Centering Prayer as a Group Contemplative Practice
Entering a group contemplative space is something I personally have been longing for for quite a while now.
There is something about a group coming together in contemplation that is powerful and magical. Jesus himself is quoted as saying:
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20)
Or as translated from Aramaic…
“Whenever two or three gather in my name and light, in my experience of the vibrating, shining cosmos – then the ‘I AM’ is already there around, among, and inside them.”1
Somehow—and this has been my own experience, is perhaps yours, and has been written about by many others—it may be easier to achieve concentration and results when practicing together than alone.
There is something mysteriously magical about people coming together in dedicated silence and focused attention on the divine.
The magic of communal silence and stillness.
Silence, when it is deep and earnest, can unite.
Practicing together can not only unite us to each other and God, but can create expansive, unitive energy that works outside our awareness of its benefits. Through the energetics of the cosmos, the energy that we create can benefit not only our lives and our communities but also whatever else it touches.
Perhaps you are wondering: What does it mean to be in a contemplative space? What does this word “contemplation” even mean? And is it different from meditation?
Words can only vaguely point to the reality of what they are used to describe. However, knowing this, I often turn to the mystics when I need clarification on what word describes what practice. For a better understanding of what contemplation means, I particularly consult the anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing and Guigo II, both mystics from the Middle Ages, as well as St. Teresa of Avila, St. Ignatius of Loyola, and St. John of the Cross, mystics from 16th century Spain, for guidance.
To this group of mystics, meditation and contemplation are different. To them, meditation has its roots in human effort to connect to God. In meditating, we use our intellect to commune with the unseen world – we imagine, use symbols and words, reflect and conjure.
Contemplation, however, has no roots in human intent or effort. One is simply present to What Is. Centered completely in the moment and open to the immediacy of what is arising. The only effort we make is – as stated by the author of The Cloud of Unknowing – to set our naked intent on stretching toward God.
Sounds easy, right?
Not really. For most of us, this is very hard! Our culture expects and trains us to think and do. Most of us find it very difficult to sit and be.
Thus, we humans need to employ techniques that help us move from being “doers” to “be-ers” who can rest in the presence of God.
Centering prayer is an ancient technique that can draw us into a state of contemplation as first described in The Cloud of Unknowing. For an untrained and racing mind (which is what most of us possess), it offers a way to drop into the divine reality that holds us all.
Centering prayer is not us creating or doing something. It is us using a word – a sacred word – along with silence and stillness to drop into what is already, and always, present here with us: God. Once we shift away from doing anything, we find ourselves in the contemplative state, the Cloud of Unknowing. We know when we are there that Grace has taken us and we no longer need to control or do anything. Everything is being done to us.
It is a deep blessing to enter this state of being, which poets and masters try their best to describe to us but can only point to mysteriously.
The only way to truly know what contemplation is by entering into it. And the only way to enter it is through naked intent and surrender.
According to its anonymous author, the underlying message of The Cloud of Unknowing is that to begin to glimpse the nature of God, we must abandon consideration of the specific activities and attributes we ascribe to God and be courageous enough to surrender our mind and ego to the realm of “unknowing.”2
Practicing as a contemplative group, engaged in centering prayer, we can lean into practice and support each other in this unlearning and unwinding process. We can work to undo ourselves together in the presence of our loving God and find the comfort of fellow practitioners walking the same path. Practice can feel difficult. We can struggle. We can get lost and wonder why we are doing this at all. Being in a group and sharing experiences can help us stay committed and dedicated to practice over the long term. We need road time with a practice to really begin to experience the fruit of it.
As any group practices together over time, its members create a sort of intimacy with each other. They also create an intimacy between themselves and God. And this will show up in the most unique ways that are just between each other and just between each person and God. Our only job is to notice. Pay attention. Allow ourselves to be surprised. Allow ourselves to be open to what we can’t imagine.
Like any deep, intimate relationship, the one between a practicing contemplative group and God and between each individual and God will form over time and with dedication and attention and Love.
Attention is important. When working in a contemplative group, or on your own with any contemplative practice, I recommend getting a journal and taking some time after each practice period to jot down what you noticed. Changes and evolution with this practice, and all contemplative practices, can be subtle. If you take the time to journal you will notice changes over time.
With dedication to practice, particularly in a group, you can truly expect things about you, your relationships, and life will change.
If you feel a longing to be in a contemplative space with others, UCC Valley Forge is hosting a centering prayer group that I am facilitating. All are welcome. We meet on Tuesday mornings, 8:30 – 9:00 am EST, via Zoom. To find out more information or to register, reach out me at leigh@leighamurray.com.
References
1. Neil Douglas-Klotz. The Hidden Gospel. Quest Books, 1999, p.69.
2. Wikipedia
3. Cynthia Bourgeault. The Heart of Centering Prayer. Shambhala Publications, Inc., 2016.