Contemplate Lincoln Newsletter

Contemplative Connection

August 2026

Psalm 46:10
​Be Still and Know I am God
Be Still and Know I am
Be Still and Know
Be Still
Be

This past weekend, I had the blessing and privilege of leading a retreat at St. Benedict’s Priory in Schuyler, Nebraska, centered on the Psalmist’s call: Be Still and Know I am God. It was a blessing to be with other contemplatives engaging the question our very own Steve Blum proposed:

How can we practice stillness in our often-chaotic world and follow the psalmist’s call to be still and know God’s loving presence?

This question, like all good questions, isn’t one we answer in a day or even a year. It’s one we live with and return to. Our world and ourselves evolve and change, and with them so do our relationships to the good and big questions of our lives. So we can check in again and again and ask:

How are we doing with this now? What has changed, and what needs to change in myself, my practices, my habits, or my way of being?

I invite you to take up this question for yourself and let the silence and stillness lead you into God’s loving presence.

​
-Adam

Quick Notes

Our New Contemplative Circles Groups are forming now! Reading: Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman.

Contemplative Enneagram Summit is happening September 26–27, 2026, live online!

Join us for Daily Centering Prayer Gathering every morning at 7:00am with our friends at Contemplative Interbeing. Learn more and RSVP below.

Next Prairie Church - Saturday, August 29th at 9am.

98% of our budget comes from your generous donations and support. Consider donating or setting up a recurring donation to support our ongoing activities.

Beginning August 17th

Join us daily for Centering Payer at 7:00am - 7:30am

Centering Prayer offers a quiet space to rest in stillness, notice your breath, and gently return to the present moment.

By sharing this simple practice together, we nurture contemplative awareness, compassion, and our sense of interconnectedness.

We hope to see you there!

Tuesday, August 18 at 7:00 AM CDT Daily Centering Prayer Gathering Facilitated by Adam Luedtke (Contemplate Lincoln) Robert Ferrell (Contemplative Interbeing) RSVP

Howard Thurman:
Stillness, Contemplation, and Social Transformation

Join us for our next Contemplative Conversation Circles via Zoom as we explore the writings and meditations of Howard Thurman.

Small Groups Journeying, Learning, and Practicing Together

Reading: Jesus and the Disinherited by Howard Thurman

An 8-week Study: Beginning the week of September 14th. We meet for one hour via Zoom.

In our groups, we create a safe sacred container for conversation and practice as we journey together through books on contemplation, Christianity, and spiritual growth. Through shared ground rules and curiosity, we learn from each other, ourselves, and the text. Many participants stick with their groups for future studies and become ongoing groups.

Howard Thurman nurtured the spiritual imagination that helped sustain Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. through the Civil Rights Movement. Today, a whole new generation of contemplatives is discovering the enduring wisdom of Howard Thurman.

About the Book

Vincent Harding, foreword to 1996 edition of Jesus and the Disinherited

“Jesus and the Disinherited is the centerpiece of the Black prophet-mystic’s lifelong attempt to bring the harrowing beauty of the African-American experience into deep engagement with what he called ‘the religion of Jesus.’ Ultimately his goal was to offer this humanizing combination as the basis for an emancipatory way of being, moving toward a fundamentally unchained life that is available to all the women and men everywhere who hunger and thirst for righteousness, especially those ‘who stand with their backs against the wall.'”

Famously known as the text that Martin Luther King Jr. sought inspiration from in the days leading up to the Montgomery bus boycott, Howard Thurman’s Jesus and the Disinherited helped shape the civil rights movement and changed our nation’s history forever.

In this classic theological treatise, the acclaimed theologian and religious leader Howard Thurman (1900-1981) demonstrates how the gospel may be read as a manual of resistance for the poor and disenfranchised. Jesus is a partner in the pain of the oppressed and the example of His life offers a solution to ending the descent into moral nihilism. Hatred does not empower–it decays. Only through self-love and love of one another can God’s justice prevail.

About the Author

Hailed by Life magazine as one of the great preachers of the twentieth century; a spiritual advisor to Martin Luther King, Jr., Sherwood Eddy, James Farmer, A. J. Musty, and Pauli Murray; the first black dean at a white university; cofounder of the first interracially pastored, intercultural church in the United States; Howard Thurman (1899-1981) was a man of penetrating foresight and astonishing charisma. His vision of the world was one of a democratic camaraderie born of faith, and in light of today’s global community, one of particular importance. He wrote over 20 published books, such as Meditations of the Heart, With Head and Heart: The Autobiography of Howard Thurman, and Disciplines of the Spirit.

What Happens Next

All groups are hosted on The Contemplative Cathedral, an online platform that allows for sharing, discussion, access to Zoom links, and multi-model learning and engagement. You will receive an invitation to join the group in The Cathedral at least a week before we begin.

We are happy to share an exciting upcoming gathering, a 2-day online Contemplative Enneagram Summit happening September 26–27, 2026, live online!

The two days bring together 10 gifted Enneagram and contemplative teachers — including Russ Hudson, Nhien Vuong, Suzanne Stabile and more — who will guide us in exploring the Enneagram not just as a personality typing tool but as a living path for spiritual transformation.

This event is live and interactive, with real-time teaching, dialogue, and shared contemplative practice.

The weekend will explore:

• How the Enneagram helps us move beyond personality patterns
• How contemplative practice grounds true transformation
• Practical tools for living with more awareness, freedom, and compassion

Next Meeting: Saturday, August 29th, at 9:00am

Join us for our monthly celebration on the prairie with drumming, short reading reflections, meditation, and a mindfulness walk through the majestic trails of Pioneers Park. Those who don’t wish to walk may sit on the Nature Center deck that faces a beautiful prairie and buffalo. We often close with a drumming circle (no experience required).

We will meet inside the auditorium at the Nature Center. During colder months, we will meet for one hour and have a shorter walking time. In the warmer months, we will meet for 75 minutes and often meet on the back deck, weather permitting.

Bring a chair, a water bottle, and a drum. Some drums will be provided.

Nature Center and Deck are wheelchair accessible.

Location
The Nature Center at Pioneers Park
​3201 S. Coddington Ave
South Coddington- Lincoln, NE 68522

Saturday, August 29 at 9:00 AM CDT Prairie Church Join us for our monthly celebration on the prairie with a short reading reflection, meditation, and a mindfulness walk through the majestic trails of Pioneers Park. Those who don’t wish to walk may sit on the Nature Center deck that faces a beautiful prairie and buffalo. We sometimes close with a drumming circle (no experience required). We will... RSVP

On The Cathedral

RSVP on The Contemplative Cathedral to receive links, reminders, and updates. The Contemplative Cathedral also connects you to the larger community and ongoing conversation.

Monday, August 17 at 7:00 AM CDT Daily Centering Prayer Gathering Facilitated by Adam Luedtke (Contemplate Lincoln) Robert Ferrell (Contemplative Interbeing) RSVP

Sunday, August 23 at 11:00 AM CDT Sunday Gathering Gathering to Grow: A Contemplative Sunday Gathering Simple-Contemplative-Communal Join us online for our Sunday Gathering where we practice, worship, process, and close with Communion. We meet for an hour to 75 minutes via Zoom. RSVP

Sunday, August 23 at 12:15 PM CDT Contemplative Conversations: Films, Videos, and Presentations Join us for a time of contemplation and conversation centered around videos with insights from some of today's most influential theologians and contemplative teachers. Videos from The Work of the People and other sources include Richard Rohr, Nadia Bolz-Weber, Walter Brueggemann, Brene Brown, Barbara Brown Taylor, Barbara Holmes, Ilia Delio, and... RSVP

Monday, August 17 at 9:15 AM CDT Lectio Divina Join us as Pastor John Duling leads us in Lectio Divina often referred to as praying the scriptures. We read a small scripture several times with brief periods of silent reflection closing with a time of sharing. RSVP

The Contemplative Cathedral
A Space to Deepen Your Spiritual Life

Join us online for contemplation and community. So many of us on the contemplative path eventually get to the point where we can go no further alone. The Contemplative Cathedral is a response to the inner yearning of many contemplatives for community. It looks a little like other social media platforms, but it is so much more. It's a space to conspire, connect, and contemplate, and our online home for all of our event info (both online & in-person), links, and groups. It also serves as a way to stay connected in between events.

Meeting Links

Below are the Zoom links to events (Central Time Zone)

Sign up on The Contemplative Cathedral to receive alerts, and reminders, and be part of the ongoing conversation.

Daily Centering Prayer Gathering - Daily at 7:00am: Link​

Lectio Divina - Mondays at 9:15am: Link​

Sunday Gatherings - Sunday’s at 11:00am: Link​

Contemplative Conversations - Sundays at 12:15pm: Link​

Tell Your Story & Support Contemplate Lincoln & The Contemplative Cathedral

Help us tell the story of our community by sharing your experience. We know one of the best ways to invite others into our community is through the stories of those who have benefited from Contemplate Lincoln and The Contemplative Cathedral.

Excerpts from your gifts of sharing will be used in social media posts and newsletters. If you have benefited from our contemplative community consider adding your story through the link below.

Many Thanks,
Adam

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