Pause, Release, Return… Repeat as Needed
“Are we really as awake as we think we are?” The question jumped off the page and stopped me in my tracks. My immediate response was, “Well, sure I am…maybe…I don’t know…maybe not.”
This question is posed by Caroline Oakes in the introduction of her book, Practice the Pause – Jesus’ Contemplative Practice, New Brain Science, and What It Means to Be Fully Human. I was introduced to this book last summer and have not put it down since! Oakes does a beautiful job weaving together the contemplative practices of Jesus that are hidden in plain sight throughout the gospels, contemporary studies of neuroscience and the miraculous impact on our brains of contemplative practice, and the Wisdom Teachings of Jesus and other ancient and modern contemplative mystics. It is an accessible, rich, and compelling book.
In one description of Jesus’ contemplative spiritual practice, Oakes states,
“In today’s vernacular, Jesus again and again takes time to unplug from the emotional day-to-day surface turmoil of ordinary awareness… And of course, in a circular kind of logic, here we know that when Jesus unplugs, he is actually plugging into full awareness of the presence of God and showing us how we, too, can work the dial and tune in to the frequency of the love of God.” p. 116
It is in the intentional unplugging from the surface turmoil – whether for a momentary sacred pause, a few deep breaths, a 20-minute centering prayer, a walk with Creation, or perhaps on the privilege of retreat – that we open our awareness and receptivity to Divine Presence always with us, waiting for us to tune in. We pause, release, and return to that which is below the turmoil.
Shalem’s Transforming Community: Leading Contemplative Spiritual Groups & Retreats program (or TCP for short!), is for those who sense a call to create and facilitate these types of spiritual unplugging experiences that help people and communities to pause, release, and return to their God – however imaged or named. The very heart of this program is about nurturing our contemplative stance in the world and sharing with others how they can do the same in their communities.
As I began reading Practice the Pause, the language and spirit of the book felt familiar. I sensed a connection to TCP and turned to the back cover to read about the author. Imagine my delight when I realized that Caroline was a graduate of this very program at Shalem! The book was quickly added to the bibliography as a required foundational reading for the next class. I encourage you to read it or, better yet, read it with us in the next TCP class
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For those of you who have been following TCP for a while, you know that we have been on our own journey of transformation to update the program to be more accessible and welcoming to all who sense a call to lead contemplative spiritual groups and retreats – younger people challenged by the reality of time, busy families, and finances; people of color looking for more of their cultures and traditions to be represented in the program’s practices, resources, and seminars; mid-life and senior folks who are pondering how to respond more fully to the nagging voices inviting them to ask, “What is mine to do now?” We introduced a new format with the Class of 2025 that included one in-person residency teamed with class and peer group online sessions to help foster this intention.
I am happy to say that this beautiful class is comprised of individuals in all of these walks of life. Together we formed a deeply profound, sacred, inclusive, and transformative community where contemplative paths within and outside the Christ tradition are welcome and explored, where tough and important questions are met with curiosity and grace, where all are learners and teachers, and where all belong. This is not always easy work, and it isn’t always perfect, but it is what authentic spiritual community and transformation requires of us. I am sincerely grateful to each and every associate and staff member in this class who has embraced the call to Transforming Community with openness, curiosity, and grace. Your presence and work in the world are clearly more important than ever in our unique time in history.
“Am I as awake as I think I am?” Not always. But each time I pause, release, and return, I am welcomed home with open arms.
*Transforming Community: Leading Contemplative Spiritual Groups & Retreats is now accepting applications. Click HERE for more information on the program and upcoming information sessions.*