Washington, DC—The Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation will welcome Dr. James Finley, author of Merton’s Palace of Nowhere, as guest speaker at Shalem’s Tenth Gerald G. May Seminar, April 24-25, 2015.
Dr. Finley, a clinical psychologist in private practice, is known for his skilled leadership of retreats and workshops throughout the United States and Canada. His gifted focus on living a contemplative life in the midst of today’s busy world attracts men and women from all religious traditions.
“The task of the contemplative today,” Finley says, “is to be a prophetic witness—a nonviolent witness to the preciousness of all life, at a level that precedes and transcends all ideological positions.”
Finley, who spent six years at the Abbey of Gethsemani in Trappist, Kentucky, where Thomas Merton was his spiritual guide, will be offering a Friday evening talk, “Turning to Thomas Merton as Our Spiritual Guide in Contemplative Living” and a Saturday workshop/retreat, “The Spirituality of Healing.”
Friday evening will provide a special opportunity to explore Merton’s spiritual teachings by drawing on Finley’s own experiences of Merton as his spiritual director. Finley will look at Merton’s insights into living God’s oneness in each breath and heartbeat, in each passing moment of our lives. The evening will include a brief period of shared silent prayer and discussion of the themes presented.
On Saturday, Dr. Finley will look at how our grounding in God’s presence can help us become more tender-hearted and insightful as we experience the suffering in our world today and seek healing for ourselves and others. In this retreat-like day, Finley will offer practical guidelines for prayer, meditation and daily living. The day also will include short periods of silent meditation and discussion of the themes presented.
“Particularly in this the 100th anniversary year of Thomas Merton’s birth, we are thrilled to host Jim Finley as this year’s Gerald May Seminar presenter,” says Leah Rampy, Shalem’s executive director. “Along with the wisdom of Merton, Jim brings his own experience and understanding of what it means to live a contemplative life in today’s challenging world.”
Both the lecture (7-9 PM Friday) and workshop (10 AM-4 PM Saturday) will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Rockville in Rockville, MD. Advance registration is requested as space is limited.
+++++
James Finley, Ph.D., lived as a monk at the Trappist monastery of the Abbey of Gethsemani, where Thomas Merton was his spiritual director. He leads retreats and workshops throughout the United States and Canada, attracting men and women from all religious traditions who seek to live a contemplative way of life in the midst of today’s busy world. He is the author of Merton’s Palace of Nowhere; The Contemplative Heart; and Christian Meditation: Experiencing the Presence of God.
The Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation has provided in-depth support for contemplative living and leadership for over 40 years, offering a wide variety of programs and resources for spiritual directors, clergy, lay leaders and individuals who want to open themselves more fully to God in their daily lives and work. This Seminar is offered in memory of the life and legacy of Gerald (Jerry) May, Shalem’s Senior Fellow for Contemplative Theology and Psychology. More information about the event, costs and registration are at: http://www.shalem.org
