Our community is grounded in five core spiritual practices. These are not rigid rules, but gentle invitations to open our hearts, quiet our minds, and connect more deeply with the Divine. Each practice offers a unique path to inner transformation and a richer relationship with God, ourselves, and one another.
A Deeper Look at Sacred Sharing
In our contemplative chapels, Sacred Sharing is an essential element of how we pray together with the daily reading. It differs in spirit and form from typical small group sharing. Rooted in deep trust and mutual respect, it invites us to speak from our personal experience of prayer and life with reverence and sincerity.
Over the years, this practice has shaped our collective sharing into something humble, vulnerable and deeply authentic—qualities essential to spiritual transformation. While Sacred Sharing is not conversational, it is deeply communal. From time to time, it’s helpful to revisit the simple guidelines that support this sacred practice.
At its core, our community is a laboratory of love, and we’re all learning how to do this together.
Simple Guidelines for Sacred Sharing:
- Speak from the Heart
Share your personal experience, not abstract teachings. You are invited to name how the reading, silence, or someone else’s sharing touched your heart today. Use “I” statements to keep your sharing rooted in your own journey. - Be Brief and Prayerful
A few heartfelt sentences are often enough. This allows time for others and helps preserve the contemplative rhythm of the chapel. In smaller chapels, more space may be available for sharing longer or multiple times—but we always seek to make room for all voices. - Listen with Reverence
Practice contemplative listening—receive what others share without fixing, analyzing, or responding. A brief silence after someone shares is part of the practice and honors what has been said. - Silence is Golden
You are never required to speak. Your silent presence is part of the prayer – and always enough. - Conversation After Chapel
Many hosts stay after chapel closes to allow time for informal conversation. This is an opportunity for a little socializing or to speak about something that might not fit within the bounds of Sacred Sharing.
By embracing this simple yet profound way of being together, we nurture a community grounded not in judgment or debate, but in presence, openness, and love. Sacred Sharing is more than a format; it is a spiritual practice. And over time, it forms the soil in which transformation quietly takes root within each of us.