Centering Prayer

Learning new skills take time. Whether you embark on learning to play the piano, a new language or culinary skills, it takes practise and more practise. Reading cookbooks or piano music will never give the result you desire. You have to practise, note down what works or doesn’t work. Playing scales to get your fingers moving, to build up the muscle memory needed for a seemingly effortless tune, this takes practise and more practise.

With all the health and well-being programs around, where you merely cut out one thing, fast a bit longer, or follow a strenuous regime to accomplish your goals also takes practise. The most important aspect is the self-discipline to show up and do it. Playing scales, walking around the block or whatever your desires calls you to do.

Spiritual practises are the same. You have to show up and put the time in. Centering Prayer, the Jesus prayer or Christian meditation, all require the same input. A willingness to sit and engage with the Divine. A relationship with the Divine Spirit is the same as with our human relationships, and it takes time. Our time, to keep the practice going, to get to know the 'Other'.

Prayer has different connotations and meaning for people. What they call prayer and how it works for them. There are many forms of prayer, and some forms involve words other forms include silence.

One of my spiritual staples is Centering Prayer. Sitting in silence, laying aside my thoughts and simply ‘be’. According to the Baltimore catechisms: “Prayer is the raising of the mind and heart to God”. Centering prayer is the opening of my heart and mind to God, to let God work within me, similar to Matthew 6:6; “To go into your inner room and pray in secret”. This takes practise.

The mind is crafty, very crafty; it gives all sorts of good ideas, or past memories to explore and wonder and ponder. The discipline is to let go, without judgement and to return to being present. 

I often use the word ‘ruah’ - this is Hebrew for breath and spirit. It helps me to remain focused on the presence of the Divine. This practice demands discipline and engagement. Centering prayer is not a passive occupation; it is dynamic.

Letting go of thoughts and emotions, although we may think we are our thoughts and emotions, but wait, there is more. Prayer and Centering prayer open up the awareness to this deeper spiritual level of growing in awareness and openness to God.

Centering prayer energises me, refreshes me. It helps with processing, even if letting go of stuff takes a while.

 To be honest, it was not and is not always blissful. The mind is stubborn. There are days when my 25 minutes don’t seem to move. Other days, I sit, and am surprised when I hear the gong much sooner than I anticipated. It will take practise, much more practise to reach the sanctuary of inner peace immediately.

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