WE ARE EXPLORING THE PRACTICE
OF STILLNESS
Contemplative
prayer is the world in which God can do anything. To move into that realm is
the greatest adventure. It is to be open to the Infinite and hence to infinite
possibilities. Our private, self-made worlds come to an end; a new world
appears within and around us and the impossible becomes an everyday experience.
-- Thomas Keating
in Open Mind, Open Heart
Centering
Prayer and Lectio Divina as
taught by Father Thomas Keating is an excellent method for entering the
glorious stillness which leads to our awakening. Many people have been discovering this new
world since Father Keating’s books began to gain popularity toward the end of
the twentieth century. From the Contemplative
Outreach website here is a very brief introduction to Centering Prayer:
“Centering Prayer is a receptive method of silent prayer
that prepares us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer, prayer in which
we experience God's presence within us, closer than breathing, closer than
thinking, closer than consciousness itself. This method of prayer is both a
relationship with God and a discipline to foster that relationship.
“Centering Prayer is not meant to replace other kinds of
prayer. Rather, it adds depth of meaning to all prayer and facilitates the
movement from more active modes of prayer - verbal, mental or affective prayer
- into a receptive prayer of resting in God. Centering Prayer emphasizes prayer
as a personal relationship with God and as a movement beyond conversation with
Christ to communion with Christ.”
+ You can always find a link to any of the
Spiritual Explorations posts by going to http://abundancetrek.com/sepostsaccess.html
No comments:
Post a Comment