“When you first wake up, “all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. Standing back from all your natural fussings and frettings; coming in out of the wind.” C. S. Lewis
Join me in the nave at 9:00 am every Tuesday to experience this calming spiritual experience.
Rector Greg
What is Centering Prayer?
Centering Prayer is an ancient Christian spiritual practice that consists of learning to withdraw attention from our thoughts in order to rest in a gentle, open attentiveness to God’s presence and the present moment.
Centering Prayer begins with unlearning most of what you think meditation is all about.
It’s not about attaining a state of bliss.
It’s not about receiving messages from God.
It’s not about developing single pointed concentration.
Centering Prayer consists of learning to withdraw attention from our thoughts in order to rest in a gentle, open attentiveness to divine reality itself.
This gentle releasing of thoughts is known as “consenting to the presence and action of God.” A thought is defined as anything that brings your attention to a focal point.
The theological basis for Centering Prayer lies in the principle of kenosis, Jesus’ self-emptying love that forms the core of his own self-understanding and life practice.
“Though his state was that of God, yet he did not deem equality with God something he should cling to. Rather he emptied himself (kenosis), and assuming the state of a slave, he was born into human likeness.” (Philippians 2:6-11)
Jesus revealed the path and practice of Christianity. He is inviting us to this journey and modeling how to do it.
His teaching was consistently the call to kenosis: Let go! Don’t cling! Don’t hoard! Don’t worry. Don’t assert your importance! Don’t be afraid!
This letting go, this kenosis, is what we practice in Centering Prayer: thought by thought by thought. Centering Prayer is kenosis in meditation form.
Each time we release a thought, we move from a smaller and more constricted state of consciousness into that open, diffuse awareness in which our presence to divine reality makes itself known along a whole different pathway of perception.
The real work of centering prayer is to lay the inner foundations for an entirely different kind of spiritual attentiveness.
You will find, as you practice, that you have many thoughts flow through your mind. This does not mean you’re practicing improperly. Someone once said to Father Thomas Keating, “Oh, Father Thomas, I’m such a failure at this prayer. In twenty minutes I’ve had ten thousand thoughts.” “How lovely,” responded Keating, “ten thousand opportunities to return to God.”
The essence of Centering Prayer lies in the prompt releasing of thoughts, not from stopping them from arising in the first place. Remember, thoughts are not an obstacle in Centering Prayer but an opportunity. Fighting your thoughts is useless; releasing them is blessed.
How do we practice Centering Prayer?
1) Intention
We are first invited to create an intention for the time. As a helpful guide, Centering Prayer invites the intention to be totally open to God. Available to God all the way down to the innermost point of your being.
2) Choosing a Sacred Word
In centering prayer, the release of a thought is normally accompanied with the help of a sacred word. A sacred word is not a mantra. A mantra is a word you repeat constantly throughout the meditation. A sacred word merely serves as a place holder for your intention. You only use your sacred word when you realize you’ve gotten tangled up in a thought. As you silently say your sacred word, it gently clears the mental debris and returns you to that bare, open awareness.
Some people choose traditional words, “Jesus,” “Abba,” or “Spirit.” Others choose state words like “peace,” or “let go.” Either is perfectly fine.
Your word should be as emotionally natural as possible. Most people “shop around” for a word. That’s normal but we recommend that you not “shop around” during a time of Centering Prayer.
3) Timer
If you are by yourself, set a timer for the desired amount of practice. We recommend anywhere between 5-20 minutes then sit in your chair, eyes closed, relaxed but alert.
4) Putting it all together
- Say your sacred word as a symbol of your willingness to consent to the presence and action of God in this time
- Picture a gentle river in front of you and your thoughts are like boats floating by. Let them drift without attention.
- If you find yourself climbing on board one of the boats, say your sacred word and gently return to allowing the boats to drift by.
- At the end of your time, remain in silence for a couple of minutes.
What are the fruits of Centering Prayer?
The fruits of Centering Prayer are found in daily life.
As kenosis, this gentle releasing, works its way into your system, you will typically begin to notice a greater spaciousness and flexibility in daily life.
Centering Prayer is described as “Divine Therapy”… a healing or purification of the subconscious. Centering Prayer slowly and steadily patterns into its practitioners the quintessential Jesus response: the meeting of any and all life situations by the complete, self-giving of oneself.
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