Dr. Gray Matthews presented a day-long workshop commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Merton.
Mattews wrote that, as a spiritual guide, Merton offers invaluable counsel regarding the significance of 
contemplative prayer, not just to quell our anxious souls but to invigorate them. The thrust of the day-long workshop was to encourage the acceptance of this dare: to run the risk of withdrawing from the commotion and embracing, instead, Merton’s beautiful challenge of taking up the long art of contemplation and its promise to open as well as transform our lives.
Dr. Matthews is an Assistant Professor of Communication at the University of Memphis. He has served the International Thomas Merton Society (ITMS) as a member of the Board of Directors, membership committee, site coordinator for the 2007 ITMS conference of Memphis, coordinator of the Memphis ITMS Chapter, and immediate past co-editor of The Merton Annual and has published articles in the Merton Annual and Merton Seasonal. He is also a member of the Lay Cistercians of Gethsemani.
Part 1: (above)
Part 2:
Part 3:
Part 4
Thomas Merton: The Commotion and the Long Art of Contemplation with Gray Matthews, Ph.D.
Saturday, February 28, 2015
Divine Mercy Catholic Church, Merritt Island, FL 32953
Presented by Contemplative Outreach of Central Florida
In 2021, the workshop video was formatted into 10-15 minute segments for use in Zoom Centering Prayer groups in Central Florida. The 16 videos have been posted on the Contemplative Outreach of Central Florida YouTube Channel and added to the playlist below. They include all of the content of the four approximately one-hour presentations.