~Who We Are~
The Guiding Principles of
Contemplative Outreach
1. Contemplative Outreach is a spiritual network
of individuals and small faith communities committed to living the contemplative
dimension of the Gospel in every-day life through the practice of Centering
Prayer.
 2.
The contemplative dimension of the Gospel manifests itself in an
ever-deepening union with the living Christ and the practical caring for others
that flows from that relationship.
3. Centering Prayer consists of responding to
the call of the Holy Spirit to consent to God's presence and action within. It
furthers the development of Contemplative Prayer by preparing our faculties to
cooperate with this gift.
4. The source of Centering Prayer, as in all
methods leading to Christian Contemplative Prayer, is the indwelling Trinity: Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit. Its focus
is the deepening of our relationship with the living Christ. Its fruits are ecclesial: it builds communities of faith and
bonds the members together in charity.
5. A commitment to the regular practice of
Centering Prayer is the primary expression of belonging to the spiritual
network.
6. We encourage the practice of Lectio Divina,
particularly its movement into Contemplative Prayer, which a regular and
established practice of Centering Prayer facilitates.
7. We recognize as mature fruits of Centering
Prayer a deepening commitment to the needs and rights of each member of the
human family and an ever-increasing respect for the integrity and
interdependence of all creation.
8. We identify with the Christian Contemplative
Heritage in which Centering Prayer is rooted and we recognize the lived
experience of that heritage as a common ground for Christian unity.
9. While we are formed by our respective
denominations, we are united in our common search for God and the experience of
the living Christ through Centering Prayer.
10. We affirm our solidarity with the contemplative dimension of
other religious and sacred traditions.
11. Following the teachings of Jesus, we exercise leadership as
service, especially by being alert and responsive to the growth and needs of the
spiritual network of Contemplative Outreach.
12. We cultivate and foster a spirit of unity and the utmost
charity throughout the spiritual network.
13. We acknowledge that any good accomplished by Contemplative
Outreach is the work of the Holy Spirit.
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