Centering Prayer Practice Clinic

This is a monthly opportunity to explore Centering Prayer.

Centering Prayer is a method which prepares us for contemplation.  It is a silent way of actively surrendering.  The 4 guidelines method lets God become the main agent and operator of our prayer.   It is a method for resting in God's Indwelling Presence and cultivating our willingness to consent to God's presence and action in our lives.

The program is suitable for anyone who would like to get acquainted with Centering Prayer's 4 guidelines, or knows them and wants to deepen together.

Monthly on 4th Thursdays

9:30 to 10:45 a.m.

The format has 3 parts:

1)  Open presentation and discussion of the 4 guidelines

I will review the guidelines as taught by Thomas Keating and Contemplative Outreach.  I will pick one or two aspects to highlight.  This is a time for your questions and open discussion.  Here's where someone can meet the guidelines for the first time.  We can also deepen our understanding of the method.  We may pick up tips for broadening our consent to God's Presence and Action.  How is "my problem" really an opportunity to consent in disguise?   We may hear some way of speaking about the guidelines which suggests ways we hadn't yet tried to cooperate with movements of the Spirit.

2)  25 minutes of silent Centering Prayer

Silent presence to the Presence.  Opening with a short scripture reading as a "vestibule prayer" before we step into the "inner room where we pray to the Father in secret" as Jesus says in the Gospel of Mathew.  We close with a bell and a couple minutes of resting in doing nothing as the 4th guideline suggests.

3)  Prayer reports about our personal experience

In this time we give each other the gift of our presence through listening.  Each person may share about how the prayer went today or how daily prayer has been unfolding in our lives.  We won't do dialogue or responding to each others' questions in this section.  As we listen we simply trust that the Beloved is holding that person's prayer and bringing them to encounter just the right experiences, reactions and questions for their journey into intimacy with Boundless Love.

(If a question arises during or after the payer which you want to pursue with me I can set a time with you between the monthly meetings.)

for more information:

Contemplative Outreach      www.contemplativeoutreach.org/

Contemplative Outreach chapter of Rochester NY  https://contemplativeoutreachrny.com/about

 

The 4 Guidelines are:

1  Choose a saced word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God's presence and action within.

2  Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word.

3  When engaged with thoughts, return ever-so-gently to the sacred word.

4  At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes.

 

Future Meetings:

Thursdays   9:30 - 10:45 a.m.   Eastern

February 25

March 25

April 22