Centering Prayer - The Contemplative Activist This means we enter centering prayer with no ulterior motives. Centering prayer connects you to your true self: the person God wishes you to be. Centering Prayer by Thomas Keating - Mission Hills Christian Church Known as Lectio Divina (Divine Reading), it is one of the great treasures of the Christian tradition of prayer. Youre separated by the distance between you and the 8 mm nitrate film. Who are we to judge? Dont get caught up in fretting about finding the best wordjust choose something meaningful. Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to Gods presence and action within. Who could have predicted twenty-five years ago, when three Trappist monks from a monastery in Massachusetts introduced contemplative prayer to a group of non-contemplatives, that its popularity would grow so dramatically? In The Way of Perfection, she says of meditation on Scripture: This is the first step to be taken towards the acquisition of the virtues, and the very life of all Christians depends upon their beginning it.14, Still others argue that Centering Prayer is dangerous because it points those who want to pray in the wrong direction: [Centering Prayer] tells us to focus inward, but the Bible admonishes us to focus outward on the Lord.15, Connie Rossini, a prominent critic, summarizes these objections by calling Centering Prayer a failed attempt to Christianize . It is not meant to replace other kinds of prayer but rather to give them new light and depth of meaning. Thomas Keating recommended two, twenty-minute sits per day. If you are an auditory learner you might do better with a sacred word. Jill R. Gaulding is a third-year MDiv student at Harvard Divinity School, a member of Greater Boston Zen Center, and an interfaith chaplain in training. I was glad to have his blessing and a chance to appreciate the way the two little bookshis and the fourteenth-century clericscomplement each other. This was a famous man, a man who had changed many Catholics lives, and yet I had managed not to know anything about him until the moment I was seated right next to him, our knees almost touching. I am a visual person. It calms me down. In late 2013 while I perused Amazon in search of a book to read, I stumbled uponHealing the Divide: Recovering Christianitys Mystic Rootsby Amos Smith. Previously I did not know what to do in the silence. The word represents or signifies your intention to yield or consent to God's presence and activity in the deepest center in your being. Lastly, others are fearful they might fall asleep during centering prayer, so they keep their eyes open and stare at a spot four to six feet in the distance. What do I do during this time? Our initial class encounter with the abbey, attending vespers on a silent, snow-bound Wednesday evening, did indeed make me cry, though thankfully not so noisily that I had to leave. These are the four basic guidelines of Contemplative Outreach. The punchline was this: I saw the Milky Way come spiraling down and hit me in the face. Ministry Matters | Centering Prayer Because the practice seemed the same as meditation, I needed help to understand how it could deepen my relationship with God. Your email address will not be published. I have affirmations jotted down in various areas of my life: spiritual, family, career, personal, and financial. When you feel your heart and mind are ready, you can let go of the word and simply rest in His presence. I am a big believer in affirmations. It was not difficult. 2. We get up from our sits infused with the Spirit. Give to reach every corner of every campus. What fruits have you experienced as a result of your silent prayer practice? They believed that the daily practice of this prayer could lead to a more intimate union with God and a more powerful experience of Gods presence in our lives. Some people choose an interior image rather than a word. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:6). And when your mind wanders, you come back to a sacred word. Set a timer for 15-20 minutes. Linda Kimball, Kundalini Shakti and the New Contemplative/Centering Prayer, from her blog Patriots & Liberty, March 17, 2015. When I become frustrated, annoyed, angry, disappointed, sad,, Copyright 2023 Silence Teaches Us Who We Are Primer WordPress theme by. I also began to read other centering prayer books:Centering Prayer and Inner Awakeningby Cynthia Bourgeault andOpen Mind, Open Heartby Thomas Keating. The discipline of quieting our thoughts before God through contemplation or meditation on a prayer word, which is a word or phrase from the Scriptures that describes who God is. I delved into other books and resources and found two to be especially helpful. Thank you for this article. I receive the Richard Rohr daily meditations. How to Practice Centering Prayer - A Sacred Journey If you discover you need to switch your word or image, do so for the next sit. . We were to meditate on the Word of God, not sit quietly opening up our minds to evil influences. The fundamental dynamic of centering prayer is not to stop thinking or to combat thoughts as they arise, but rather to let them go gently so they can pass through ones awareness. Bourgeault is an Episcopal priest, and her principal goal in this book is to demonstrate that Centering Prayer is uniqueit is not just a Christian packaging of meditation. You use a short word or phrase, known as a "sacred word, "such as "abba" or "peace" or "be still" or "trust". It is best to keep it simple. Contemplation: The Use of Breath and Image in Centering Prayer Who is your true self? Prayer: Loving God, in the height of this day we pause to rest in you. I do not like to go to my primary care doctor. Go on a one day, weekend, or longer retreat. Centering prayer, also known as contemplative prayer, is a form of Christian meditation and is a movement founded by Father Thomas Keating and others in the 1970s. If you would like, you can dedicate the period of prayer to a person or concern. Amen. Perhaps he would wink and recite this Byzantine Prayer, which he included as the epigraph for The Loving Search for God: Serene Light, shining in theGround of my being,Draw me to yourself,Draw me past the snares of the senses,Out of the mazes of the mind,Free me from symbols, from words,That I may discoverThe SignifiedThe Word UnspokenIn the darknessThat veils the ground of my being. The second resource is from Kess Frey, a writer commissioned by Contemplative Outreach to respond to Connie Rossinis arguments. I tend towards anxiety, and praying my concerns to God in the traditional form of prayer sometimes makes me more anxious. Comments section to For Your Discernment: Warnings on the Dangers of Centering Prayer, Courageous Priest. Examples of a sacred word: Stillness, Rest, Trust, Hope, Father, Jesus, Love, Listen, Peace, Surrender, Let Go. Dont judge the impulse and dont give in to it, simply go back to your word. thats contemplative prayer! Well, I thought, if thats contemplative prayer, I definitely want to know more. Let me share one more example. 1. The course was called Comparative Monasticisms, but I knew I would have two personal comparisons on my mind: first, between the feeling of belonging to Catholicism, which I used to enjoy, and my current quasi-estrangement; and second, between my former Catholic faith and my current Zen Buddhist one. Instead of a sacred word a simple inward glance toward the Divine Presence or noticing ones breath may be more suitable for some persons.Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to Gods presence and action within.When engaged with your thoughts, (including body sensations, feelings, images, and concepts) return ever-so-gently to the sacred word.At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes.Our Centering Prayer sessions are held every Sunday from 9:15 to 9:50 am between the two services. At the end of the period of prayer, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes.5, We shouldnt over-think the sacred word, Father Meninger said. Christians can thank Father Thomas Keating, a Cistercian priest and founder of the Centering Prayer Movement, for revitalizing this ancient practice in our time. Eventually I learned the reason for these garage trips: my grandparents did not want him to meditate in the house. Choose a sacred word of one or two syllables as the symbol of your intention to be open to Gods presence. You might try God, Jesus, Abba, love, peace, stillness, or something else. Get away with Me and you'll recover your life. The Four Basic Guidelines of Centering Prayer. During centering prayer, we let go of all thoughts and emotions and open to the presence and actions of God within. Centering Prayer - Harbor Churches All Rights Reserved, Our True Self Is Both Human and Divine - Silence Teaches Us Who We Are, Researcher hopes findings signal new treatment option amid surge in mental health cases. My name is Jon, and this column is about what Do we ever ask ourselves, Is it my perspective or Gods perspective? Why Anti-Antisemitism is Wrong and What it Means Over the last few years, there has been a rise in anti-Semitism. Verses to Cling to This Father's Day Weekend. 4 You dont need to attend a workshop to learn how to practice centering prayer. Pick the sacred method that works best for you: word, image, breath, glance. Here are my current bookends: I read my true-self affirmations to God that I mentioned earlier and let them go to God as I begin my centering prayer sit. (If you start with one or two minutes or three or four, that is fine. I hope you will continue to join me over the next three weeks. Even as I joined my father in the practice of meditation, I continued to question it with friends at my Christian school and later with friends and mentors at church. The class met with Father Meninger in an echoing, slate-floored choir hall. She will begin a chaplaincy residency at Mass General Hospital in September 2020. 3 When engaged with your thoughts, return ever-so-gently to the sacred word. Pingback: Our True Self Is Both Human and Divine - Silence Teaches Us Who We Are, [] Enjoy my article over at the Christian Meditation Center. Choose a word with one to three syllables. Most advocates of centering prayer recommend working up to at least 20 minutes. I take a short sit of one to five minutes before the presentation. There, in a back corner, he ran across a dusty little book: The Cloud of Unknowing, written by an anonymous cleric in the fourteenth century.2 Reading and rereading The Cloud, Father Meninger came to a new understanding of contemplative prayer as a work of love, and he committed himself to spreading the word about the loving union with God it teaches.3 At first he called this practice The Prayer of the Cloud, but later he renamed it Centering Prayer, in reference to Thomas Mertons description of contemplative prayer as prayer that is centered entirely on the presence of God . That was the piece I was missing when I first learned how to meditate. If you find that you want to change it, that is fine, use your new sacred methodfor your next sit. Examples of a sacred word: Yes, Silence, Stillness, Faith, Trust, Holy, Glory, God, Jesus, Abba, Father, Mother, Mary, Amen, Love, Listen, Peace, Mercy, Let Go. This practice resonated with me. You may find yourself tempted to use other words to express yourself to God. . That is it! The straw poll was evenly split, but Keating cast the deciding vote himself: He resigned. God prays in me what I need for my non-centering prayer times. The Center for Contemplative Outreach describes centering prayer as a movement beyond conversation with Christ to communion with Him. It is not only or even in the moments of centering prayer that we feel closer to God, but in the time afterwards as well. . This sit calms me down for the visit. That said, it seems that Father Keating may have lost his position as abbot of St. Josephs Abbey because of his promotion of Centering Prayer: Some of the 70 or so brothers at Saint Josephs were skeptical of [Keatings promotion of Centering Prayer], and their doubts increased when Keating invited other spiritual leaders onto the monasterys grounds to glean wisdom from their traditions. But there in front of you in shaky light is your child, running around, making faces, alive on the screen. Go beyond thinking or thought5. Leaders of Contemplative Outreach (www.centeringprayer.com), an organization dedicated to the practice of centering prayer, predict that this prayer form will continue to grow because it is a simple, effective, and powerful way to access a deeper relationship with God and because it addresses a hunger within the hearts and souls of individuals who long for peace and a deep experience of God in a fast-paced, impersonal, competitive, and often hostile world. Centering prayer and Eastern meditation. - Free Online Library Particularly on a Monday morning, I awake and immediately begin to think about the tasks that I will need to get done at work. Instead of trying to do it all ourselves we let go and let God guide us. Make a decision to start. Let me end with how to begin a centering prayer practice. Ive found centering prayer to be a discipline I turn to often, especially when Im busy, exhausted, anxious, or worried. Comments section to Connie Rossini, Why Centering Prayer Falls Short of True Intimacy with Christ,, Matthew, The Errors of Centering Prayer,, Linda Kimball, Kundalini Shakti, Patriots & Liberty. That seems like an extreme view, especially given that these three famous monks of St. Josephs Abbey were, by many accounts, acting in direct, obedient response to a request from their church superiors in Rome to revive the contemplative teachings of early Christianity and present them in updated formats.18. The roller loosens up my body from my neck to my lower back. In a time when so many are multitasking and frantic, this practice draws us back to God, stilling our minds and helping us to connect with him more deeply. Do you think 20 minutes (or whatever amount you chose) is a long time to spend in silence? Centering Prayer - Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. I needed a third sit. I have noticed many fruits as a result of my practice. . As a committed Buddhistdriven by Eihei Dogens instruction to investigate thoroughlyand as a divinity school student, I felt compelled to try to find answers to these questions. I hold tension in my jaw, stomach, and shoulders. Dogen writes, We ourselves are tools which [the Ineffable] possesses within this Universe in ten directions. We are not part of the Ineffable in spite of being our personal self, or in addition to being our personal self. At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes. God is deep within us, beyond our thoughts and emotions. Other objections that I ran across did shed light on my questions. Silently say any words you longed to say to God before. Centering Prayer is the opening of mind and heart to God, the ultimate mystery, beyond thoughts, words, and emotions. At the start of a session, the practitioner has the intention to rest deeply in God in silence and to let go of the thoughts, emotions, memories, images, or sensations that will inevitably come into awareness during prayer. 4 I returned to the workshop the next day with an open mind. If you are an auditory person, you might choose a one to three syllable word such as love, God, Jesus, or ocean. Decide about how long you want your centering prayer time to last. The experience of thousands of practitioners has convinced most centering prayer teachers that two periods a day of twenty to thirty minutes each are necessary to enable the believer to benefit fully from the practice. I think of centering prayer as a reverse prayer. Careers Workplace and Religion Columnists, Recreation Outdoors and Religion Columnists, Religious Music and Entertainment Columnists, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Responding To Tragedies: More Than Thoughts ", Unitarian Universalist Spiritual Direction for ", How Spiritual Directors Love Their Clients. All: Glory to God for ever and ever. (My dad had been meditating since he was a teenager and he introduced me to a meditation instructor in order to share the practice with me.) In his books he shared that silence was powerful and transformational. 2) Express your willingness to let go of thoughts so as to dwell in God's presence. Imagine! Having chosen a sacred word, you use it for the entire period of Centering Prayer. I let them brew with God. If youre a beginner and are not accustomed to silence, you might want to start with 10 minutes. Again, take baby steps if you must. Sitting comfortably with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently and introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to Gods present and action within. Four Simple Steps to Practice Centering Prayer. Thomas Keating referred to this as Divine Therapy, an unloading process. Create a space in your home or office where you can be comfortable and quiet, if possible with a door that can be closed. I began to use this image as an interior sacred image to use during my practice. I just did not know what to do in the silence. But such objections didnt shed much light on the questions that began for me when Father Meninger told us that Centering Prayer is very Buddhist! Could this really be? Now I think of God as an ever-present presence who unconditionally loves me. [I]t seems to be simply Eastern religions dressed up in fake Catholic garb.17, Its hard for me to know what to make of all this. Breathe a certain way before or during prayer2. Other thoughts will come and go, but gently return to your word, silently repeating it to yourselfnot frantically, but in a relaxed way. They return again and again to their breath asa meansto bring them back to the purpose oftheir sit: to open tothe presenceand action of God within. Sitting comfortably with your eyes closed, silently begin to repeat the word, which guides your heart and mind gently towards Gods presence, grounding you in the moment. I bet you can easily discover where you hold tension and stress in your body. 3. Since knowing and experiencing God is what spiritual direction is all about, the practice of Centering Prayer can be very helpful both to directors and directees. If you are speaking of Centering Prayer, the wisdom is to make your prayer symbol as simple as possible if the prayer symbol is a word, we recommend one word. Thus the believer can return with his or her whole being to an awareness of God. When engaged with thoughts, return ever so gently to the sacred word.4. The Method Center for Action and Contemplation You will figure out what bookends make sense for you. I do not recall that his books mentioned a practice so I would just sit in silence. Hello Patheos! Just stick with the same method for the duration of your sit. We tell ourselves things that are just not true. David Frenette, The Path of Centering Prayer, Thomas Keating,Open Mind, Open Heart 20th Anniversary Edition, I am not doing the things that I want to do in all areas of my life:. Centering Prayer - The Upper Room Centering prayer helps us cultivate the ability to be the observer of our thoughts. Q: I have found it difficult to use just one word as I meditate. A concentrated mind and a sitting body make for better prayer than a kneeling body and a mind half asleep.. . We practiced centering prayer together in the room. Centering Prayer - Contemplative Outreach of Kansas City Select a sacred word as the symbol of your intent to open yourself to God's presence and action within. Father Meninger emphasized to us how simple it is. We began a back-and-forth email dialogue. Four Simple Steps to Practice Centering Prayer, WRITTEN BY: Joseph G. Sandmanfrom the book,Catholic Spiritual Practices, Copyright 2023 Trustees of Boston College, Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to Gods presence and action within. As I mentioned, I remember that I used three differentwords before I settled on the sacred image. You will have time later to say what you need to say to God in words. Are they traitors to Catholicism and secret evangelists for Buddhism? The Sacred Word in Centering Prayer - Contemplative Outreach, Ltd. How do I let God pray in me? Centering Prayer - The Contemplative Society During the workshop, I listened: Sit in a comfortable seated position. InterVarsity, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA, and the InterVarsity logo are trademarks of Christian prayer is an active process, involving personal communication between an individual and God. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. They seemed to consider anything that requires you to still your mind and body an opening for evil. Contact Us What else happens during centering prayer? Select a sacred word as the symbol of your intent to open yourself to Gods presence and action within. What was going on inside your mind? Apparently, the abbot of St. Josephs, Father Thomas Keating, attended a meeting in Rome in 1971, following in the wake of Vatican II, at which Father Keating and his monks were formally invited to revive the contemplative teachings of early Christianity and present them in updated formats, designed to be appealing and accessible to laypeople. It was in response to this call that Father Meninger, along with Father Keating and another monk, Father Basil Pennington, developed Centering Prayer as an updated version of the teachings in The Cloud of Unknowing. Be still and know that I am God. One prayer method is as good as another. Having chosen a sacred word, you use it for the entire period of Centering Prayer. Again, this sit calms me down, reconnects me to God. Though the churchs as-yet-unshakable commitment to the patriarchy has reinforced the transition I made more than two decades ago from practicing Catholic to ex-Catholic, the transition itself was a matter of my theology, not my politics or my identity as a queer feminist. This will be your sacred word for the centering prayer time. In addition, an international network of dedicated volunteers teach it around the world. Amen to abbeys and to zendos, to pews and to zafus, to Centering Prayer and to shikantaza. But, depending on exactly how one fleshes out the notion of the-self-in-God and God-in-the-self, Frey may also be describing the fuzzy syncretic edge where Catholicism meets Buddhism. A variation of this origin story can also be told in which the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy played a more directive role. Its practice expands ones receptivity to the presence and activity of God in ones life. 2. Sitting comfortably with your eyes closed, silently begin to repeat the word, which guides your heart and mind gently towards God's presence, grounding you in the moment. These sits have a way of giving you back time. Through centering prayer, I grow closer to God in silence and am reminded of his abiding presence. . Choosea wordwith one to three syllables. Christ, as a light illumine and guide me. Perhaps Centering Prayer exists on a fuzzy syncretic edge where Catholicism meets Buddhism. Afterward, trying to identify the nature of this heartsick feeling, I wrote: What does it feel like? If you are speaking of Centering Prayer, the wisdom is to make your prayer symbol as simple as possible if the prayer symbol is a word, we recommend one word. What thoughts do you feed yourself that are harmful and not true? Start with five minutes and work your way up to twenty minutes. I could reach out and grab a handful of stars . Either way, avoid analyzing the thoughts, and return to your sacred word. I reached out to Amos and began to ask him questions about centering prayer. Heres the practice outlined for you: For more about spiritual direction as I practice it, check out my website. As a divinity student, Im sure that you are aware that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of spiritually fluid and multi-religious people in the world (including myself) who are devoted to more than one religion, and who are fully committed to the doctrines and rituals of many faiths without confusion or contradiction. I wanted to experience this transformation too, so I began to practice silence. 616.662.2100. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Find a comfortable position in your chair. Our bodies and minds over time learn to relax. Let me share how it works for me. I have dreams and goals, but I am afraid to show up and take action on them. I quickly discovered that I am a visual person, so I use a sacred image. Log in, 7 Reasons Why Uncertainty is Good for Your Journey, Lean Into Your Journey by Creating a Home Altar, Last week we welcomed in the season and all that comes with it with Welcoming Prayer, Contemplative Outreach on Centering Prayer, The Heart of Centering Prayer: Nondual Christianity in Theory and Practice, The Path of Centering Prayer: Deepening Your Experience of God, Journey to the Heart: Centering Prayer for Children, click here to subscribe and receive posts like these directly in your inbox.
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