In creating the meditative garden ambience, the Altar of Repose provides the opportunity to be still, reflect, and be awake to the meanings of Holy Week in preparation for the Resurrection.

Walking the labyrinth offers a creative space to pray.

Some walk the labyrinth in prayerful silence; others quietly repeat a mantra or meaningful phrase. Some simply reflect on feelings or questions, while others may focus on the music or an image.

Simply enter the labyrinth and put one foot in front of the other and walk this holy path of God. The labyrinth is not a maze. There are no dead ends or roadblocks. Instead, it is a curving path to the center that returns us back to the place we start, renewed by our prayerful walk.

Our labyrinth is often set up for the monthly Recovery (Twelve-step) Eucharist (generally, on the second Saturday, but please check our calendar to confirm the date), and on other dates as announced.

Meditative Yoga uses comfortable, propped poses with limited movement and is suitable for almost everyone. The class, led by St. James parishioner Margaret Culbertson, meets on the second and fourth Mondays from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the CSF Atrium on the third floor of the Ministries Center.

Spiritual Direction has been described as a joining of persons in listening for and discerning the movements of the Spirit. This involves creating a safe place for persons to explore their thoughts, feeling and values in their relationships with humans and the divine. This includes sometimes questioning and challenging; always encouraging. It may involve suggesting scripture texts, prayer methods, journaling techniques, exploration of dreams, spiritual reading material, etc.

Trinity Institute’s 42nd National Theological Conference, Radical Christian Life: Equipping Ourselves for Social Change, will be held November 9-10, 2012 and simultaneously webcast at St. James by the Center for Spiritual Formation. 

Joan Chittister, OSB returns to Trinity Institute for a local and webcast conference that will offer tools for making the vital connection between contemplation and social action. She will be supported by workshop leaders including theologians, spiritual directors, and activists. Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, author, teacher, and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation, will preach at the conference Eucharist.

Read more here.

The initial work of The Center was made possible by a grant from Trinity Church, Wall Street, in 1997. This grant was awarded based on the application developed by the Rev. George D. Kontos, then-Associate Rector at St. James; and, Edward H. Henderson, Ph.D., parishioner, Professor of Philosophy, and then-chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Louisiana State University.

The concept for The Center for Spiritual Formation was unique in that was, to our knowledge, the first such center operating as a program of a parish church.

The Center is now fully funded by St. James Episcopal Church and continues to offer programs of spiritual deepening to enrich the lives of our parishioners and the larger community. Funding from the church allows us to offer programs at little to moderate cost to participants.