Contemplative Living in Today’s World

Third Sundays beginning Sept. 20, 2026 through May 16, 2027

3 – 4:30 pm EST

Cost: Free

Space is limited, registration is requested.

“God comes to us disguised as our life.”

Paula d’Arcy

Are you longing for a contemplative community to renew your spirit, offer companionship and deeply integrate faith and life?

Join us one Sunday each month for Contemplative Living in Today’s World, a welcoming community for those seeking to cultivate a more contemplative spiritual life. Together, we will explore contemplative practices, the wisdom of the Christian mystical tradition, sacred conversation, silence, and reflection to recognize God’s presence within ourselves, within one another, and throughout all creation.

As companions on the journey, we will listen deeply to the wisdom of the mystics and the sacred stories unfolding within our own lives. In a spirit of curiosity and hospitality, we will create space for meaningful conversation and shared discovery, trusting that the Great Love we call God continues to reveal itself in and through our human experience.

Whether you are new to contemplation or have been walking this path for years, come as you are. Come discover how contemplation can transform the way we live, love, work, and serve in today’s world.

Read Patrick’s blog post about the community’s contemplative underpinnings and what to expect.

“Don’t believe me. Try it for yourself. See if it works for you.”

Details

Dates

September 20, 2026
October 18
November 15
December 20
January 17, 2027
February 21
March 21
April 18
May 16

To help with our planning,

we kindly request that you register.

Thank you!

Facilitators

Dr. Patrick Bishop

Dr. Patrick Bishop is an author, speaker, and retired award-winning university professor specializing in integral theory and intercultural contemplative studies. Bishop holds an M.A. in communication, Ph.D. in leadership, and has completed extensive graduate studies in psychology. Patrick is a 2021 graduate of the Center for Action & Contemplation’s Living School and a certified Riso-Hudson Enneagram instructor.

Bishop served as a visiting professor in Seoul, South Korea and twice in Rome, Italy. In 2020, he introduced his first book, Wisdom of the Animals, endorsed by Richard Rohr. In 2021, Bishop released a contemplative poetry book, Whispers of the Ineffable.

Patrick and his wife, Paula, live in Grand Rapids, Michigan where they enjoy golf, pickleball and the walking communities of Eastown with their pupster, Cooper. Patrick and Paula are both founding board members of the nonprofit organization, Grand Rapids Neighbors for Neighbors.

Dr. Mindy Hills

Dr. Mindy Hills is a contemplative companion, spiritual director, Dominican Associate, and Director of Dominican Center Marywood. Her life’s work is rooted in a deep love of creation and a desire to help others awaken to God’s presence in everyday life. Drawing from both science and spirituality, she invites people to discover the sacred woven throughout ordinary experience.

Raised on a dairy farm in rural Michigan, Mindy learned that the natural world is both teacher and sanctuary. She often describes herself as a “farmer of the heart,” cultivating spaces where contemplation can take root, and compassion can flourish. The wisdom of the land continues to shape her prayer, leadership, and ministry.

Mindy began her career in the healing sciences, serving as both a Physical Therapist and Registered Respiratory Therapist. Walking with people through times of vulnerability gradually led her to the ministry of spiritual direction. She completed the Spiritual Direction Formation Program at Dominican Center Marywood and later earned a Doctorate in Theological Ministry with a concentration in Spiritual Direction—a vocation she describes as her calling.

Today, she weaves together contemplative spirituality, Dominican wisdom, and the perspective of science in her work with individuals , communities and her team members. She curates spaces where people can slow down, listen for God’s voice, and discover a deeper way of living. For Mindy, the contemplative life invites us to listen with the ears of the heart, awakening to God’s presence in every moment and throughout all of creation.