CENTERING PRAYER

This is Our Story

Centering Prayer is a method of silent prayer that prepares us to receive God’s
presence within us - closer than breathing, thinking, and even consciousness itself.
Some theologians find Centering Prayer controversial and nearly the opposite in
method to Lectio Divina. Centering Prayer can be traced to books by three Trappist
monks in the 1970‘s. To summarize, Centering Prayer is prayer that is “centered
entirely on the presence of God.” Unlike many meditative techniques, Centering Prayer
does not empty the mind or attempt to reach an altered state of consciousness. In this
sense, Centering Prayer is not a mantra producing a desired cause-and-effect.
Centering Prayer is merely consenting one’s will to God’s presence by reaffirming our
intention to be in God’s presence and to surrender to His divine action. Throughout a
Centering Prayer, our intention predominates to move our will to consent to God’s
intention in a quite personal way. Thus, Centering Prayer, is a personal relationship
with God, not a technique. Centering Prayer is not meant to replace other kinds of
prayer. Rather, it adds depth of meaning to all prayer. Centering Prayer is a movement
beyond conversation with Christ to communion with Him.
​
​~Gil Haas
If you have a liturgical question or an inquiry about anything that transpires during or
around our worship service, please forward the question you would like researched to:
gghaas@aol.com ,