Centering Prayer

[everbecoming2007]

I am interested in others' perspectives on Centering Prayer, as this is something I was taught in my Episcopal parish but stopped practicing.

As far as it goes, what I was taught was acceptable, I think, with the goal to rest with an awareness or acknowledgement of God's presence. However, I am not sure I was taught how to pray in this way well in all respects.

I am exploring contemplative prayer in such books as The Cloud of Unknowing and have noticed that it is important not merely to clear the mind of distracting thoughts, but to cultivate the faculty of love, directing it toward God.

This is interesting to me because I find that, in my prayers, when I obtain a measure of rest and quietude and direct my love to our Lord, I experience no adversity, and I am able to do this in the midst of activities or during times of exclusive prayer.

With Centering Prayer I'm just not sure this important aspect was conveyed to me, and sitting still for twenty or thirty minutes aroused anxiety. Once during this form of prayer I (subjectively) disappeared. I wondered if I had fallen asleep, but there was no sense of a passage of time or arousal from sleep. I simply popped back into awareness when the bell rang. And I couldn't see any benefit in this experience (or lack thereof), though I know some Buddhist meditators value it.

On another occasion I returned home after Centering Prayer and then once again, after sitting down to relax, lost a measure of time. It is not apparent to me that I did anything during this time period. I just know I once again lost time, as if I had been obliterated.

These days I simply cultivate devotion to the Lord, and when I lapse into silence, whether I am focusing exclusively on prayer, or praying while driving, or whatever, I lift up my love to him in this silence, and I have not experienced any strange effects from this or missing time.

Perhaps I just didn't know how to do Centering Prayer properly, but this was not entirely my fault, as I simply did as I was taught from around the time of my baptism.

What are your thoughts regarding Centering Prayer? Do you accept it? Object to it? Any other thoughts? I am curious too what Continuing Anglicans say about this method.

 

[Daniel Marsh]

Please define Centering Prayer

 

[Carl Emerson]

I am not sure if I am allowed to comment here...

I tend to see two different approaches to prayer.

One is through discipline and technique.

The other is through developing such a love for Jesus that prayer constantly oozes out.

I think that praying without ceasing should be the natural outcome of a love relationship with Him.

So I identify the deficiencies in my prayer life and present these honestly to Him, and ask Him to change my heart.

Hence the distinction between religious practice and a life overflowing with prayer.

A heart of thankfulness and wonder talks to a friend.

Forgive me if I am somehow out of order presenting this here.

 

[Gregorikos]

I am interested in others' perspectives on Centering Prayer, as this is something I was taught in my Episcopal parish but stopped practicing.

As far as it goes, what I was taught was acceptable, I think, with the goal to rest with an awareness or acknowledgement of God's presence. However, I am not sure I was taught how to pray in this way well in all respects.

I am exploring contemplative prayer in such books as The Cloud of Unknowing and have noticed that it is important not merely to clear the mind of distracting thoughts, but to cultivate the faculty of love, directing it toward God.

It sounds to me like you are headed in the right direction. I would suggest, however, that the goal is to clear your mind of all thoughts, other than possibly 3, which are only thoughts you introduce when you catch yourself thinking. They are (1) sacred word) (2) sacred breath or (3) sacred glance.

(Sacred breath and sacred glance were introduced to me in the book Path of Centering Prayer by David Frenette. I have never used Sacred glance.)

With Centering Prayer I'm just not sure this important aspect was conveyed to me, and sitting still for twenty or thirty minutes aroused anxiety.

I think that is common to beginners. But you can train yourself to relax.

Once during this form of prayer I (subjectively) disappeared. I wondered if I had fallen asleep, but there was no sense of a passage of time or arousal from sleep. I simply popped back into awareness when the bell rang.

On another occasion I returned home after Centering Prayer and then once again, after sitting down to relax, lost a measure of time. It is not apparent to me that I did anything during this time period. I just know I once again lost time, as if I had been obliterated.

That sounds to me like you successfully entered the meditative state. It's a good thing. Acts 10:10, Acts 11:5, and Acts 22:17 are describing exactly what happened to you.

The same Greek words used in those passages were used in the Septuagint in Genesis 2:21 and Genesis 15:12

And I couldn't see any benefit in this experience (or lack thereof), though I know some Buddhist meditators value it.

The benefits don't occur during the prayer time. The benefits occur in your non praying time, and become evident after practicing the prayer consistently over a long period of time.

The best book on Centering prayer that I have read is Open Mind, Open Heart by Charles Keating. I highly recommend you start there.

 

[Carl Emerson]

For what it is worth I strongly disagree with such practices, emptying the mind as a discipline without the loving presence of Jesus can lead to serious deception.

I would also not travel down a path that draws support from the practices of eastern religion.

I speak as one who went there, and one who majored in Phenomenology of Religion.

 

[Gregorikos]

For what it is worth I strongly disagree with such practices, emptying the mind as a discipline without the loving presence of Jesus can lead to serious deception.

I would also not travel down a path that draws support from the practices of eastern religion.

I speak as one who went there, and one who majored in Phenomenology of Religion.

I agree with you, Carl. I wouldn't dare do it without the loving presence of Jesus either.

 

[mark46]

I suspect that Centering Prayer has been part of our traditions since the times of the Irish monks. For those who are very concerned with the idea of "emptying", I would suggesting "centering" and bringing yourself back to a single word if your mind wanders. Abba, Jesus, or lots of others work fine. In the Catholic Church, centering prayer is simply a type of prayer. I have to check my Anglican sources, but I believe that is true here also.

I'd be happy to continue this discussion and answer any questions. Centering prayer was an important part of our journey as charismatic Catholics when I attended the Catholic Church. Now I attend an Anglican church.

I quickly checked

Centering Prayer

 

[Shane R]

A Continuing perspective: well, there are a breadth of perspectives on this subject. I'll highlight a few.
1. Centering prayer is some sort of witchcraft borrowed from Eastern religions.
2. Fr. X read a few paragraphs of Gregory Palamas and fancies himself a hesychast now and thinks centering prayer is wonderful.
3. Centering prayer seems to be rather popular with the charismatics but we are not philosophically opposed to the concept.

The Continuing churches are always suspicious of anything that's not printed out with step by step instructions in the BCP, the Missal, or the Priest's Handbook. Rosaries, Angelus, Stations of the Cross: that's all good stuff but something more or less extemporaneous is scary. I don't personally know a lot about the practice and have not tried to cultivate it as a part of my prayer. But I'm not terrified of it and if one of my parishioners thought that was a practice they needed to explore I would search for some resources for them.