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News From New Mexico

A monthly newsletter from the Center for Action and Contemplation

Enroll Now in Mystical Sobriety — a NEW Online Course with James Finley

We’re learning to experience God's presence in our brokenness, carrying us along. We learn to trust in that, to live by that, and share it with others. — James Finley

Mystical Sobriety is a NEW 12-week online course that integrates the spiritual and psychological on a path of healing, growth, and transformation. Learn to recognize attachments of the mind and heart through a deep exploration of past trauma rooted in the 12 steps and experience how God’s healing grace can sustain us even within cycles of grief and suffering.

The suffering associated with any attachment is real. Mystical Sobriety invites us to deepen our sense of oneness and develop the strength to face our hurts with Love. As our inner witness comes to recognize our attachments, however, we begin to learn that vulnerability is the path to love, freedom, and transformation.

Drawing from his years as a spiritual teacher and therapist, James Finley brings new insight to our unhealthy habitual patterns and their impact on our well-being, guiding students into a sense of wholeness that transcends and permeates our feelings of brokenness.

Students will learn the tools to habituate this way of being through teachings, contemplative rhythm, practice, and reflection to learn to experience how God’s healing grace can sustain us even within cycles of grief and suffering.

This course includes four LIVE virtual calls with James and an optional 12 weeks of additional deep work. Space is limited; enrollment ends on October 26 or when the course is full.

Learning Objectives:

Register Today for Mystical Sobriety!
Time commitment: 2–4 hours a week
Registration ends Oct. 26, 2022
Course begins Nov. 2, 2022

Register Now for The Franciscan Way with Fr. Richard Rohr

Creation itself, not spaces constructed by human hands, was St. Francis’ primary cathedral. —Fr. Richard Rohr

Could living simply reveal the richness of each moment? Dive deep into the essential wisdom of Francis of Assisi in The Franciscan Way, a 7-week online course on Franciscan thought and practice with Fr. Richard Rohr. St. Francis of Assisi, an icon of gentleness and compassion, is also a radical prophet who challenges people of many faiths. His path closely adheres to Jesus’ way of simplicity, justice, and inclusivity through a counter-cultural movement — an “alternative orthodoxy” that values vulnerability and union over power and independence.

Students will learn about the history, persons, and themes of the Franciscan Way, including the Alternative Orthodoxy, Univocity of Being, and the Great Chain of Being. Students will also develop contemplative practices to support freedom from the dominant ego self.

Learning Objectives:

Learn more about The Franciscan Way
Time commitment: 4–6 hours a week
Registration ends Oct. 5, 2022
Course runs Oct. 12 - Nov. 29, 2022

CAC is Hiring! Co-Create a Modern Workplace Rooted in Christian Contemplative Traditions

The Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) is an educational nonprofit that introduces seekers to the contemplative Christian path of transformation. Founded in 1987 by Franciscan Richard Rohr, our mission is to introduce Christian contemplative wisdom and practices that support transformation and inspire loving action.

We are looking for mission-aligned staff with the professional skills and experience needed to scale our work and reach a larger audience. Combine your professional expertise and passion for contemplative living in one of our open positions:

Interested in one of these positions or know someone who would be a good fit? Apply today or help us spread the word.

Explore The Luminous Wisdom of Julian of Norwich in the New Season of Turning to the Mystics Podcast

In season 6 of Turning to the Mystics, James Finley dives deep into the poetic wisdom of Julian of Norwich. Drawn to her ascetic lifestyle through terrible grief, Julian’s words offer hope that suffering can be a gateway to the joy of divine connection.

Turning to the Mystics is a podcast for people searching for something more meaningful, intimate, and richly present in the Divine gift of their lives by diving deep into the work of the most beloved Christian mystics.

Subscribe to Turning to the Mystics through Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or listen on our website.

Discover Jesus' Plan for a Free and Full Human Life

The poor are the blessed ones! Empathy for the victim became the most subversive element in Jesus’ teaching. —Fr. Richard Rohr

In the revised and newly titled book, Jesus' Alternative Plan, Fr. Richard Rohr explores the radical nature of Jesus' teachings and what it means for humanity today. In the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes, Jesus laid out an utterly different way of relating to one another—a blueprint for living a free and full human life. Blending contextual and historical analysis, Fr. Richard invites readers to embrace Jesus’ vision of building the true Kingdom of God, a human society grounded in God’s infinite Love.

Order Jesus’ Alternative Plan, now available in our bookstore.

For Men Seeking Healing: Sign up for Illuman’s Soularize Annual Gathering

Founded in 2012 by Fr. Richard Rohr, Illuman exists to help men do their inner, spiritual work to become healthier and more authentic human beings. Like CAC’s mission to support transformation and inspire loving action, Illuman seeks to build a world that celebrates the beauty of all beings.

With that vision for a whole and healthy world, Soularize is Illuman's annual gathering to awaken men to a new way of being in the world. Walk shoulder-to-shoulder with hundreds of fellow men to experience the depth and substance of a new kind of masculinity. Discover deep connections and profound transformation through ritual, story, nature wanderings, contemplative practices, and intensive inner work in groups both large and small.

Learn more about Soularize 2022: Awaken
November 3–6, 2022
Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa
Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico

Encouraging the Evolution of the Living School

CAC Lead Program Designer Paul Swanson reflects on the past, present, and future of the Living School. Here is an excerpt from his article Encouraging the Evolution of the Living School:

I flash back to a moment in the Fall of 2013, when Richard Rohr, Cynthia Bourgeault, and Jim Finley ascend the stairs to take the stage at the first Living School Symposium. It was electric: superstar mystics, who could not care less about their status and could not care more about passing on the lineage that animates them. Students and staff alike were abuzz with the question: What is this Living School we are now a part of?

Nearly a decade later, I am shaving my beard looking for the right wrinkle to tell the story. The needs of the world were apparent, the CAC’s positioning to rise to the occasion was undeniable, and Richard’s casting of a vision was at the ready. In a thousand years (or ten), I never would have guessed we would be at this new chapter of the Living School...

Read the rest of Paul's article on our website.

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