Rooted and Awake Amidst the Great Unraveling: A Centering Prayer Retreat for a Threshold Time

Centering Prayer has been a core program at Mercy Center over the 44 years of its blessed and blessing ministry. As Thomas Keating taught, it has evolved over these many years, blooming into the fullness of our Christian Wisdom stream.

“May the next years see the increase of Centering Prayer, and the creative addition of other wisdom aspects that might enhance what we are doing, or at least help us to do what we have learned out of our tradition, with complete commitment.” – Thomas Keating, in A Life Surrendered to Love

The Mercy Center Centering Prayer and Christian Wisdom Practices Program has sought to support those walking the Contemplative Christian Wisdom path—a path of transformation, not only of ourselves, but of the world. Rather than focusing on knowing more about our spirituality and God, this path invites us to know our inner being and God with more of our full, embodied selves. It centers on practices that foster this kind of transformation such as the foundational practice of Centering Prayer—in which we repeatedly let go, consenting to the presence and action of God within. This is always accompanied by other Wisdom practices such as chanting, sacred movement, the Welcoming Prayer, and cultivating three-centered awareness (mind/thought, heart/feeling, body/sensation). These practices open us to a renewed and integrated way of seeing, helping us remain rooted and awake amid life’s circumstances, and better able to meet the needs of our world, in alignment with the movement of Spirit, without attachment to outcome.

As Mercy Center Burlingame’s Retreat Ministry comes to a close and we find ourselves standing at yet another threshold, we invite you to join us for the final offering of this program. This weekend retreat will draw on practices and teachings from contemplatives, mystics, and prophets to support inner resilience, stability, courageous presence, sacred grief, the capacity to hold paradox, and the co-creation of what is emerging.

Also, a generous donation has been made to defray costs so please don’t hesitate to fill out the scholarship form indicating whatever assistance would be beneficial to you.

Participants Schedule (subject to change)

Friday, October 17th

3 pm or after Arrival, room assignment, and time to settle in
5:30 pm Dinner with talking
6:30 pm Welcome, Orientation, Introductions, and Opening Session followed by Centering Prayer leading into the Great Silence – Oak

Saturday, October 18th

6:25am Yoga (optional) – TBD
7:00 am Centering Prayer – Oak
7:30 am Breakfast in Silence – Willow
9:00 am Centering Prayer – Oak
9:30 am Session Two – Oak
10:30 am Silent Break
10:45 am Lectio Divina – Oak
11:45 am Break
12:00 pm Lunch (Silence optional) – Willow
1-5:30 pm Personal contemplative time (optional items available listed)
1:30 pm Chanting (optional) – Oak
3:00 pm Labyrinth (optional) * Meet out front of Mercy’s Main Entrance
4:30 pm Welcome Practice (optional) – Oak
5:30 pm Dinner in Silence – Willow
6:30 pm Session Three followed by Centering Prayer and Great Silence – Oak

Sunday, October 19th

6:25am Yoga (optional) – TBD
7:00 am Centering Prayer – Oak
7:30 am Breakfast in Silence – Willow
9:00 am Centering Prayer – Oak
9:45 am Final Session – Oak
11:00 am Break
11:15 am Centering Prayer & Chanting – (Oak) or Liturgy (Chapel)
12:00 pm Lunch with talking – Willow
1:30 pm Gratitude and Grief Circle for Mercy Center (optional) – Oak
2:30 pm Closing Circle – Oak
3:30 pm Departure