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Teach Us to Pray



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  • Precious Blood Renewal Center
    2120 St. Gaspar Way
    Liberty, Missouri 64068
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    Introduction to prayer styles from Christian and other faith traditions

     

    September 2025 – August 2026

    • First Thursday of Each Month
    • 6:30-8 p.m. central time
    • In person and by Zoom

    We all want to learn how to pray more sincerely, more intentionally. Each month for a year, practitioners of a variety of prayer styles, mostly from the Catholic tradition but also from other traditions, will demonstrate prayers in their particular style.

    What to Expect

    Each evening on the first Thursday of the month, a presenter will give a short introduction to their prayer practice (15-20 minutes) and then lead participants through a prayer experience in that practice (25-30 minutes). The session ends with questions from participants (15 minutes).

    What Will I Learn?

    Each evening is meant to be an introduction and an experience of various prayer styles. If participants want to learn more about a particular practice or style, Renewal Center staff can work on developing more advanced workshops and session. Come with an open mind.

    Details about Indvidual Programs

    Teach Us to Pray: Yoga and Meditation in Sikh Dharma
    April 9 | 6:30-8 p.m. central time
    In person and by Zoom
    Presented by KartaPurkh Khalsa
    Meditation is prayer and prayer is meditation. Every breath is an opportunity to look in the mirror and witness our infinity. We may pray or meditate upon many things but it actually is our search for the truth. We pray for something/anything and we obtain our reality.

    Karta Purkh has labored within the confines of 3HO (Kundalini Yoga and Meditation) and the spiritual path of Sikh Dharma) for almost 50 years. He says, “Sometimes I succeed and sometimes not so much! I cannot say I have failed but neither can I say I know it all just random and interesting happy pieces of a puzzle I have yet to solve. I have faith that I will.”

    Teach Us to Pray: Christian Meditation and the Rosary

    May 7 | 6:30-8 p.m. central time
    In person and by Zoom
    Presented by Paul Dunn
    During this session, Paul will talk about Christian Mediation and the Mysteries of the Rosary as a contemplative prayer practice.  He will lead the group in a 15-minute silent meditation and then recite the Joyful Mystery and then engage in a group discussion.

    Paul Dunn is a Benedictine Oblate with the World Community for Christian Mediation. He is also the Philadelphia/New Jersey Regional Coordinator for the WCCM-USA. Paul has led a Christian Mediation Prayer Group at his local parish (St. Charles Borrowmeo Catholic Church) for over 15 years.

    Outline of All Presentations

    We will add details for on individual presentations right here, closer to the date of each session.

    2025

    • September 4 = Centering Prayer/Christian Meditation
    • October 2 = Lectio Divina
    • November 6 = Meditation and Buddhism
    • December 4 = Reading Scripture with Our Lady of Guadalupe

    2026

    • January 8 = Introduction to Ignatian Spirituality
    • February 5 = Muslim prayer practices
    • March 5 = Introduction to Christian Mystics
    • April 9 = Yoga and Meditation in Sikhism
    • May 7 = Praying with the Rosary
    • June 4 = Dance and Music in Sufism
    • July 2 = Movement as aid to prayer
    • August 6 = Praying in the Taizé Style

    *Check this webpage each month for details on individual presentations. Some sessions may change.

    Why Other Faith Traditions?

    Catholicism has deep and varied traditions. We want to introduce practices used in other faith traditions, because we believe we can learn a great deal from other traditions. Learning more about and from another faith tradition isn’t abandoning one’s own. In fact, learning from another tradition can deepen one’s own faith and practices. That is what we strive for at the Renewal Center.

    This essay by Stephanie Hertzenberg explains more about these ideas: “What Can Christians Learn From Other Faiths? Others always have something to teach you.”

    Past Programs

    ____ March 5, 2026 ____

    Teach Us to Pray: Intro to Christian Mystics
    March 5 | 6:30-8 p.m. central time
    In person and by Zoom

    Presented by Kristina Frank
    This session will explore Christian mysticism and its invitation to the direct, transformative experience of God’s presence. We will grow in acquaintance with selected Christian mystical figures and their inspiration for us all.

    Here is a handout from the program that you can download: Introduction to Christian Mystics.

    Kristina Frank is a spiritual director and staff member of the Souljourners Spiritual Direction Formation program. She is coordinator of Contemplative Outreach KC and is a Certified Enneagram Teacher, working regularly with individuals and groups.

    ____ Feb. 5, 2026 ____

    Introduction to Salah and Its Practice
    Feb. 5 | 6:30-8 p.m. central time
    In person and by Zoom

    Presented by Khalid Hussain
    Salah, one of the five pillars of Islam, is the foundation of Islamic worship. Offered five times daily, it connects worshipers with our Creator, nourishes our souls, disciplines the body and mind, and unites the Muslim community.

    Khalid Hussain is the vice president of the board of directors at the Islamic Center of Northland, Kansas City, Missouri. He serves as executive director of education and interfaith relations at Al-Noor Quran and Sunday School, and is also the Vice Chairman and a founding member of the American Muslim Council of Kansas City. He is a retired executive from U.S. federal government. Known for his innovative and out-of-the-box thinking, he earned his first U.S. product patent in 2004 and his most recent in 2024.

    Below is the PowerPoint presentation made by Dr. Khalid Hussain for his program “Introduction to Salah and Its Practice” at Precious Blood Renewal Center on Feb. 5, 2026.

    ____ Jan. 8, 2026 ____

    Teach Us to Pray: Intro to Ignatian Spirituality
    Jan. 8 | 6:30-8 p.m. central time
    In person and by Zoom

    Presented by Nancy Seibolt and Marianne McCormally
    Ignatian spirituality is a spirituality for everyday life. Based on the teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder the Jesuits, it is a spirituality that insists that God is present in our world and active in our lives. It is a pathway to deeper prayer, good decisions guided by keen discernment, and an active life of service to others.

    Please download this handout before the program: Ignatian Spirituality and Prayer.

    Nancy Seibolt teaches about the Exercises and Ignatian Discernment in the Foundation Program at the Ignatian Spirituality Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
    After 40 years in parish religious education work, Mariann McCormally now serves as a volunteer spiritual director in the Kansas City area.

    ____ Dec. 4, 2025 ____

    Reading Scripture with Our Lady of Guadalupe
    Dec. 4 | 6:30-8 p.m. central time
    In person and by Zoom

    Presented by Carlos Garcia Alayon

    In this session we will tap spiritually into one of the central messages of Guadalupe’s apparitions: conversion of heart through beauty. Inspired by Catholic Guadalupan traditions, we will engage Scripture through a hermeneutics of beauty, attentively paying attention to how the beautiful leads us to God.

    Carlos Garcia Alayon earned his PhD in biblical studies from the University of Notre Dame and is currently Professor of New Testament at Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas.

    ____ Nov. 6, 2025 ____

    Introduction to Buddhist Meditation
    Nov. 6 | 6:30-8 p.m. central time
    In person and by Zoom

    Presented by Lama Matthew Palden Gocha

    This presentation explores diverse prayer styles in Buddhism — from chanting and mantra recitation to devotional supplication — and how they naturally connect with meditation practice. Discover how prayer can calm the mind, open the heart, and support a deeper, more meaningful meditation practice.

    Please download these two handouts before the program.

    Click here to view a recording of “Introduction to Buddhist Meditation” presented by Lama Matthew Palden Gocha at Precious Blood Renewal Center in Liberty, Missouri, on Nov. 6, 2025.

    Lama Matthew Palden Gocha is the Spiritual Director of the Rime Buddhist Center. Rooted in the non-monastic Ngakpa (lay-yogic) tradition and Rimé (Non-sectarian approach, he teaches, guides, and serves interfaith and social justice communities locally.

    ____ Oct. 2, 2025 ____

    Discover Lectio Divina
    Oct. 2 | 6:30-8 p.m. central time
    In person and by Zoom

    Presented by Kathy Keary

    Discover Lectio Divina, a sacred, meditative way of praying with Scripture. Through gentle reading and reflection, we listen for God’s personal message meant just for us. This ancient practice opens our hearts to a deeper awareness of God’s presence and action in our lives.

    Handouts for this session:

    Click here to view a recording of “Discover Lectio Divina” presented by Kathy Keary at Precious Blood Renewal Center in Liberty, Missouri, on Oct. 2, 2025.

    Kathy Keary holds a BA in education, a MA in Theological Studies, and completed Sophia Center’s Souljourners Program, an intense study of spirituality and spiritual direction. She invites others to awaken to the Divine in all of creation – including the sacred presence within each of us.

    ____ Sept. 4, 2025 ____

    Centering Prayer
    Sept. 4 | 6:30-8 p.m. central time
    In person and by Zoom

    Presented by Rev. Dr. Kevin Kelley

    Centering Prayer is a receptive method of Christian silent prayer which deepens our relationship with God, the Indwelling Presence …  a prayer in which we can experience God’s presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than thinking, closer than consciousness itself.

    Before attending the session, Rev. Kelley asks you to print out the following document and read it over. He will be referring to it during his presentation.  https://www.pbrenewalcenter.org/wp-content/uploads/Centering-Prayer-Handout-02.pdf

     

    Rev. Dr. Kevin Kelley A lifelong resident of the KC area, Kevin is ordained in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and currently serves the First Christian Church of Platte City. He has been practicing contemplative prayer for over 20 years, and is a commissioned presenter for Contemplative Outreach.