KAIROS: School of Spiritual Formation is celebrating 25 years of God’s life-changing work with a presentation by Shane Claiborne, internationally known speaker and author, from 7 to 9 p.m., February 24, at Calvary Church, in Lancaster, to offer inspiration on how contemplative spiritual practice can deepen the movement of love, justice, mercy and compassion in our world. The presentation is appropriate for all ages and registration is recommended. 

Claiborne writes and travels extensively, speaking about peacemaking, social justice and Jesus. He is a key figure in the New Monasticism movement, which encourages a life of simplicity, nonviolence, community and prayer. In 1998, along with fellow passionate friends, he co-founded The Simple Way, a faith community in inner city Philadelphia that has helped birth and connect radical faith communities around the world. 

He graduated from Eastern University, did graduate work at Princeton Seminary and received an Honorary Doctorate from Eastern University in 2010. Claiborne’s adventures have taken him from the streets of Calcutta, where he worked with Mother Teresa, to the wealthy suburbs of Chicago, where he served at the influential mega-church, Willow Creek. As a peacemaker, Claiborne’s journeys have taken him to some of the most troubled regions of the world––from Rwanda to the West Bank, and he’s been on peace delegations in Afghanistan and Iraq. 

Claiborne’s books, which are translated into more than a dozen languages, include Jesus, Bombs and Ice Cream, and his classic, The Irresistible Revolution. He has been featured in a number of films, including Another World is Possible and Ordinary Radicals. He’s given academic lectures at Harvard, Princeton, Brown, Liberty, Duke and Notre Dame, and speaks regularly, nationally and internationally, at denominational gatherings, festivals and conferences around the globe. Claiborne’s work has appeared in Esquire, SPIN, Christianity Today and The Wall Street Journal, and he has been featured on Fox News, Al Jazeera, CNN and NPR, among other news outlets. 

“The integration of prayer and practice has been a struggle for us as human beings. Believing in God and having faith is not just a ticket into Heaven, but a way of bringing Heaven down while we live our Earthly lives,” explains Claiborne. “I am captivated by ways to live and pray that fascinate the world. Words can lose their vitality when spoken repeatedly without one’s understanding of meaning. My mission is to live with faith every day, and help others to do the same, as we interrupt patterns of injustice that squash people’s dignity.” 

KAIROS, not affiliated with any particular church or denomination, offers classes and retreats in a loving, spacious environment that nurtures people’s desire to deepen their relationship with God, self and others. Classes are offered in the context of community and sharing one’s faith journey, but also embrace the disciplines of silence and solitude. A Spiritual Direction Training Program is also offered. The board, faculty and students come from diverse Christian traditions and welcome the wisdom and beauty of other spiritual traditions as well. 

Cost: $20/person; $100 includes two event admissions and a copy of the book Kairos On the Journey ($35 is tax deductible). Location: 1051 Landis Valley Rd., Lancaster. For more information, visit KairosJourney.org. Group Rates are available; call 717-669-2957 or email [email protected] for pricing and availability.