Have you been looking for a space to slow down and be still in the presence of God? Please join us for an opportunity to engage with the Christian contemplative practice of Centering Prayer. This method, developed by Fr. Thomas Keating, is “a receptive method of Christian silent prayer which deepens our relationship with God, the Indwelling Presence …  a prayer in which we can experience God’s presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself.” We will begin with an introduction and orientation to the practice; if you are new to this practice you are very welcome to join.

We will meet at Pastor Ben Conachan’s home in SE Portland; space is limited to 8 attendees, please RSVP ahead of time for the address.

Have you been looking for a space to slow down and be still in the presence of God? Please join us for an opportunity to engage with the Christian contemplative practice of Centering Prayer. This method, developed by Fr. Thomas Keating, is “a receptive method of Christian silent prayer which deepens our relationship with God, the Indwelling Presence …  a prayer in which we can experience God’s presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself.” We will begin with an introduction and orientation to the practice; if you are new to this practice you are very welcome to join.

We will meet at Pastor Ben Conachan’s home in SE Portland; space is limited to 8 attendees, please RSVP ahead of time for the address.

Wednesdays throughout Lent, 7-8:30pm

Catechesis is an old word that refers to an ancient idea: being shaped by religious instruction. Our hope for this class is to provide non-violent and non-dominion Christian instruction that’s accessible for both teenagers and adults. Furthermore, our hope for this class is to encourage a Christianity that’s capable of grounding us, inspiring us, and leading us more deeply into lives that flourish. Each class will cover relevant content and engaging practices that help to give Christian shape to our lives:

• 2/21, Living the Bible, Inspiration 

• 2/28, Living Incarnation, Union

• 3/6, Living Atonement, Repair

• 3/13, Living Resurrection, Wholeness

• 3/20, Living Trinity, Community

• 3/27, Living the Way, Practices

Lent is a church season during which we’re invited to slow, to simplify, and to deepen. You’re warmly invited to join us for Catechesis During Lent. Interested, have questions, or want to RSVP? Please contact Pastor Ben.

Have you been looking for a space to slow down and be still in the presence of God? Please join us for an opportunity to engage with the Christian contemplative practice of Centering Prayer. This method, developed by Fr. Thomas Keating, is “a receptive method of Christian silent prayer which deepens our relationship with God, the Indwelling Presence …  a prayer in which we can experience God’s presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself.” We will begin with an introduction and orientation to the practice; if you are new to this practice you are very welcome to join.

We will meet at Pastor Ben Conachan’s home in SE Portland; space is limited to 8 attendees, please RSVP ahead of time for the address.

This event has been cancelled—we will postpone till our next date in February.

Have you been looking for a space to slow down and be still in the presence of God? Please join us for an opportunity to engage with the Christian contemplative practice of Centering Prayer. This method, developed by Fr. Thomas Keating, is “a receptive method of Christian silent prayer which deepens our relationship with God, the Indwelling Presence …  a prayer in which we can experience God’s presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself.” We will begin with an introduction and orientation to the practice; if you are new to this practice you are very welcome to join.

We will meet at Pastor Ben Conachan’s home in SE Portland; space is limited to 8 attendees, please RSVP ahead of time for the address.

This hybrid event will be offered both in-person and as a livestream.

Have you been looking for a space to slow down and be still in the presence of God? Please join us for an opportunity to engage with the Christian contemplative practice of Centering Prayer. This method, developed by Fr. Thomas Keating, is “a receptive method of Christian silent prayer which deepens our relationship with God, the Indwelling Presence …  a prayer in which we can experience God’s presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself.” We will begin with an introduction and orientation to the practice; if you are new to this practice you are very welcome to join.

Those joining in person will meet at Pastor Ben Conachan’s home in SE Portland; space is limited to 8 attendees, please RSVP ahead of time for the address. If you would like to join us online, the event will be on our YouTube channel.

The season leading up to Christmas can be so full of events, shopping, family and expectations—we can get in such a hurry! This mini-retreat aims to provide you with a quiet, spacious time to center yourself in Divine Love this Advent. Facilitated by Pastors Mike and Ben, we’ll engage in a meditative contemplation of the five Joyful Mysteries drawn from the Catholic rosary. This set of stories from the life of Mary—the annunciation, the visitation to Elizabeth, the nativity, the presentation of Jesus in the temple, and finding Jesus in the temple—will provide a backdrop for our contemplation of what God is inviting us to birth into the world, in this season of our lives.

The retreat will run from 9am to about 12pm, in the Trillium Room on the second floor of the Ecotrust building (just down the hall from where we meet on Sundays). Coffee, tea, and refreshments will be served.

If you plan to join us, please RSVP with Pastor Ben by December 7, as spaces are limited.

This hybrid event will be offered both in-person and as a livestream.

Have you been looking for a space to slow down and be still in the presence of God? Please join us for an opportunity to engage with the Christian contemplative practice of Centering Prayer. This method, developed by Fr. Thomas Keating, is “a receptive method of Christian silent prayer which deepens our relationship with God, the Indwelling Presence …  a prayer in which we can experience God’s presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself.” We will begin with an introduction and orientation to the practice; if you are new to this practice you are very welcome to join.

Those joining in person will meet at Pastor Ben Conachan’s home in SE Portland; space is limited to 8 attendees, please RSVP ahead of time for the address. If you would like to join us online, the event will be on our YouTube channel.

What do you get when you mix a fidget, precious beads or stones, and mindfulness practice? The Rosary! The Rosary is an ancient religious exercise that invites us into the story of Jesus. On Maundy Thursday—when Jesus celebrated his final Passover with friends—we’ll take time to learn about the Rosary. We’ll then work our way through the Sorrowful Mysteries, taking time to pause and to thoughtfully reflect on Jesus’ passion—the agony in the garden, the scourging at the pillar, the crowning with thorns, the carrying of the cross, and the crucifixion. Bring along your own Rosary or use and take home a simple Rosary that we’ll provide. Questions? Contact Pastor Mike.

For many of us, prayer is a question mark. But we’re in good company—Jesus’ first disciples, seeing the vibrance of his trust in the Divine, asked him, “Teach us to pray.” This Lent, set aside a morning for contemplative space with others in our community, as we create space through art, conversation and quiet to consider the role of prayer in our lives. The artwork of local artist and writer Scott Erickson will springboard our contemplations and conversations.

Coffee and snacks will be provided. Space is limited to 15 people. Please RSVP with Pastor Ben.

Meeting at McMenamin’s Kennedy School in NE Portland. Facilitated by Pastor Ben Conachan.

Throughout this season of Advent, in our Sunday sermon series we are exploring ways to make room for Christ through ancient practices: rest, prayer, fasting and forgiveness. In this half-day retreat, we will take time for you to explore in your own heart: where do I most desire to make space for Christ in this season? What might be preventing me from making this space? By paying attention and listening to our desires, our disappointments and our struggles, we can listen for the personal invitation of Jesus to our hearts.

There will be time for imaginatively engaging with Jesus in scripture, journaling, group discussion and creative reflection using art and photography.

There is a $5 suggested donation for this retreat. Space is limited to 15 people. To RSVP, please contact Ben Conachan.

Details

I am really excited for this time together. As Advent is a season about longing and hope, and our sermons right now are exploring the theme of Making Space for Christ, I thought we’d create some space to consider what we are longing for in this season, and to bring that into conversation with God.

For those of you who thrive on having an idea of what you’re walking into, I’ve included a schedule at the bottom of this page.

There is one activity I would like to invite you to prepare for ahead of time, and bring with you—our first activity with be “Laying the Altar”, where each of us will have the opportunity to bring and share an object/artwork/picture/thing that represents how we are currently experience God, faith, or spirituality. Please see this PDF about this activity, and bring an object with you if you are willing to do so. Let me know if you have any questions!

LOGISTICS:
We will be meeting from 9am-12pm at McMenamin’s Kennedy School in NE Portland:
5736 NE 33rd Ave, Portland, OR 97211

Our group will be in the Community Room; I have attached a map showing the quickest path from the parking lot, but if you get lost and can’t find us, you can go to the Front Dest by the main front doors of the campus on NE 33rd, and ask for the Community Room, they can direct you.

I will have coffee, tea and light snacks for us; if you would enjoy bringing something to share you are welcome, but please don’t feel obligated.

We will be sitting for some of the time, though rarely for more than 20-30 minutes at a time; you may want to bring a seat pad (or even a yoga mat, if you like sitting on the floor!).

Optional additions to our time:
While we are done at 12pm, the Kennedy School is a wonderful space and if you have more time, there are a few things you can do to extend your stay:

• There are several restaurants and bars around the building which will be open by noon, and you could stay for lunch.

• There is a soaking heated pool available, for $8 a person - reservations are required, see this page for details.

• I’ll have a self-guided walking tour map for you if you’d like to explore the building more! It’s a cool spot.

SCHEDULE:
9:00-9:10 - Welcome and Orientation
9:15-9:40 - Opening Meditation, Laying the Altar activity
9:45-10:30 - Creative Art activity and discussion: What are you longing to make space for?
10:30-10:45 - Break
10:45-11:15 - Guided Meditation on Mark 10, Bringing longing into conversation with Jesus
11:15-11:40 - Space for journaling, prayer, walking
11:40-12:00pm - Closing Reflections