Washington, D.C., June 13, 2013 — The Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation announces the launch of new e-courses to bring Christian contemplative living into the digital age. The Online School of Contemplative Prayer is an interactive, online curriculum offering instruction in contemplative prayer practices in the Christian tradition and is enriched with contemplative content from other sacred traditions.
The Online School of Contemplative Prayer Series offers many ways to nurture an awareness of the sacred in daily life and is designed for those who want to begin or deepen a daily spiritual practice with the support of others. Courses in this series are experiential and offer brief, weekly video lessons by senior Shalem staff, mid-week emails and the support of a virtual prayer group that uses a members-only, secure web page. Participants are encouraged to commit to a daily prayer practice of 20 minutes a day and access the e-course at their convenience, any time of day or night. Registration for the course, Scripture, Movement, Gratitude and Prayer for Others, is open now. Registration deadline is Wednesday, June 19th. Space is limited. www.shalem.org/index.php/shalem-programs/school-of-prayer
“In our 40th anniversary year, we are excited to bring Christian contemplative practices into the digital age and disseminate them to individuals who yearn for spiritual enrichment and support across borders and time zones, anywhere there is an internet connection,” said Leah Rampy, executive director of the Shalem Institute. These programs are part of Shalem’s ongoing initiative to develop courses in the contemplative tradition online. This course as well as another e-course in the series, Presence Through Body, Breath and Mind, will be offered again this fall.
Shalem Institute is the leading center for ecumenical spiritual formation in North America and around the world, with participants in Asia, Africa, Australia and Europe. The Shalem community continues the lineage of the Christian contemplative tradition and is part of what Rampy calls “the Spirit’s unceasing transformation of the world.” Its programs center on contemplative teaching and practices that open the mind and awaken the heart to the living Spirit. Many of the world’s foremost spiritual speakers and writers have been featured in Shalem programs including Cynthia Bourgeault, Thich Nhat Hanh, Richard Rohr, and Eckhart Tolle. www.shalem.org/index.php/shalem-programs
In October, Shalem will hold a global 40-Hour Contemplative Prayer Vigil, both live and online, to celebrate the past 40 years of its ministry, practice gratitude for the present moment and attend to the unfolding future. The vigil will offer people the opportunity to pray together worldwide and feel the collective strength and ripple effects of contemplative prayer for the sake of the world.
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The Online School of Contemplative Prayer Series
Title: Scripture, Movement, Gratitude and Prayer for Others http://store.shalem.org/product_info.php?cPath=43&products_id=187
Dates: 6-week series: June 23 – July 28, 2013
Registration Deadline: Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Time: Flexible; you will receive Sunday and Thursday e-mails, and estimated 20 minutes a day for daily practice.
Leader: Patience Robbins (with offerings by Shalem Staff)
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Title: Presence Through Body, Breath and Mind www.shalem.org/index.php/shalem-programs/school-of-prayer#socp1
Dates: 6-week series: November 2013 (registration opens in October)
Leader: Carole Crumley (with offerings by Shalem Staff)
