Centering Prayer

An Invitation

Beloveds,

Centering Prayer has been called “the divine therapy.” This method, commonly associated with meditation has its roots in ancient Christian contemplative prayer practice which until the late 1970’s to early 1980’s was a discipline kept primarily by monks and nuns in cloistered monasteries. Since the 1980’s there’s been a revival of contemplative prayer amongst “ordinary” people whose devotion to the way of Jesus met their desire for divine union with God in the silence and stillness of Centering Prayer.

Below are guidelines for the practice of Centering Prayer, a reflection by Howard Thurman, and various resources for learning more.

The Format

gathering in silence (muted)
a short reading on the practice of Centering Prayer
we recite together these words from Psalm 46:10

Be still and know that I am God.
Be still and know that I am.
Be still and know.
Be still.
Be.

A bell is toned.
20 minutes of silence is kept.
A bell is toned.

Closing: The Lord’s Prayer (un-muted)
O Creator, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

How to “do” Centering Prayer

Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God’s presence and action within. Your sacred word is not a mantra, rather it is used to help ground you in the present moment. It may be a name for God like – Abba, Jesus; or a characteristic for God like – Love, Peace, etc.
Choose a quiet place. Sit comfortably, in an upright and attentive posture. You may like to light a candle as a sacred symbol of your intention.
With closed eyes and open heart, silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your intention to be with God in faith-filled love.
Whenever you become aware of your thoughts (even good thoughts about God), return ever-so-gently to the sacred word. Do this however many times you notice your thoughts.
At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed as we say together the Lord’s prayer.

How Good to Center Down!

by Howard Thurman

How good it is to center down!

To sit quietly and see one’s self pass by!

The streets of our minds seethe with endless traffic;

Our spirits resound with clashing, with noisy silences,

While something deep within hungers and thirsts for the still moment and the resting lull. With full intensity we seek, ere thicket passes, a fresh sense of order in our living;

A direction, a strong sure purpose that will structure our confusion and bring meaning in our chaos.

We look at ourselves in this waiting moment—the kinds of people we are.

The questions persist: what are we doing with our lives? —what are the motives that order our days?

What is the end of our doings? Where are we trying to go?

Where do we put the emphasis and where are our values focused?

For what end do we make sacrifices? Where is my treasure and what do I love most in life? What do I hate most in life and to what am I true?

Over and over the questions beat upon the waiting moment.

As we listen, floating up through all of the jangling echoes of our turbulence, there is a sound of another kind—

A deeper note which only the stillness of the heart makes clear.

It moves directly to the core of our being. Our questions are answered,

Our spirits refreshed, and we move back into the traffic of our daily round

With the peace of the Eternal in our step.