Why be contemplative?

If you want a deeper relationship with the Lord, Contemplative Prayer is a great avenue. My practice for the past nine years basically boils down to sitting in silence for 20 minutes twice a day (called Centering Prayer) and meditating on Scripture (called Lectio Divina or Divine Reading). I can’t even imagine life without this resting in the Lord. My son Chris, when he was young and in big trouble, would nonchalantly say: “Mom, why don’t you go do that prayer for awhile so we can talk?” He knew innately that the prayer made a difference in how I was going to react. Why? At the beginning of my prayer time I always ask the Lord for his presence and action within me. And no matter what happens during the 20 minutes I sit before God, he is working on me in ways I can’t even imagine.

What is fascinating about this prayer form is that during the first sixteen centuries, contemplative prayer was the acknowledged goal of Christian spirituality. It is believed that these daily encounters in silence and reflections on God’s Word lead you to an attitude of friendship, trust and love that goes beyond words. You acquire an innate knowledge of the goodness of God. Now how cool is that? This friendship is imperative especially if we were taught to fear God in an unhealthy way or had harsh and unloving authority figures growing up. If that was our experience, then our trust level needs adjusting. I believe there is no better way to know God than to sit with an open and expectant heart with our Creator who loves us unconditionally.

Fr. Thomas Keating, founder of Contemplative Outreach puts the benefits of Contemplative Prayer as such: “The regular practice of contemplative prayer initiates a healing process that might be called the ‘divine therapy.’ The level of deep rest accessed during the prayer periods loosens up the hard-pan around the emotional weeds stored in the unconscious of which the body seems to be the warehouse. The psyche begins to evacuate spontaneously the undigested emotional material of a lifetime, opening up new space for self-knowledge, freedom of choice, and the discovery of the divine presence within. As a consequence, a growing trust in God, a bonding with the Divine Therapist, enables us to endure the process. This prayer heals the emotional wounds of a lifetime. It opens up the possibility of experiencing in this world the transformation into Christ to which the gospel invites us.” Now isn’t that worth twenty minutes twice a day?

Here is a basic guideline to begin Centering Prayer: Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God’s presence and action within you. Sitting comfortably with eyes closed, introduce that word silently and when you become aware of thoughts, return ever-so-gently to that sacred word. At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple minutes. To begin this practice it is highly recommended that you attend an interdenominational Centering Prayer Workshop sponsored by Contemplative Outreach of San Diego (619) 226-6000. Next week Lectio Divina (Divine Reading) will be discussed in more detail. This practice gives more credence to: “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10