Last month I wrote about the practice of Lectio Divina, or “Sacred Reading” – a particularly contemplative way of reading the Bible. Today I focus on Centering Prayer, a simple technique, similar to the last stage of Lectio Divina, that can help us deepen our relationship with God. It leads us to a place of communion with the divine that is beyond words, thoughts, and feelings, and might instead be described as simply resting in the presence of God.
In her wonderful book Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening, Cynthia Bourgeault describes how to do Centering Prayer: “It’s very, very simple. You sit, either in a chair or on a prayer stool or mat, and allow your heart to open toward that invisible but always present Origin of all that exists. Whenever a thought comes into your mind, you simply let the thought go and return to that open, silent attending upon the depths. Not because thinking is bad, but because it pulls you back to the surface of yourself. You use a short word or phrase, known as a “sacred word,” such as “abba” (Jesus’ own word for God) or “peace” or “be still” to help you let go of the thought promptly and cleanly. You do this practice for twenty minutes, a bit longer if you’d like, then you simply get up and move on with your life.”
It should be noted that even though Centering Prayer is simple it isn’t necessarily easy! If you are like most practitioners, including me, you will have a thousand thoughts arise during the course of your prayer session. It will not always feel very restful! But it might be helpful to remember that spiritual practices are so named because we need to practice them − just like doing reps at the gym to exercise a muscle. If fact, every time a thought arises during Centering Prayer, we may give thanks, because it is an opportunity practice returning to resting in God! And the more we practice, the stronger our spiritual muscle becomes, helping us to stay a little longer resting in the presence of the divine before another distracting thought arises.
A regular Centering Prayer practice isn’t only about finding rest in God, as wonderful as that can be. At their best, contemplative practices like Lectio Divina and Centering Prayer not only nourish us but also provide wisdom, insight, and inspiration to follow Jesus more closely and to live out the Gospel values of compassion, justice, and love in our lives and in our communities. These practices can literally change the world!
Happy praying!
