centering prayer
FROM WikiHow
http://www.wikihow.com/Do-Centering-Prayer
Centering Prayer is a method of prayer, which
prepares us to receive the gift of God's presence, traditionally called
contemplative prayer. It consists of responding to the Spirit
of Christ by consenting to God’s presence and action within. It
furthers the development of contemplative prayer by quieting our faculties to
cooperate with the gift of God’s presence.
Centering Prayer facilitates the movement from more active modes of
prayer — verbal, mental or affective prayer — into a receptive prayer of resting
in God. It emphasizes prayer as a personal relationship with God. At the same time,
it is a discipline to foster and serve this relationship by a regular, daily
practice of prayer. It is Trinitarian in its source, Christ-centered in its
focus, and ecclesial in its effects; that is, it builds communities of
faith.
Centering Prayer is drawn from ancient prayer practices of the
Christian contemplative heritage, notably the Fathers and Mothers of the Desert,
Lectio Divina, (praying the scriptures), The Cloud of Unknowing, St. John of the
Cross and St. Teresa of Avila.. It was distilled into a simple method of prayer
in the 1970’s by three Trappist monks, Fr. William Meninger, Fr. Basil
Pennington and Abbot
http://www.wikihow.com/Do-Centering-Prayer
Centering Prayer is a method of prayer, which
prepares us to receive the gift of God's presence, traditionally called
contemplative prayer. It consists of responding to the Spirit
of Christ by consenting to God’s presence and action within. It
furthers the development of contemplative prayer by quieting our faculties to
cooperate with the gift of God’s presence.
Centering Prayer facilitates the movement from more active modes of
prayer — verbal, mental or affective prayer — into a receptive prayer of resting
in God. It emphasizes prayer as a personal relationship with God. At the same time,
it is a discipline to foster and serve this relationship by a regular, daily
practice of prayer. It is Trinitarian in its source, Christ-centered in its
focus, and ecclesial in its effects; that is, it builds communities of
faith.
Centering Prayer is drawn from ancient prayer practices of the
Christian contemplative heritage, notably the Fathers and Mothers of the Desert,
Lectio Divina, (praying the scriptures), The Cloud of Unknowing, St. John of the
Cross and St. Teresa of Avila.. It was distilled into a simple method of prayer
in the 1970’s by three Trappist monks, Fr. William Meninger, Fr. Basil
Pennington and Abbot
1. Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to
God’s presence and action within.
Click here to see a list of Biblical names for God
2. Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and
silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to God’s
presence and action within.
3. When engaged with your 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.
God’s presence and action within.
Click here to see a list of Biblical names for God
2. Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and
silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to God’s
presence and action within.
3. When engaged with your 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.