A new button for the Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Challenge!
My journal “visual note-taking” at the workshop.
You will know that I am in the Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”
–John 14:20
As I continue to try to practice Openness (my OLW) in 2014, I signed up to attend a Centering Prayer workshop on Saturday at my church, The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany. I have heard of meditation and the benefits of such a practice, and Centering Prayer is much like this, with a Christian emphasis. The above image shows my journal page as I listened to the presenter, Alan Prater, from Contemplative Outreach.
Alan spoke about friendship and the levels of relationship from acquaintance to intimacy. He said that our relationship with God is like those stages of relationship with others. I realized that my relationship with God has been at the friendliness level. I am comfortable in reflective prayer. I’ve tried to move to the friend level where responsiveness happens- opening my heart, feelings, and emotions fully. At this level, prayer is real and spontaneous, not rote. I asked myself if I was ready for(or even capable of) contemplative prayer, a level of intimacy. Could I open myself up to a pure gift of God’s presence, rest with God, and be totally comfortable in the beloved’s presence?
I was reminded that God does not want a wave on the street from me. God wants more. So I am committing myself to try 30 days of Centering Prayer, sitting in total silence for 20 minutes. I’ve chosen my place, a chair in the loft upstairs away from the household traffic flow. I downloaded the app “Insight Timer.” I’ve chosen a sacred word, “Abba.” One of the best gifts of the app is a journal button that comes up after the bell rings. This way I write immediately after my meditation. The words flow.
Here is my first journal entry:
Open
Abba
Sometimes
Flying
Angel lights
twinkle
sparkle
waves of purple
water
Abba
Father
Here
I
am…
Gian Lorenzo Bernini – Dove of the Holy Spirit (ca. 1660, alabaster, Throne of St. Peter, St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican) Wikimedia Commons
Reflections on the Teche 
I love this, Margaret. I especially liked your question: “Could I open myself up to a pure gift of God’s presence, rest with God, and be totally comfortable in the beloved’s presence?” To sit 20 minutes in contemplative prayer seems like it should be easy, but I know it takes discipline. Beautiful ending journal entry. I can tell it’s already opening your soul!
Thanks for your comment. I always worry when I blog about such personal things but am usually rewarded by the responses. I am feeling less alone even though this is a very alone practice.
I am a long time meditator (15 years). I just started a more prayer centered practice and receive a thought for the Day from the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation. The thought is from Eknath Easwara’s Thought for the Day. It is prayer based and nondenominational.
Bernadett
Thanks, Bernadett, I will check into it.
Thank you for sharing your insightful, reflective and a demonstrable move toward your OLW. Beautiful entry.
This silent centering prayer is the heart of the Quakers meeting for worship. Learned about it as a teen from a family friend and experienced it in college. Still practice it today. It is really the only way that I can listen to God as he speaks to me. I firmly believe that we pray too much and listen too little.
As a writer, I have a hard time turning off the words. I am trying to let them just flow through me and pay them little attention to get away from planning. It shouldn’t be so hard to sit in silence. I am happy I am trying.
Not being a person of faith myself, I always admire the capacity for it in others – there is such a sense of peace in your prayer, Margaret.
It’s interesting to make the connection between your faith and your OLW, Margaret. I like hearing your thinking.
I love yoga, that’s my closest experience with meditation. I’m not religious but I love the idea of a centering prayer. Love you OLW connections too.
My yoga experience today was enhanced by my training in Centering Prayer. Love the connection.
Margaret, you have made me think once again. “Could I open myself up to a pure gift of God’s presence, rest with God, and be totally comfortable in the beloved’s presence?” I will have to check the app and see if this could be something I could try during Lent. Thank you for being so open and sharing your personal story.
Lent is a great time to commit to meditation. I hope you’ll try it. The app makes a cool bowl bell sound to begin and has a place to type in a journal entry after meditating.
I love this! Thank you for sharing your thoughts through your words and images. I find it so hard to sit still and just be in the presence of God, but at the same time I year to do so.
You are so right about blogging about personal things, but I have also found certain people that I have connected with on this level, without publicly acknowledging it. (I know that probably makes no sense whatsoever!) This spoke to my heart, especially the line about God wanting more than a wave. I think that is what he is getting from lately. I will certainly look into that app. Thanks for sharing this personal side – I for one appreciate it!
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