The Sacred Noticing Gathering
A monthly practice community · Online · First Tuesday of each month
Notice · Pause · Respond
A few years ago my friend Tom stopped me in the woods on his New Hampshire property and said: “Mike, this is my sanctuary … This is my chapel.”
I’ve thought about that moment many times since. Not because it was unusual. Because it was true. And because most of us have somewhere like that, and rarely stop long enough to name it.
This gathering is an invitation to do exactly that. Once a month, in a small online space, we stop together. We practice Sacred Noticing — the three movements of Notice, Pause, and Respond — with some silence, a short reflection, and honest conversation about what the practice is doing in our actual lives.
No course. No curriculum. No commitment beyond showing up when it’s right for you.
The door is open on the first Tuesday. Come if you can.
What Happens in the Room
We begin with a few minutes of silence. Not as a formality — as a genuine arriving.
I offer a short reflection drawn from the SpiritualBreak material, tied to the month’s theme.
We practice together — guided, with real silence, with space for what arises.
Toward the end, we talk honestly about what the practice is doing in ordinary life.
Then we close.
You are welcome to simply be present without speaking. Some of the best gatherings I’ve been part of were held mostly in silence. (humor intended)
July — The Sanctuary
We begin where everything begins. The interior space that makes all practice possible — and that most of us have forgotten how to find.
Before we can notice anything, we need somewhere inside ourselves to bring what we notice. July is about recovering that place. Not creating it. It was always there. Simply finding the thread back to it.
How to Join
Send an email to me (mikeodial@gmail.com) with the subject line: Gathering.
I’ll send you the Zoom link by return. It’s the same link every month — you only need to ask once.
| Gathering Details
First Tuesday of each month Time: [6:30pm] Pacific · [9:30pm] Eastern Duration: One hour Platform: Zoom Cost: Free |
The Book
The Practice of Sacred Noticing is the written companion to what we do together each month. It’s available now in paperback and digital formats, and as a signed copy directly from me.
Michael J. Cunningham, OFS
Executive Director, San Damiano Retreat Center
Commissioned Presenter, Contemplative Outreach
spiritualbreak.com