Hi Reader, Keith here!

Before sharing a reflection on religions as treasure chests, I want to highlight a few upcoming offerings that have some time sensitive deadlines...

1. The in-person Centering Prayer retreat in July is almost full! There is space for 60 people and only 15 spots remain open. The retreat is titled Opening to the Universal Christ: the Interspiritual Invitation of Centering Prayer. Details here​
2. CTB is co-sponsoring an event titled An Ancient Flowing Stream: How African Origins, Heritage, Culture and Music Power the Christian Contemplative Spirit. The early bird registration rate ends today! Details here.
3. I am presenting at Spiritual Directors International conference in-person in Niagara Falls as part of the Spiritual Directors International conference! There is a stellar group of people presenting, I'm humbled to be among them. It is hybrid: both online & in person. They've given CTB a coupon code "SDI299" for $299 off. Details here.

Read on for a reflection. . .

“ . . .religion is more than a source of conflict or a calculated way to stay out of hell. Religions are treasure chests of stories, songs, rituals, and ways of life that have been handed down for millennia.' ​ ― Barbara Brown Taylor, Holy Envy

It's sad to see how religions, which are meant to deepen our connection with the divine & one another, have too often been twisted into tools of division and conflict.

How often do we witness religion being wielded as a weapon? What was designed to connect us is used to separate and create us-vs-them mentalities.

Yet, beneath these painful distortions lies the deeper truth that healthy religion carries a treasure chest of spiritual wisdom & tools waiting to be opened.

👉 Imagine your spiritual tradition as a beautifully carved treasure chest. Inside are countless spiritual tools waiting to be used for the good of your soul & the good of the world — sacred stories, spiritual practices, comforting songs, rituals, prayers, and meditations 🧘. These treasures are there to expand our understanding and connect us deeply to ourselves, each other, and the divine.

These are jewels of insight and transformative practices that have sustained humanity for thousands of years

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Consider what is in your spiritual treasure chest:

• 🌟 What spiritual tools or practices are giving you life right now?
• 👶 What tools for connecting with the divine were you given as a child?
• 🗝️ What forgotten practices might be waiting in your chest, gathering dust?
• 🌍 What might you discover in traditions beyond your own?

As Thomas Keating wrote, "God is too big to be contained in one religion."

Religion, at its mystical heart, invites us into deeper union with love, compassion, and peace. You—we all—have the power to reclaim our spiritual inheritance and use these treasures to open our hearts rather than close them.

Today, open your treasure chest. Perhaps there's a practice you haven't engaged with in years, or one from another tradition that calls to your heart. Allow it to nourish your soul and deepen your connection to the divine presence that is always closer than breath.

Most importantly, share any peace & joy received on the spiritual Way with a world that desperately needs both.

🙏

-Keith

Keep scrolling for details on upcoming Contemplation Days and gatherings!

Spiritual Integration

Join the SDI's 35th Anniversary Celebration

I am delighted to be presenting at SDI’s 35th Anniversary Conference this year from May 29th-31st in Niagara Falls, NY! It is both online and in person.

If you are interested in attending, SDI has given us an exclusive coupon for $299 off the total price of attendance—available for both in-person and virtual participation. Use coupon code SDI299 at checkout to use the discount.

🗓️ May 29 - 31, 2025​
📍Online & Niagara Falls Convention Center, New York, USA

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Opening to the Universal Christ:
The Inter-Spiritual Invitation of Centering Prayer

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Contemplation guides us back to the “original religious experience” — an immediate encounter with the Divine Mystery within all. Through contemplation, we find unity beyond beliefs, embracing the Silence shared by all traditions.

Join me for a weekend retreat to deepen our practice and reconnect with the Divine at the heart of all spiritual traditions.
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​15 spots left!​
​🗓️ July 18 - 21, 2025​
📍 Mercy Conference & Retreat Center, St. Louis, MO

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New 4 Week Course!
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What if you could respond to life’s challenges with clarity, agency, and grace—rather than reacting from old patterns of fear, striving, or self-protection?

This four-week course is an invitation to step beyond the habitual pathways of the false self system and into a deeper, more integrated way of being. By combining the Welcoming Prayer Practice—a powerful method of consenting to the Divine Presence and action in daily life—with the Enneagram—a map and template for self-exploration–you will learn how to cultivate awareness, release unconscious reactivity, and embody your truest self.
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🗓️ 4 Mondays in May, May 5 - 26, 2025​
⏰ 11:00am - 12:30pm ET (8:00am PT | 4:00pm GMT)

CTB Membership Discount Coupon Code: ctbmember
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Early Bird Ending Today!

Early bird discount offer ends at 11:55 PM Central this Saturday March 22.

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How African Origins, Heritage, Culture and Music Power the Christian Contemplative Spirit

Combining the wisdom and talents of two great teachers, Rev. Michael Battle and Julian Davis Reid, this creative workshop will use storytelling, music, art, and poetry to bring alive the many contributions to contemplative life that flow from Africa and the Black experience.​
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We invite you to swim in an ancient stream toward sacred Communal Contemplative Spirituality. This workshop will invite you into transformation as much as it invites you to learn about the African underpinnings of all contemplative practices, and Black American contemplative practices in particular.

Closer Than Breath is a proud sponsor of this event!​
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🗓️ May 3, 2025​
⏰ 11:00am - 2:00 ET (8:00am PT | 4:00pm GMT)

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