Meditation News Newsletter of The World Community for Christian Meditation in the UK WINTER 2017 www.christianmeditation.org.uk facebook.com/wccmuk � [email protected] ☎ 020 8280 2283 The World Community for Christian Meditation in the UK The Horizon of Christ 2 Meditation News - Winter 2017 Community News Listen to the depths within your own heart A day on Thomas Merton with Bridget Hewitt organised by groups in Dorset on 1st October 2016. Meditation is, by its very nature, a uniquely personal and us to a man who came to individual activity. There is however much to be gained live in ‘awareness of the from meditating within a group and more so from cosmic dance’ and to move attending a day such as the one led by Bridget Hewitt (a ‘in time with the Dancer’. By member of the WCCM) on the teaching of Thomas the end of our Meditation Merton. Bridget was an excellent speaker, her Day we had come to enthusiasm for the writings of Merton was infectious and discover someone who the depth of her knowledge was incredible. Information recognised the depths about Merton’s life and works was interspersed within the human heart and throughout the day with contemplative activities and who was able to profess the periods set aside for meditation. belief: “Our real journey in life is interior: it is a matter The activities included a ‘Lectio’ style study of one of of growth, deepening, and Merton’s teachings where, in silence, we became aware of an ever greater surrender of the words which were speaking directly to us. The to the action of love and growth in our hearts” passage Bridget chose for this spoke of a ‘cosmic dance’ wherein by taking God seriously we were somehow freed Lauretta Kerridge from our own ‘self-importance’ and ‘tragic seriousness’ to a life of ‘joy and spontaneity’. There was also the chance Reflections for Lent and Eastertide to share our responses and we began to consider how Fr Laurence writes a daily reflection during Lent which these teachings would relate to present day situations can be used to support your meditation practice or as a such as the war in Syria. Lenten study. Receive these by email by signing up on For me, one of the most enlightening activities of the day the WCCM homepage in the Support for your daily was when Bridget gave us all a photograph of a practice section about halfway down the page: click on countryside path to reflect on as if it were our own life’s Subscribe Here, add your details and select Receive journey. Mine showed a rocky foreground stretching Seasonal Reflections (Lent/Christmas). down towards a dark and foreboding wood – frankly a For Ash Wednesday 2016 Fr Laurence wrote: rather depressing outlook. Thankfully, as the exercise was opened out for discussion a fellow meditator noted Lent is an opportunity whose meaning we have that while our pictures may show where we were going to recognise before it can prove useful to us. they could just as easily be photographing where we had Obviously it doesn’t mean drawing attention to been. It was with some relief that I could then imagine ourselves. It does not mean deliberate self- myself glancing back to where I had already walked induced pain or hardship any more than an before heading onwards and upwards on my way. athlete’s training is done to hurt. Lent is about improving our spiritual fitness and agility which In many ways, we learnt that Merton himself had trod is achieved by measures of chosen moderation, quite a rocky path before turning to the monastic life. self-restraint and, with a little innovation, From someone who had categorically stated in his pushing further into the realm of consciousness. younger years “I believe in nothing” Bridget introduced Meditation News In This Issue Newsletter of The World Community for Christian Meditation in the UK Community News 2 –6 Book Review: The Virgin Eye 9 The Margins of Society 7 Events & Oblates 10 –11 Meditation News is published quarterly by The World Community for Christian Meditation in the UK, A Year with John Main 8 Contacts 12 Lido Centre, 63 Mattock Lane, London, W13 9LA Contributions to the Newsletter are warmly Telephone: 020 8280 2283 welcomed. Please send all items to: Email: [email protected] [email protected] www.christianmeditation.org.uk Editor: Margaret Comerford The community is registered in the UK as ‘The Christian Meditation Trust (UK)’, registered charity no. 1101900. Events: Pia Huber The Publisher’s written consent must be obtained before any part of this publication may be Production: Andy Goddard reproduced . All reasonable care is taken in the preparation of the newsletter but the Publisher cannot be held legally responsible for errors in the content of the newsletter or for any consequential loss. Deadline for the Spring 2017 issue © The Christian Meditation Trust (UK) 2017 All rights reserved. (events from 1 May): 1 March 2017 Meditation News - Winter 2017 3 UK National Council Meeting Our annual UK Council meeting where Regional and spiritual community. She stressed the mutuality, that in Special Interest Coordinators and Action Group members our community as well as looking to a teacher such as gather to reflect on the developments of the past year, John Main and Laurence Freeman, we can all be teachers spend time together as a community and look to the to each other. She quoted from John Main’s Community future took place at The Hayes Conference Centre at of Love and introduced us (well to me, anyway) to a Swanwick from 18-20 November. wonderful concept by a teacher of the 6th century Dorotheos of Gaza which spoke of people travelling in For the past year the UK meditation community has isolation towards a central point and as they approached functioned without someone occupying the National nearer they also got closer to others on a similar journey Coordinator role and this has worked by delegating or path. some aspects of the role to Action Group members, most of whom have taken on responsibility for a specific area ‘Imagine that the world such as Outreach, Events, Communications, Liason with is a circle, that God is at Further from your neighbour Regional Coordinators and Special Interest Coordinators, the centre and that the Further from God and Meditation with Children. radii are the different ways human beings live. As someone who has attended the Council for a few God When those who wish to years now, it does seem to be a gathering that affects Nearer God come closer to God walk Nearer your neighbour and energises those that come. This year there were towards the centre of the some new attendees and one of them shared the circle, they come closer following on how she felt: ‘After 17 years of meditation, to one another at the (coming to) numerous conferences and retreats, this same time as to God.’ (Instructions VI.) weekend I felt I belong to this wonderful family. This family full of love, happiness and caring. This was my During the weekend we shared in Morning and Evening first meeting as a regional coordinator and I look forward Prayer, in meditation and culminating in a Eucharist led to the next.’ by Graeme Watson on the Feast of Christ of King. There is something mysterious about what draws one to Margaret Comerford want to deepen ones involvement with the community, moving from what for many starts as a private, individual practice to a desire to connect with others by meditating The World Community for Christian Meditation together in a group and then moving outward to share in the UK the gift with others and wanting to participate and serve Essential Teaching Weekend the community in some way. There was talk over the With Eileen McDade, Geoff Waterhouse weekend on the new WCCM venture, Bonnevaux, near & Graeme Watson Poitiers in France which will provide an international The Emmaus Centre home and retreat centre for our community. We were fortunate to hear more about it from Andrew Cresswell Friday 21 - Sunday 23 April 2017 (currently the Chair of the CMT UK trustees) as he, Have you been meditating for more than a year? Do you feel assisted by his wife Delyth is to become the first manager you would like to grow in your understanding of your of the centre. The project has arisen out of considerable meditation practice? reflection about succession planning for the WCCM and Essential Teaching Weekends explore the history of meditation and help you arrive at a deeper insight into what how to support the community globally. It will develop the experience of the practice means to you personally and into a centre that will facilitate teaching and nurturing of to see ways in which this experience can be shared with leadership skills in the next generation. It will also others. Presentations by teachers in the community illustrate provide a home for the Oblate community. the place of meditation in the contemplative tradition, the essential aspects of our practice and the psychological Along with the business items on the agenda this aspects of the journey. weekend, provision was made for a more contemplative The style of the weekend is relaxed and informative and takes session led by Liz Watson on The Nature of Spiritual place at The Emmaus Centre in West Wickham, Kent. The Community where she teased out what were the features accommodation is in single rooms with shared bathroom facilities. Situated in lovely Kent countryside close to Bromley. of such a community in contrast to other groupings we Cost: £175.00 may choose to be involved with.