Center for Prayer & Spirituality

Bishop’s Garden

God calls us to “come apart for a time” into His silence and to take that silence back into our noisy world.  The Center for Prayer & Spirituality offers those “times apart” that create the conditions for listening to the “still, small voice” found in God’s silence.

The Mission of the Center for Prayer & Spirituality is to reawaken interest in and offer experiences of Christian contemplative practices. Opportunities include:

Quiet Garden Days are dedicated to quiet prayer through silence and meditations on various themes such as contemplative prayer, reconciliation, discernment and music.  In Ingram Lounge and the gardens of St. John’s Cathedral several times a year.

Advent and Lenten Healing Services, simple services offered in a spirit of healing and hope for those whose hearts are troubled.

Advent Healing Service: When Christmas Hurts
2013 date to be announced.

Lenten Healing Service: He Bears our Sorrows
2014 date to be announced.

Quiet Days, offered in partnership with the Institute for Prayer & Spirituality*, are opportunities to pause on the sacred thresholds of Advent and Lent in preparation for the Holy.  Held at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church at Green Cove Springs from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  Dates are:

Advent Quiet Day    

Lenten Quiet Day    

Centering Prayer and Reflection is offered on Sunday mornings from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Chapel of the Transfiguration, Room 301.  This is a time in community to nourish the contemplative dimension.  All are invited to come and experience this timeless way of praying.

11th Step Meditation: A Way of Recovery is a means to self-transformation through contemplative prayer and meditation. Led by Dianne Larson and Tim Lynch every second Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in Room 301 of Cathedral House.

Contemplative Holy Eucharist, a simple Eucharist and prayers offered in contemplative silence. Open to all. Held at 12:10 p.m. every Friday in Ascension Chapel (south transept).

Our Wednesday Night Program beginning in the fall will be a two-year curriculum on the Psalms led by distinguished scholar Jay Wright.  Drawing from national models, it includes speakers from the Jewish tradition along with a broad-based panel of participants and representatives from the community.  Dinner begins at 5:15 p.m. Program begins at 6:30 p.m.

Yoga is offered as a free class and is open to participants at all levels of experience.  Held every Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in Cummings Chapel.

Spiritual Companioning is a course on group spiritual companioning beginning on Sundays during the fall of 2012, facilitated by Joe O’Shields.  Please contact the Rev. Louise Hardman for additional information on spiritual companioning including how you may participate.

Advisory Board

John Knechtle, Chair
The Rev. Louise Hardman, Spiritual Direction
Tom Holcomb, Almost Weekly eWord and Yoga
Dianne Larson, 11th Step Meditation
Tim Lynch, 11th Step Meditation
Mary Malone, Special Services
Joe O’Shields, Spiritual Direction
Jay Wright, Wednesday Night Program
Betty Williamson, Healing Services

Director

The Rev. Louise Hardman

Deacon, St. John’s Cathedral
904-356-5507/904-699-2552 mobile

Read an essay by Deacon Hardman

The Chapel of the Transfiguration on the 3rd floor of the Cathedral House is open for self-directed prayer and meditation. Please check with the church receptionist for access.

Our Almost Weekly eWord is a brief quote on prayer and contemplative spirituality sent by e-mail.