Contemplate Lincoln & The Contemplative Cathedral

May 2025 Contemplate Lincoln Newsletter Meeting in the Mountains Last week, Joselyn and I had the tremendous opportunity to meet with 16 other contemplative community creators in the Rocky Mountains of Montana. This marked our fourth year gathering on retreat together. It has been a big year for our little organization that we affectionately call 3CN (Contemplative Community Creators Network). Over the last 12 months, we have launched a website https://www.contemplativecommunities.org/and...

April 14th, 2025 Contemplative Connection Newsletter "May the power of your love, O Lord, fiery and sweet as honey, wean my heart from everything under heaven, that I may die for love of your love, you who were so good as to die for love of my love!" ~St. Francis of Assisi We come to the end of this year's Lenten journey and begin our journey with Jesus. From Palm Sunday, to the cross, and finally to resurrection. A journey that reveals, as Richard Rohr says, the universal path of...

April 2025 Contemplate Lincoln Newsletter Headed Towards Holy Week. The lectionary Gospel stories of Lent and Holy Week take us through Jesus’ ministry from the wilderness to the grave and his resurrection. The stories teach us about Jesus, yes, but as Rohr often reminds us they also teach us about God, the spiritual journey, ourselves, and humanity. There are different ways we can read the stories: reflecting on what it means for us, for the collective, for the journey, or our image of God....

March, 17th 2025 Contemplative Connection Newsletter Happy Saint Patrick’s Day Short Form of Saint Patrick’s Breastplate Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears...

March 2025 Contemplate Lincoln Newsletter Hi Friends, Welcome to maybe our biggest newsletter to date. Lots of good stuff going on in our community in the next few months so be sure to check them all out. I want to highlight our upcoming in-person retreat at The Benedictine Center in Schuyler, NE! As a community primarily housed online, this is an excellent opportunity to gather and practice together in person. This has been a long time coming and I am very much looking forward to it. Many...

February 2025 Contemplative Connection Blessings on this Valentine’s Day, Valentine’s Day has a lot of significance for Contemplate Lincoln. It was the day that we bought our original building and kicked off regular programming in 2017. The day also has significance in our culture for couples who celebrate their love through flowers and gifts. Also, for children who show thoughtfulness for their classmates through cards and candy. While the Church no longer universally celebrates the feast of...

February 2025 Newsletter Year 8 Creating and Cultivating Contemplative Community It's hard to believe we are entering our 8th year of gathering a contemplative community. What a blessing it has been and continues to be. Last week we held our annual board retreat to review the past year and explore the year that is to come. We hold much gratitude for every one of you. For the gift of your presence and participation that knits a beautiful tapestry of community. We need each other on this...

January 2025 Contemplative Connection Last week many of our churches reflected on Jesus’ baptism, which is generally celebrated on the first Sunday after Epiphany. Every time I hear the story of Jesus’ baptism I can’t help but be drawn to Richard Rohr’s sermon on the subject. Here is a sample, After fourteen years as a chaplain in the Albuquerque jails, I am convinced that the reason people make great mistakes is because they have never heard what Jesus heard on the day of his baptism. They...

January 2025 Newsletter The Year is new and Contemplate is doing some new things. Check out what's happening in January and enter into the contemplative community. AT THE END OF THE YEAR. The particular mind of the ocean Filling the coastline’s longing With such brief harvest Of elegant, vanishing waves Is like the mind of time Opening us shapes of days. As this year draws to its end, We give thanks for the gifts it brought And how they became inlaid within Where neither time nor tide can...