Centering Prayer Retreat Experience

Greetings Spiritual Friends! I wanted to share some of my experiences from a Centering Prayer retreat I led this past weekend. This was my first attempt at overseeing a workshop on CP, and I am happy to report that we had an excellent day. We started off with a review of the CP process and some discussion about the dynamics of performing CP in a group setting. We were in consensus that a group experience was much different from an individual one. Most described sensing a more "powerful" experience when praying together. However, we had a hard time explaining why, but I guess that's to be expected!

After lunch, I introduced the group to individual lectio divina journaling. This was a big hit with my group. I gave them two passages and 45 minutes to spend with one or both of the passages. I thought this would be the weakest link in the program, but a very healthy discussion evolved afterwards in which the group commented on their preference for this mode of lectio over the group model with which they were familiar. They enjoyed the process of writing their responses to the first 3 stages of the practice.

I found this article just a few days before the retreat which is entitled "Collaboration as a Quality of Contemplative Leadership"

I used it as a springboard into a deeper discussion about contemplation as a work of the church.

Tilden's remarks on Rublev's icon of the Holy Trinity caught my attention. I made a connection between his train of thought and Merton's ideas on contemplation and social action. If our practice of kenosis is not coupled with a process of theosis which leads us toward collaboration with God in the transformation of the world, then is our practice really worth much? (Hearing Rev. Harold Middlebrook speak on Martin Luther King, Jr. this past week was also beneficial!)

I appreciate you all and look forward to hearing your reactions!

Suffering Is Central to Christianity: Meditation on 1 Peter

First Peter makes it clear that suffering is central to Christianity. After the standard greetings of “grace and peace,” the writer begins right in discussing suffering. Every time he moves on to discuss other things, he comes right back to suffering. In fact, he bluntly says that when we suffer, we should not “be surprised” “as though some strange thing were happening.” Suffering is basic. Suffering is Christianity 101. It is little wonder that our primary symbol is a torture instrument: the cross.

The letter, then, says quite a bit about suffering. To begin with, it is “necessary” for us to be “distressed by various trials” because these trials will result in good things, as they are connected to our faith, to glorifying Jesus Christ, and eventually to “the salvation of [our] souls.” After all, suffering is central to the life and work, even the very identify, of Christ. Indeed, it is by his suffering that he was revealed to “the prophets who prophesied of the grace.” So in turn, “for the sake of conscience toward God,” we too are to “bear up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.” We are not to return abuse for abuse. We are not to give back evil for evil. Suffering in this way is our debt, the example set for us in Christ, and our calling. We are called to suffer. It is a blessing to “suffer for the sake of righteousness.” Moreover, sometimes our suffering will lead to righteousness, especially when we suffer in our struggles to be more like Christ. Moreover, we are not alone in our suffering. Not only has Christ suffered before us, but those all over the world who follow Christ share “the same experiences of suffering.” Also, after we “have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace” will grow us. Because of all this, the writer even goes so far as to say that “to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing.”

But this is a lot to accept. Rejoice in our suffering? Bear through our suffering with patience? Not return abuse for abuse? If this is possible, it is only so because of the deep spiritual insight that is the heart of the epistle, a beautiful truth: “Those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.”

The gospel of suffering is good news only in a world where everyone suffers already anyway. Our suffering is not relieved for following Christ—in some cases it is made worse—but it is given meaning. Moreover, we are given examples of how to suffer well, we are assured of companions in suffering, and we are shown glimpses of what good can come out of our suffering. Most importantly, our suffering becomes part of our life in God. Read it again: “Those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.” Our suffering is not relieved but it is transformed.

The basic movement of prayer is surrendering to God—letting go of everything we are holding on to and accepting everything that God has for us. At times, this is pure joy. Usually, it is not. But my prayer is that, in our suffering, we will entrust ourselves to God.

Collaborative Contemplation

Greetings fellow sojourners! I would like to ask if I could begin some dialog with you about this odd juxtaposition of terms: collaborative contemplation. I have been asked to talk about contemplation at a contemplative retreat in January, and after talking with the leaders, we noticed that there was a strong concern for the communal dimensions of contemplative prayer. Why do we come together to do this "individual" practice? I found the discussion inspiring because I was making connections between it and the book I'm currently reading: Cathy N. Davidson's Now You See It: How the Brain Science of Attention Will Transform the Way We Work, Live, and Learn. The book deals with "attention blindness" -- a state of unawareness which is a process of learning that begins in pre-infancy. We are culturally nurtured to "pay attention" to certain things and disregard others. While this is a necessary skill for survival, it is nonetheless a limiting agent in the observation of reality. Thus, Davidson argues that collaboration is a much needed factor in the lives of communities.

With this idea in mind, it seems that centering prayer (and other contemplative practices) may be viewed as a "tool" to help one's attention blindness by training the brain to take a break from its conditioned patterns of "paying attention." My question is, "Can the idea of collaboration work somehow with contemplation to add a new dimension of spiritual awareness to not just an individual, but also to a community?" I don't mean to imply that "two heads are better than one, and with more we'll figure out the Mystery." But can we come closer to the Mystery and be enriched in the process of viewing "it" in a form of collaborative silence that is not possible in isolation?

Do you know of writers that tackle such a perspective? Scripturally, I'm looking at the story of the Transfiguration and other instances of Jesus taking a few of his disciples with him to retreat in prayer as a springboard into the discussion. I would appreciate any advice, or corrective suggestions this idea inspires! By the way, it's interesting that this talk will be held during Epiphany.....