Desmond Tutu provides a powerful framework called Ubuntu that […]
by Phileena Heuertz Our recent presidential election has exposed and emphasized a great rift in the people who make up our nation. Political, economic, social, and religious ideologies may not have ever been more at odds with one another. Our new millennia has brought with it so much change. It’s as if our world has […]
by Drew Jackson In William Shakespeare’s play Measure for Measure, it was Claudio who said, “Death is a fearful thing.” These words resonate with each of us in one way or another. We all have fears associated with death. Like the child who is afraid of the dark, we fear what we cannot see. We […]
By George Mekhail I have changed a lot over the past 18 months. I’ve deconstructed much of my worldview and consider the journey as just getting started. I am a heretic, a pirate and a mystic. I used to see things very differently than I see them today, and I hope that this process of […]
September 15, 2016 – February 15, 2017 From September 15, 2016 –February 15, 2017 Gravity, a Center for Contemplative Activism welcomes Chiraphone Khamphouvong as our Contemplative Activist (not) in Residence (CAIR). The CAIR program supports leading, innovative activists who desire a sabbatical for personal, professional, and spiritual development. CAIR is for bold and courageous leaders who have […]
Recently, Chris and Phileena visited our team in Ifrane, Morocco. I’m one of about 40 university and post-graduate students offering emergency aid to the thousands of refugees and immigrants desperately making their way through Morocco. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to have participated in the retreat which was focused on integrating contemplation and action—something […]
by Kent Annan When writing my new book, Slow Kingdom Coming, my attention kept getting drawn to themes of contemplative activism and of doing good better—that is, to very Gravity-like themes! My work with Haiti Partners over the years has given me a deep appreciation for values like solidarity with people in poverty, justice […]
by Craig Greenfield The Mekong is a broad brown river that runs through Cambodia and Vietnam. Craig Greenfield, a veteran of Cambodian slums and inner city ministry explains in his new book, Subversive Jesus, how a jar of Mekong River water helped him find the balance between activism and contemplation. This is an excerpt… At […]