Contemplative Outreach of Colorado's 17th Annual conference hosted Abbot Joseph Boyle and Dr. Bob Mischke. Abbot Joseph has resided at St. Benedict's Monastery in Snowmass, CO for 50 years. Dr. Mischke is a retired surgeon who runs a Christian spiritual retreat center with his wife near Idaho Springs, CO, and is a Contemplative Outreach instructor.
Abbot Joseph drew metaphors from evolution and the cosmos in his presentation and related them to our spiritual journey and prayer life. He said the sun is to the Earth, Christ is for us: the radiant source of life, love, and compassion capable of transforming un into a living reflection of the Divine. Abbot Joseph also discussed the concept of "morphogenic fields," an evolutionary process in which humankind as a whole may be capable of achieving more evolved consciousness.
In his presentation, Dr. Mischke gave a tribute to Fr. Thomas Keating, and in addressing "Knowing the Unknowable", brought together the teachings of Jesus, Buddha, Thomas Keating, and Eckhart Tolle to shed light on experientially understanding the "Ultimate Mystery" and the intangible "Divine Within". While centering prayer teaches us to "lay aside thought", many spiritual seekers still try to understand this dimension through the mind. Ways to extend this insight beyond the prayer period throughout the life were presented as well as appreciating our personal participation in the conscious evolution of all humanity.
