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Centering
Prayer is a phrase that has been developed by Roman Catholic monk Thomas Keating
to describe a period of quiet prayer in which one learns to let go of the
constant barrage of thoughts that flood our minds all our waking moments.
He has modeled this on earlier practices in the Christian tradition.
We might also call it meditation or contemplation.
Keating recommends practicing twenty minutes two times a day, but the
benefits can be had even if this second time is not possible. He suggests
extending it to thirty minutes if you are going to do it only one time a day.
What
are the benefits?
There is certainly peacefulness during the time of quiet, and then there
is more energy, more patience, more perspective during the rest of the day.
I first learned to do this while I was going through cancer treatment,
and I found it helped me maintain a sense of calm at a time when I could have
been very anxious.
We
are about to start Advent. This
should be an invitation to reflect, to slow down and prepare for the Birth of
Christ. We know that whatever else
it may be it will be a very busy time preparing for Christmas. The
invitation to come to try Centering Prayer on the Mondays of Advent is an
offering to help you get hold of some inner calm during this season.
We will start at 7:00 and end promptly at 8:00.
We’ll spend part of the time in instruction and letting go of what we
are bringing with us, then some time in silence practicing, and then a few
minutes of debriefing. You
are invited to come for all four sessions or for any one of them that might work
into your life. Perhaps this is an
opportunity to see if you are being called to do this kind of prayer on a
regular basis at this time in your life. Or
it may be a one time thing. Come and explore with me
December 1, 8, l5, and 22 in the Schultz Chapel. Shalom in Christ, |