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Theological Principals
... 1. Contemplative
Outreach is a spiritual network of individuals and small faith
communities committed to living the contemplative dimension of the
Gospel in every-day life through the practice of Centering Prayer.
2. The contemplative dimension of the
Gospel manifests itself in an ever-deepening union with the living
Christ and the practical caring for others that flows from that
relationship.
3. Centering Prayer consists of
responding to the call of the Holy Spirit to consent to God’s presence
and action within. It furthers the development of Contemplative Prayer
by preparing our faculties to cooperate with this gift.
4. The source of Centering Prayer, as
in all methods leading to Christian Contemplative Prayer, is the
indwelling Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Its focus is the
deepening of our relationship with the living Christ. Its fruits are
ecclesial: it builds communities of faith and bonds the members together
in charity.
5. A commitment to the regular
practice of centering prayer is the primary expression of belonging to
the spiritual network.
6. We encourage the practice of Lectio
Divina, particularly its movement into Contemplative Prayer which a
regular and established practice of Centering Prayer facilitates.
7. We recognize as mature fruits of
Centering Prayer a deepening commitment to the needs and rights of each
member of the human family and an ever-increasing respect for the
integrity and interdependence of all creation. |
Vision
Statement
Contemplative Outreach is a spiritual network of individuals and small
faith communities committed to living the contemplative dimension of the
Gospel in everyday life through the practice of Centering Prayer. The
contemplative dimension of the Gospel manifests itself in an
ever-deepening union with the living Christ and the practical caring for
others that flows from that relationship.
Our purpose is to share the method
of Centering Prayer and its immediate conceptual background. We also
encourage the practice of Lectio Divina, particularly its movement into
Contemplative Prayer, which a regular and established practice of
Centering Prayer facilitates.
We identify with the Christian
Contemplative Heritage. While we are formed by our respective
denominations, we are united in our common search for God and the
experience of the living Christ through Centering Prayer. We affirm our
solidarity with the contemplative dimension of other religions and
sacred traditions, with the needs and rights of the whole human family,
and with all creation.
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8. We identify with the Christian
Contemplative Heritage in which Centering Prayer is rooted and we
recognize the lived experience of that heritage as a common ground for
Christian unity. 9. While we are
formed by our respective denominations, we are united in our common
search for God and the experience of the living Christ through Centering
Prayer.
10. We affirm our solidarity with the
contemplative dimension of other religious and sacred traditions.
11. Following the teachings of Jesus,
we exercise leadership as service, especially by being alert and
responsive to the growth and needs of the spiritual network of
Contemplative Outreach.
12. We cultivate and foster a spirit
of unity and the utmost charity throughout the spiritual network.
13. We acknowledge that any good
accomplished by Contemplative Outreach is the work of the Holy Spirit.
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