As a member of the first cohort of Contemplative Renewal Immersions, Katye Chambers’ second Immersion was in January 2020. She did not realize the gift of listening circles, silence and the rhythm of prayer, until the pandemic fully arrived two months later. “I noticed I was not freaking out and panicking in the way that I saw everyone else around me doing. I asked myself what caused that and I realized I am grounded in my spirit and at peace because I’ve spent this time at Holy Wisdom. In the throes of the pandemic I realized I had a sense …
Live with love, joy and presence
Submitted by Kathleen Owens (she/her), Manager of Clergy Programming and Communications for the Center for Clergy Renewal at Holy Wisdom Monastery. James Rissler tried to prepare for his first Contemplative Renewal Immersion, and first visit to Holy Wisdom Monastery, by reading the Rule of Benedict. As a Mennonite Pastor from Georgia, he was not quite sure what to expect. He had some uncertainty about where he was heading in his vocation and a desire to explore more contemplative practices. He was concerned that St. Benedict seems to discourage humor and laughter. He wondered, “What kind of place will this be?” …
Walking contemplative
Submitted by Kathleen Owens (she/her), Manager of Clergy Programming and Communications for the Center for Clergy Renewal at Holy Wisdom Monastery. “I don’t know if burned out is the right word,” reflects Julane Nease when recalling what led her to apply to Contemplative Renewal Immersions, “but I was feeling the stress of my call. There’d been a lot of difficulties that had happened within the life of the people in the congregation.” When she arrived for her first immersion in July 2021, she realized she was not alone. “I remember at that first session being struck at how emotional it …