How we came to be
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Around 2009, co-founders Brooke Wang and Rev. Portia Mather-Hempler were captured by a frequent phrase Rev. Erik Swanson would use. It was about his desire for Westhope Presbyterian Church to be "a contemplative center for Silicon Valley." Deeply curious about what he meant by this, the three began praying together to listen to what the Holy Spirit was stirring in the midst of Westhope Presbyterian Church. Soon, they expanded the praying circle to others also intrigued by this call. Out of this listening came a vision of a center that would offer spiritual direction and retreats to those who longed for spiritual depth in Silicon Valley. After about a year of praying together and with the blessing of Westhope, the Center was officially birthed. This praying group became the Discernment Board. Over the years the Center has continued to grow and establish itself not only for retreats and spiritual direction, but also as a community for spiritual directors to connect and deepen their practice. We remain deeply grateful to Westhope Presbyterian Church whose contemplative life naturally supports and celebrates this ministry.
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Our Contemplative Response to Race Privilege
A holistic understanding of the Contemplative life necessitates both introspection and work for justice to make God known in this world. The CCSV stands firmly with our brothers and sisters of color to speak to the deeply ingrained racism in this country. In humility, we ask forgiveness for our complicity through our participation in the systems and structures from which many of us have benefited while others suffer. This is not the way of the Christ. We join with persons of color in working for equality and fullness of their humanity by making an ongoing commitment to examine our organizational beliefs, policies, and practices to uncover traits of race based privilege, and correct them. We strive to continue to learn how to embody Jesus’ prayer, “That humanity may be one, just as You are in me, and I in you, that they may also be in us (John 17)." |
