We are delighted to announce that we will be co-hosting a Christian Meditation day retreat with the School of Contemplative Life in London next spring. Entitled, ‘Becoming Places of Peace’, the event will explore the ancient Christian tradition of meditation and its power to transform our lives and relationships. Led by APR President, Bishop Guli Francis-Dehqani, and Chris Whittington, the day will involve a flow of short talks, silent meditation, and opportunities for conversation and personal reflection. The event will be held at St Columba’s Church, in Knightsbridge, London, from 10.30am till 4pm on Saturday 22nd May 2027; it will also be live-streamed. Tickets are now available to order online for just £30 each. Find out more, or book your ticket now, here.
Chris writes, ‘We live in a time when peace can feel almost impossible to imagine. Across the world, we see deepening division, inequality, injustice and conflict. Many people look towards the future with a growing sense of uncertainty. Yet peace is not only something we can only hope for in the world. It is also something we can cultivate within ourselves. Interior peace gives birth to exterior peace. If we are peaceful, we radiate peace. Even if we can’t see it, we create small ripples of peace around us. But how do we do this?’
The morning will feature Bishop Guli and Chris in conversation, exploring what it means to become a place of peace in a divided world. Drawing on their different experiences of Christian faith, contemplative practice and life in the world, they will reflect on the relationship between inner peace and the ways we respond to the needs of others. The afternoon, led by Chris, will look in more detail at the practice of meditation. With help from saints and sages from across the Christian centuries, we will explore how meditation can help us to meet all that life offers us and throws at us with less struggle and resistance, to cultivate a new relationship with life characterised by greater awareness and freedom, compassion and peace.
