Prayer: quiet and stillness
Centering Prayer: Renewing an Ancient Christian Prayer Form by M. Basil Pennington, we are invited to experience the presence of God through prayer.
image taken at Wayfarers Chapel, California
Revisiting an invitation.
Recently, centering prayer has come to surface as a way of centering on Christ’s indwelling presence. It has been helpful during times when a settling of the mind and body have been burdened with busy, overwhelming, and/or distraction. The heart, our soul, our deepest part wanting to hear God’s loving voice say “All will be well.”
This way of praying has been calming, a soothing gift, and a sweet aroma of Jesus when shared with others.
So I offer this for us again.
Centering Prayer seems fitting as we are moving from season to season: Summer to Fall, or maybe even “change to settling” or vice versa “settled to changing” within our lives.
We are encouraged where there is Love. Where there is beauty, goodness, and truth. All of these are for us in the leaning in, looking up, and sitting with God in quiet and stillness— Christ-centering comes again…
Pause for a moment of quiet and reflection.
What are you noticing? Is there a resonation? Do you sense there’s an invitation?
More insight.
In reading through the pages of Centering Prayer: Renewing an Ancient Christian Prayer Form by M. Basil Pennington, he has offered this depth I was unaware of. He writes this about sharing Centering Prayer:
“One of the best ways we can help others to come to know their true selves with their limitless potential to share divine life and happiness is to help them find the way to leave behind entanglements of their false, superficial selves and come to their center, to the ground of their being, where they are constantly coming forth from the creative love of the Father.” (165)
“To share Centering Prayer with others is a preeminent way to fulfill our Christian mission “we are created in the image and likeness of God” and to open out to our brothers and sisters the Way, the Truth, and the Life; that is, the Good News.” (165)
This is Good News!
A simple Centering Prayer guide from Pennington’s book (79):
Sit relaxed and quiet.
—Be in faith and love to God who dwells in the center of your being.
—Take up a love word or phrase and let it be gently present, supporting your being to God in faith-filled love.
—Whenever you become aware of anything else, simply, gently return to the Lord with the use of your prayer word or phrase.
A Centering Prayer Moment
(give this a try)
Sitting in stillness, lifting the eyes of our heart and mind upward
Hearing the words of Psalm 46 Be still and know I am God
Gently sit with hands opened symbolizing the longing to receive
Saying the phrase softly aloud or in your mind
Listening, listening, being comforted.
“Be still, and know I am God.
Be still, and know I am
Be still and know I
Be still and know
Be still
Be”
Imagining Jesus sitting in the midst of what is going on inside, around, above and below you. Wherever you find yourself.
Or something I’ve had spoken over me is the phrasing.
Listen as it is read over you.
