Centering Prayer on November 18th at 7 pm
The term centering prayer is sometimes used to describe any prayer that centers us and ground us in God. Centering prayer is also thought of with contemplative prayer. During the first sixteen centuries of Christianity, contemplative prayer was the understood goal of Christian spirituality. Today many Christians refer to centering prayer as a prayer that is wordless, imageless, and wholly contemplative.
No one invented centering prayer. Thomas Keating, a Cistercian priest, calls centering prayer as the “deep calling to the deep.” He wrote, “Silence is God’s first language; everything else is a poor translation.” Teresa of Avila called centering prayer “the prayer of Quiet.”
The intent of centering prayer is to be in the presence of God. If you find this prayer challenging, know that God honors your intention and honors it. You may feel as though you aren’t really praying. Keating says that many of the benefits of centering prayer are reaped in insights, revelations, well-being, and commitment to action that come at times when you are not in prayer. Be patient and non-judgmental with this prayer. Above all, be gentle with yourself. Many Christians who discover this style of prayer find a freedom in their spiritual life that they did not know before centering prayer.
Centering prayer can be done in groups, and we will hold a session on Centering Prayer on November 18th at 7 pm. Whether you have done centering prayer many times of this is your first time, you are invited to join the group. We will go through all the instructions and sit in silence for 20 minutes.
Later, you may choose to spend some time reflecting on and writing about your experience. What was the experience like for you? What was the most difficult part? What part of the prayer seemed effortless? What was going on in your mind? What were you feeling? Did you feel closer to God as a result? Was the time you choose too long or too short?