Resources
In the coming months this page will hopefully grow to be a resource for our Rhythm of Life. You will find links and articles to deepen your prayer life, to challenge your studies and to reflect our compassionate action. At the very bottom you will find our introductory Reading List.
Contemplative Communities
Contemplative Fire United Kingdom
Here you find more information about our Rhythm of Life. Under "Companions Guide" there is a section that describes it in more detail. Contact us at info@contemplativefire.ca to discuss it or for more information.
The Quiet Garden
Quiet Garden is an international ministry of hospitality and prayer founded by The Revd Philip Roderick. There are currently nearly 300 gardens around the world that are affiliated and working to bring peace and wholeness into the world.
Sisters of St. John the Divine
A religious community within the Anglican Church of Canada
A contemplative community based in British Columbia
Northumbria
A dispersed monastic community with a Canadian presence in Toronto
World Community for Christian Meditation
The source for information and groups following the John Main tradition of Christian Meditation
Contemplative Outreach
The source for information and groups following the Thomas Keating tradition of Centring Prayer
A world-wide fellowship whose members seek to live out Christianity as a complete way of life
Providing in-depth suppport for contemplative living and leadership,
halfspeed is a retreat focussed on spiritual formation that occurs at and through the intersection of liturgy, art, ritual, contemplation, corporate worship and devotional exercises.
King's Fold Retreat and Renewal Centre
King's Fold is a retreat centre dedicated to nurturing the spiritual life of all searching individuals, and to the fostering of spiritual formation among God's people. Our mission is to provide spiritual hospitality, rooted in a Christian Community by offering a safe and inviting place for rest, healing and renewal for all who seek truth and wholeness.
Prayer
Spiritual Directors of Ontario
Contemplative Fire: Body Prayer - The Lord's Prayer
Sacred Postures: To purchase a copy of this and eleven other body prayers contact info@contemplativefire.ca
Sacred Postures - $20.00 plus shipping.
A Help to Find God Each Day
A retreat leader and spiritual director offers you a daily examen
Celtic Daily Prayers
Contemplative Camera
Contemplative Camera holds a number of photographs of Susan Blagden who is a Companion on the Way in the UK. They are helpful for reflective prayer.
Healing Music from Peter Sherarer, a Companion of Contemplative fire in the UK
Toronto Labyrinth Community Network
A Toronto group that oversees a labyrinth at Trinity Square in downtown Toronto. It provides links to many labyrinth resources
Spiritual Orientations
A rich prayer resource developed by Fr. John Veltri
Study
Author and Theologian
Contemplative Fire Retreat Leader April 8-9, 2011
Lectionary Readings can be found online here
Learning Courses
Various distance learning courses on the Christian mystical tradition are available here
A diverse group of writers, scholars, artists and theologians contribute their work to ExploreFfaith. They are dedicated to providing tools for spiritual nourishment and faith fromation and spreading the joyous news of God's love and grace. A very full resource.
Action
Here are a few areas our Companions are engaged in creative and compassionate living:
Young Street Mission
Toronto City Mission
Urban Promise
International Justice Mission
Alcoholics Anonymous
Opportunities International
Imago
Contemplative Fire Reading List
This reading list has been compiled to help our Companions on the Way explore intentionally the contemplative life in action. We have attempted to keep it short, simple and comprised of books that are available and accessible. A deeper and more challenging list will be developed in a second stage.
An Introduction to Contemplative Living
Laird, Martin: Into the Silent Land
- From a scholar an accessible introduction to the broad contemplative tradition
Taylor, Brian: Becoming Christ – Transformation through Contemplation
- Contemplative prayer as a pathway to spiritual healing and transformation. Comprehensive and practical for individuals and groups
Hauser, Richard: Moving in the Spirit – Becoming a Contemplative in Action
- Practical manual for recognizing and responding to the Spirit in daily life.
Benner, David: Surrender to Love
- Captures the heart of contemplative living
Merton, Thomas: New Seeds of Contemplation
- Essays that capture the heart of contemplative life
Still Waters
Aids to our exploration and experience of prayer
Keating, Thomas: Open Mind, Open Heart
- Introduction to Centring Prayer
Main, John: Word into Silence
- Introduction to Christian Meditation
Bourgeault, Cynthia: Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening
- Introduction to Centring prayer, classic tradition of Christian contemplation and the power of transformation.
Silf, Margaret: Inner Compass – An Invitation to Ignatian Spirituality
- Ignatian principles presented with contemporary illustrations and prayer exercise
Gallagher, Timothy: An Ignatian Introduction to Prayer, The Examen Prayer, Meditation and Contemplation, The Discernment of the Spirits.
- Covers the basics of Ignatian prayer
Biehl, Cheryl: Scriptural Meditation
- Introduction to scriptural meditation and journaling
Foster, Richard, Prayer.
- A selection of a variety of ways to pray
Merrill, Nan, Psalms for Praying
- A re-writing of the psalms with contemplative language and theology
The Learning Journey
Aids to our exploration of Patristic, Monastic, Celtic, Orthodox, and Mystic traditions
Clement, Olivier: The Roots of Christian Mysticism
- Texts from the Patristic era with commentary
McColman, Carl: The Big Book of Christian Mysticism
- Historical, practical, inherently mystical – a first rate overview of Christian mysticism
Swan, Laura: The Forgotten Desert Mothers
- Sayings, lives, and stories of early Christian women
Bradley, Ian: The Celtic Way
- Opens up Celtic history, faith and continuous legacy.
Ware, Bishop Kallistos: The Orthodox Way
- A general account of the doctrine, worship and life of Orthodox Christians
Bodo, Murray: Francis – The Journey and the Dream
- Story of St. Francis and Franciscans in short devotional stories
Flinders, Carol Lee: Enduring Grace
- Portraits of seven women mystics
Across the Threshold
Aids to discovering the movement of the Spirit in our calling to compassionate living
McLaren, Brian: Everything Must Change
- What are the main issues in the world? How would Jesus respond to them? A non-traditional look at Jesus and the worldBourgeault, Cynthia: The Wisdom Jesus
- A fresh look at Jesus as a visionary and teacher of transformation
Tutu, Desmond: God has a Dream
- Dear Child of God – God has a dream that includes you
Taylor, Barbara Brown: Leaving Church
- A memoir of her spiritual transition from traditional worship to finding God all over again.
- Also, An Altar in the World – ways of discovering God every day, everywhere
If you know of other good online resources or sites that you feel would be useful to other members of our community, then please send us an email telling us about them.