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The cost of the workshop is $59.00 which includes lunch.  For those attending the weekend seminar led by Jeff Olivet at St Francis Springs Prayer Center (October 19-21,) the cost of the workshop is $29.00.  Reservations may be made on a first-come, first-served basis 1) using the registration form on the right side of this page (a small credit card fee is added to online registrations), or 2) by calling 336-323-8957.
What are the Details of the One-Day Seminar?
Jeff Olivet will lead a one-day workshop on “Silence to Social Justice” on Friday, Oct. 19, 2018 at Christ United Methodist Church in Greensboro, NC. We will meet in the Parlor. The workshop will begin at 10:00 a.m. and end at 3:00 p.m.  Lunch is provided.
What is Silence to Social Justice?
“Through a pattern of abiding in God that we call contemplative prayer, a change of consciousness takes place…challenging [us] to be instruments of God’s love and energy in the world.” (“Binding Head and Heart," a Snowmass conference convened by Fr. Thomas Keating in 2003.)
This Nexus Journey workshop will focus on the proposition that Christian ministry to others, especially the poor and those in need, represents our response to the contemplative challenge of being “God’s love and energy in the world”.  In many respects, this focus on journey inward, journey outward is a reflection of the two great commandments: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.”  Prayer – silent or spoken – can be a deeply personal facet of spiritual practice.  It can also be a powerful force that energizes our work in the world.  As we sit in contemplation, the world around us is in turmoil.  Poverty. Homelessness.  Racism.  Violence, Wars and threats of wars. In the face of these challenges, prayer is not enough.  Action is also required of us. As God’s hands and feet in the world, it is important to prepare ourselves to fight for economic and social justice. Centering Prayer plays a central role in this preparation. This year’s retreat will focus on how we can transform our prayer into action, our silence into a tool for social justice.
Who is Jeff Olivet?
A number of years ago Jeff Olivet led a Nexus Journey Centering Prayer retreat entitled “Pray Without Ceasing”.  Jeff is a national leader on homelessness, poverty, and public health.  He has been a street outreach worker, case manager, housing director, coalition builder, writer, teacher, and activist. In addition to social justice work, Jeff has cultivated a life of prayer and meditation for more than two decades.  He received a B.A. from University of Alabama and a M.A. from Boston College.  Jeff’s journey inward and journey outward uniquely prepare him to lead this retreat.
Jeff Olivet is also an accomplished musician and will collaborate with Alice Kunka, former Associate Pastor for Spiritual Formation at Christ United Methodist Church, who is also musically gifted, to create an uplifting, worshipful environment for the workshop (including Taize and other contemplative music).