The Wisdom Way of Knowing:

Living These Days with Presence & Purpose

with Rev. Michael Sciretti, Jr., Ph.D.

Wednesday Evenings at The Anchor House | No Cost, Registration Required

An introduction to an ancient tradition that taught how to live wakefully and wisely in one’s world.

“Wisdom is not knowing more, but knowing with more of you,
knowing deeper—carving and digging your Being deeper and deeper so that it can receive more knowing.”
~ Cynthia Bourgeault
Everything Belongs

The wisdom way of knowing (with mind, heart, and body together) that is deeply needed today in order to navigate through these times in which we are living. In this course, we will go on a deep-dive into the teaching of Cynthia Bourgeault, one of Michael’s teachers in Contemplative Wisdom and Practice. You will need to have your own copy of Bourgeault’s book The Wisdom Way of Knowing since this is partly a book study as well.

This 7-session class is for you if you have every wondered what we mean by – and wish to experience – any of the following: contemplative, wisdom, presence or transformation.

What to Expect:

Classes will take place on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 8:00 pm, September 24 – November 5, 2025.

  • We will begin in The Anchor House promptly at 6:30 pm with a time of contemplative meditation followed by teaching and discussion.
  • There will be “homework” for each class where we will test and experiment with the principles and practices Bourgeault teaches in her book and in other places. Michael will give some journaling prompts and reflection questions to you to help you reflect on the principles we’re learning. But the class will mostly emphasize practice, so it will be expected that you will come to each class having worked with the practices for that week. This will be more “inner work,” and in our classes together we will have time to share how the “inner exercises” and practices are going for us and what we are learning about ourselves so we can support one another.
  • Participants need to have their own copy of Bourgeault’s book The Wisdom Way of Knowing since this class is partly a book study.

The Wisdom Way of Knowing Course Schedule

Current Month

September

24sep6:30 pm8:00 pmThe Wisdom Way of Knowing CourseLiving These Days with Presence & Purpose

October

01oct6:30 pm8:00 pmThe Wisdom Way of Knowing CourseLiving These Days with Presence & Purpose

08oct6:30 pm8:00 pmThe Wisdom Way of Knowing CourseLiving These Days with Presence & Purpose

15oct6:30 pm8:00 pmThe Wisdom Way of Knowing CourseLiving These Days with Presence & Purpose

22oct6:30 pm8:00 pmThe Wisdom Way of Knowing CourseLiving These Days with Presence & Purpose

29oct6:30 pm8:00 pmThe Wisdom Way of Knowing CourseLiving These Days with Presence & Purpose

November

05nov6:30 pm8:00 pmThe Wisdom Way of Knowing CourseLiving These Days with Presence & Purpose

Michael Sciretti

Meet Michael Sciretti, Jr.

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.