The message at the end of August announcing the closing of Underhill House in its current form — as a weekly offering of quiet sacred space on Capitol Hill hosted by me and volunteer listeners — came, appropriately, from the board. I want to offer a personal note as I depart from the role as executive director of Underhill House, which occurs officially as of today.
It has been my profound honor these past 2-1/2 years in the role of executive director to shepherd the mission of Underhill House, offering a sacred quiet space to visit for anyone — whether a local contemplative, busy worker on their lunch break, or one of the unhoused who frequents the meal program next door — and to offer them the opportunity to engage in a powerful practice called active listening.
Through being fully present to another person, the listener is openly and nonjudgmentally receiving what they are sharing, which is a rare thing for people to experience. And, more importantly, they are honoring the speaker’s humanity and worthiness to be listened to. I have shared a handful of stories with you about some of my encounters in this work, but like all sacred experiences it really can’t be put in words. It is holy work. It has changed me, and I’ve been deeply honored to be a part of it. I’m grateful to Susan Dean for creating this model and for carrying it so far before entrusting it to me, and to the board for walking with me on this journey.
While the current incarnation of Underhill House could not be sustained, I believe as strongly as ever in its overarching mission — to share Evelyn Underhill’s vision and example of a contemplative posture toward life, of presence to Reality through contemplative practices, and of radical hospitality — and I am certain it will continue to serve that mission at Sacred Waters. More information about that offering is still to come. In the meantime, I invite you to stay in touch; you can find me at https://philfoxrose.com. And if you are in the area, I encourage you to consider practicing contemplative prayer together most Tuesday evenings at 7pm at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral up the road from where Underhill House lived.
The Sacred Waters Center in Union, WA: https://www.thesacredwaterscenter.org
Contemplative prayer at St. Mark’s: https://saintmarks.org/worship/prayer/contemplative-prayer/
The Evelyn Underhill Association: https://evelynunderhill.org
Underhill House’s web presence may move at some point, but for now it remains here: https://underhillhouse.org
Until we meet again,
Phil
Phil Fox Rose
Spiritual Director | Editor
phil@philfoxrose.com
http://philfoxrose.com
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