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November 2024
Contemplative Connection
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Contemplate Lincoln Updates
Changes have been brewing for us! You may have noticed our House Church has moved to 11:00am CST on Sunday mornings. And as we prepare for Advent, more changes are coming.
House Church will get a name change and transition away from The New Big Book of Christian Mysticism, which has been our companion for the last year. We will pick up Advent in December with Christian contemplative Howard Thurman’s Christmas meditations. We will also plan to meet for an hour to an hour and 15 minutes to create more of a flexible container for discussion.
Prairie Church will now meet monthly, year round, at the Pioneers Park Nature Center. We will stick to a 1 hour meeting for Prairie Church in the winter months before expanding that service to make space for longer walks during the warmer months.
In the coming months, there will be more exciting news to come, including new ways to support our community.
Be sure to check out all the recent changes in this Newsletter.
And Stay Tuned!
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
Quick Notes
Upcoming Closures:
November 28th - 30th for Thanksgiving
December 25th - January 4th for Christmas and New Years
Spirituality and Ecology Circle: Our Next Book Study begins Monday, December 2nd at our new time 1:00PM CDT at 1893 Coffee & Cream. More Information Below.
Advent is Coming: Begins December 1st - Sundays at 11:00AM. Details Below.
98% of our budget comes from your generous donations and support. Consider donating or setting up a recurring donation to support our ongoing activities.
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Gathering to Grow: A Contemplative Sunday Gathering
Featuring Advent Meditations from Howard Thurman
11:00AM CST Via Zoom
We meet for an hour to 75 minutes via Zoom.
During Advent, we will meditate on Christian contemplative Howard Thurman’s Christmas meditations. Our time also includes scripture reflection, silent prayer, and conversation.
All are welcome and no one is called upon to share unless they volunteer. We are an ecumenical Christian contemplative community and everyone is welcome to participate in Communion by simply bringing a food and beverage of your choice.
The Christmas Story: A Liturgy of Scripture and Silence
11:00AM CST on Christmas Eve via Zoom
(Tuesday, December 24th)
Our annual tradition continues; this year online via Zoom.
Join us for an hour of scripture and silence as we mix the Christmas story with periods of reflection and silent prayer. We will begin with a story for children before entering into the full liturgy.
Gather with us for a contemplative Christmas.
There will be opportunities for volunteers to read but no obligation to read.
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Contemplative Prayer Sit: A Space to Practice
Beginning December 2nd with new times, join us in community for a 20-minute contemplative prayer sit. You are welcome to use whatever your silent prayer or meditation practice may be (centering prayer, Jesus prayer, etc.).
Instructions for Centering Prayer will be provided. We often begin with community time which includes a short poem or other invitation into conversation followed by a time of silent prayer. Sharing is welcomed but never forced in our groups.
For Advent, we will read Advent reflections from Christian contemplatives. We will maintain prayer groups based on participation during and after Advent.
We meet for an hour or less.
Meeting Times (CDT)
Mondays at 6:30AM (New Time) start your day in contemplation and community
Wednesdays at 12:15PM
Saturdays at 8:30AM (New Time)
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Spirituality and Ecology Circle
Announcing Our Next Book Study
Beginning: Monday, December 2nd
New Time: 1:00PM
The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer
“From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass, a bold and inspiring vision for how to orient our lives around gratitude, reciprocity, and community, based on the lessons of the natural world.”
Join us at 1893 Coffee & Cream every other Monday at 1:00PM for conversation, contemplation, community, and your favorite beverage as we explore the intersection of creation, ecology, and spirituality.
For our next cycle, we will return to author Robin Wall Kimmerer and her new book, The Service Berry. We read Kimmerer’s best-selling book Braiding Sweetgrass in 2023. You don’t need to be able to join us for every meeting to be part of the group, come as you are able. We will read slowly giving the text time to simmer. We meet for one hour.
Purchase The Book:
Specifics: Bi-Weekly Mondays at 1:00PM at 1893 Coffee & Cream on 6345 Havelock Ave, Lincoln, NE.
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Monday, December 2 at 1:00 PM CST
The Serviceberry Discussion Group
This group meets bi-weekly on Mondays at 1:00PM (Central Time). This is an informal group where you are welcome to come when you can and jump back in after an absence. During our time, we will talk about the book and life, enjoy our favorite treats, and practice. If you are interested in exploring the intersection of spirituality and ecology jo...
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About the Book: As Indigenous scientist and author of Braiding Sweetgrass Robin Wall Kimmerer harvests serviceberries alongside the birds, she considers the ethic of reciprocity that lies at the heart of the gift economy. How, she asks, can we learn from Indigenous wisdom and the plant world to reimagine what we value most? Our economy is rooted in scarcity, competition, and the hoarding of resources, and we have surrendered our values to a system that actively harms what we love. Meanwhile, the serviceberry’s relationship with the natural world is an embodiment of reciprocity, interconnectedness, and gratitude. The tree distributes its wealth—its abundance of sweet, juicy berries—to meet the needs of its natural community. And this distribution insures its own survival. As Kimmerer explains, “Serviceberries show us another model, one based upon reciprocity, where wealth comes from the quality of your relationships, not from the illusion of self-sufficiency.”
About the Author: Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. She is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants as well as Gathering Moss: A Natural and Cultural History of Mosses. Kimmerer is a 2022 MacArthur Fellow. She lives in Syracuse, New York, where she is a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor of Environmental Biology, and the founder of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment.
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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 gather for about 30 minutes for reflections, drumming, and meditation before walking trails and regathering for a brief time of sharing.
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:
Pioneers Park Nature Center Deck
3201 South Coddington- Lincoln, NE 68522
Meeting Times (Central Time)
10:00AM – Saturday, December 7th
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Saturday, December 7 at 10:00 AM CST
Prairie Church
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...
RSVP
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Starting January 2025 to November 2025
10:00AM – Every 2nd Saturday of Each Month
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Saturday, January 11 at 10:00 AM CST
Prairie Church
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...
RSVP
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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.
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Monday, November 18 at 9:15 AM CST
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.
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Wednesday, November 20 at 12:15 PM CST
Contemplative Prayer Sit: A Space to Practice
A 20 minute silent prayer sit. You are welcome to use whatever your silent prayer or meditation practice may be (centering prayer, Jesus prayer, ect). We often begin with a short poem or other invitation into silent practice.
RSVP
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Friday, November 15 at 4:30 PM CST
Contemplative Movement
Contemplative Movement engages our physical selves in spiritual practice to promote wholeness, balancing activity with stillness. The practice is accessible by all body types and experience levels. Chairs, mats, cushions, straps, blocks, eye and bolster pillows may be used. Each practice may contain elements of body awareness, dance, yoga, praye...
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Sunday, November 17 at 11:00 AM CST
House Church
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.
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Sunday, November 17 at 2:30 PM CST
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 spiritual 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 man...
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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.
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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.
Lectio Divina - Mondays at 9:15AM: Link
Contemplative Prayer Lab - Wednesdays at 12:15PM: Link
Contemplative Movement - Fridays at 4:30PM: Link
House Church - Sunday’s at 11:00AM: Link
Contemplative Conversations - Sundays at 2:30PM: Link
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PO BOX 29341, Lincoln, NE 68529
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