M. Basil Pennington, RIP

I was saddened to learn that Abbot M. Basil Pennington has passed away. Father Pennington was the author of the classic book Centering Prayer: Renewing an Ancient Christian Prayer Form, as well as many other books on contemplative spirituality. He served as the Abbot of the Monastery of Holy Spirit in Conyers, Georgia, for two years. During that time I participated in a directed retreat that he led, a retreat which deepened my understanding of both centering prayer and lectio divina, an ancient practice of prayerfully reading the Scriptures.

The monastery website describes Father Pennington as "a great, loving bear of a man," and that's certainly a good description. His joy was infectious, as was his commitment to his faith. I'm grateful that I got to meet him and to sit under his teaching.

Darrell
www.WildFaith.com