The Center for Christian Spirituality White Logo
Start Here

Everything Belongs:

A Contemplative Journey through Songs from The Center, Volume 2, with Michael Sciretti

Register TodayCourse Schedule

The Great Room of The Anchor House

Seek wisdom and practical methods for living a whole life in God.

If you are new to contemplative Christianity or to The Center, this will be a great introduction. If you know and love the songs on the album, but want a deeper exploration, this course is also for you.
Register TodayCourse Schedule
Everything Belongs
In this course, we will explore the contemplative teachings behind each song on our upcoming album, Everything Belongs, and the related contemplative practices for each song. This course is for anyone who seeking wisdom and practical methods for living a whole life in “God who is in all things” and who “enfolds all we are.” This will be a great introduction if you are new to contemplative Christianity or The Center. If you know and love the songs on the album but want a deeper exploration, this course is also for you. In addition, your participation will help us create the printed and digital resources that will accompany the new album.
Register TodayCourse Schedule

What to Expect:

Prior to each session, participants will be given texts for reflection (lectio divina) related to the upcoming song(s) for discussion, lyrics to the song, a meditation on the primary wisdom teachings in the song, questions for reflection, a contemplative practice, and Peter’s notes on the writing of the song. No additional reading is required, and there is no cost for this course. However, participants will be asked to write a 1-2 page reflection paper on their experience of the song(s) for that session to hand in on the day of class, as a way to help integrate the teachings and practices. Each paper will be read only by the spiritual director for our course, who will respond with written words of encouragement and affirmation. This is a new method we are exploring as we move towards offering a “School for Contemplative Living.”

You might be interested in this course if you are interested in learning more about the main contemplative wisdom and teachings behind The Songs from The Center, Volume 2. In each session, we will experience a song, discuss the main contemplative wisdom teachings, and explore how we have sought to implement the wisdom and practices of the song during the previous week.

Register TodayCourse Schedule

Everything Belongs Course Schedule

Current Month

November

24nov6:00 pm7:30 pmEverything Belongs: A Contemplative Journey through Songs from The Center, Volume 2

Register Today
Michael Sciretti

Meet Michael Sciretti

Michael is pastor of The Center for Christian Spirituality in Houston, Texas, a ministry of Chapelwood United Methodist Church, where he has served since 2018. He is married to Rachel, who is Associate Pastor at The Center and Chapelwood. They have two daughters, Anastasia and Zoe, and one son, Nathanael. Michael grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana and was nurtured in two Southern Baptist churches during his childhood and adolescence. He felt a call to ministry at the age of 17 and attended East Texas Baptist University to pursue Christian Ministry (’98). After growing disillusioned with Christianity as he knew it at that time, he felt drawn to the contemplative dimension of Christianity and chose to attend George W. Truett Theological Seminary at Baylor University. After graduating from Truett in 2002, Michael attended the Epiphany Academy of Formative Spirituality in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where he received his certification in spiritual formation and spiritual direction. In December 2009 he received a doctorate in historical studies through Baylor University’s Religion Department, with an emphasis in the history of Christian spirituality. It was during his work on his doctorate that he came to know Cynthia Bourgeault and Lynn Bauman, and through them the work of the Oriental Orthodox Order in the West. He became a monk in this ancient-new monastic order in the early 2000s and was recognized as a priest in the Order in 2004. In 2022 he was consecrated as an Abbot.