A reader of this blog submitted this question: How explicitly Christian does the prayer word need to be in contemplative prayer (e.g., Centering Prayer)? My quiet-time practice is a hybrid…
Centering prayer
Can You Combine Different Methods of Silent Prayer?
Do you think it’s possible to legitimately combine Christian Meditation (WCCM), The Jesus Prayer, and Centering Prayer into a single practice? I’ve been experimenting with this and wondering what your thoughts are.
Why Practice Centering Prayer?
Recently, I facilitated an online day of reflection and a participant asked me, “Why do you practice Centering Prayer?” I rarely get asked a question so personal, and so naturally…
What Contemplatives Think of Their Prayer Practice (and What We Can Do To Grow in Prayer)
Over the years I’ve had the privilege to speak to many people who practice, or are interested in practicing, Christian forms of silent prayer. Since I myself practice Centering Prayer,…
A Centering Prayer Video for You
During this time of social distancing and sheltering at home, it’s a perfect opportunity to learn — or refresh your knowledge of — one of the simplest and yet most…
“The Settling of the Mind Into Silence” — How a Definition of Yoga also Defines All Forms of Contemplation
The first four lines of the ancient text, the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, offer a basic definition of yoga — that might surprise many westerners who are used to thinking of…
Contemplation and Emotional Intensity
One of this blog’s readers wrote to me this past Saturday (February 15, 2020) to ask a question about Richard Rohr’s daily meditation for that day. Here’s the quote (emphasis…
Introduction to Centering Prayer in Cherry Log, GA
This event has been postponed indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please check back once it is safe for people to gather and I will post future events like this…
Introduction to Centering Prayer in Grant Park
Is your new year’s resolution to deepen your prayer life? A Centering Prayer workshop can be a great way to nurture a more intimate relationship with God! Start 2020 off…
Prayer for Beginners: What is the Best Practice for Newcomers to Mystical Christianity?
A reader writes, I am emailing to ask you what particular practice of prayer you would suggest to someone starting out on the mystical path? I have a little experience…
Centering Prayer: Embracing Every Moment of Silence and the Presence
Like many people who are blessed with material abundance, I have more books than I have time to read them. I was so gratified when I recently learned of the Japanese…
Intention, Attention, and the Practice of Contemplative Prayer
This is the third of a series of blog posts in response to a lengthy email I received a few weeks ago from an Episcopal priest who is a veteran centering prayer practitioner. You can read the email in its entirety here, and then the first post and the second…… Read more at Patheos