‚ÄúDress like you‚Äôre going to a funeral,‚Äù my friend George advised. The long list of rules for visitors to San Quentin California State Prison includes no blue or orange clothes, […]
The Dark Nights, Who Does It Affect?
Q: I wonder, can one experience the dark nights, if one is not practicing centering or contemplative prayer, but is just a devoted Christian? I somehow get the impression that […]
Restlessness During Centering Prayer
Q: I was a regular practitioner of Centering Prayer in the 1990’s. For the last few years, however, I make time for it in the mornings after reading some Scripture, […]
Mysteries Like Love
Reaching out,there is no edge.I can see forever,with eyes of light,in a stillness,breathing in and out,enfoldment,like a kiss from mybeloved Divine. Open your heart,my sweet one,receive your radiant gifts,eaching in,o […]
My Heart Has Unfit Edges
This is dedicated to a very holy ( though she was unaware) seamstress, Ginny, who was one of the most unconditional lovers I know as mom, friend, wife and grandmother. […]
Is “God is All, in All” a way of saying that God’s immanent?
Q: I see the title of the new DVD in your store, ‚ÄúGod is All, in All‚Äù, and it makes me wonder about the transcendent nature of God. Is God […]
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Does God Judge?
Q: My small groups was watching the Heartfulness DVD series with Thomas Keating and Betty Sue Flowers, in particular, the section on sin. At the end, we were discussing the […]
Transform the World One Prayer at a Time, one Gift at a Time
May it be done to me according to your word.Luke 1: 38 This year I have been amazed at how the work of Contemplative Outreach is spreading around the world. […]
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Music During Centering Prayer
Q: I once asked my prayer group if it was permissible to have a melody running through one’s head while centering, and their answer was no. Often I have a […]
Homecoming
While seeking to clear my seeing,so I could really know love,be love, walk in the world in service to love,I forgot my activities, my routine, my habits,my drama, my occupation, […]
God’s Unconditional Love and the Last Judgment
Q: As a practising contemplative/meditator for many years and a more recent follower of Father Thomas Keating’s spiritual advice and direction, I do have one “very spiritually perplexing question” that […]
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Eventide
As I sit on my sofafacing southI hear the crickets,little pinpricks of soundin the night.I open wideto the stars and beyond,to that which we call God. I open to the […]
Crisis of Faith During Troubles
Q: I have been practicing CP for over two years and have noticeably experienced positive change and what I consider a deepening of faith and openness to the work of […]
Be Still and Know that I am God
‚ÄúBe still and know that I am God‚Äù (Psalms 46:10). It was a verse I had long been familiar with, but what in the world did it mean? I had […]
When you are in pain…
Q. When you are in pain, can you still practice the Welcoming Prayer if you take pain pills and/or tranquilizers? A. Prayer is a relationship. In any intimate relationship, one […]
The Welcoming Prayer: Deepening Our Practice of Letting Go and Letting
My name is Michael Erwin. I have been doing Centering Prayer on a daily basis for several years during my incarceration at San Quentin State Prison. I have found that […]
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O Ever Emerging Dawn in This My Dark Night …
O Lighthouse on hill of tears and mist a clearing to the path that leads to the inner cloister of Love in which I hope to abide life surrendered as […]
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Conversations with God on My Spiritual Journey
God is always speaking, but few times have I documented what He has showed me or told me. This was one of the times… I asked Him: Where is the most […]
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Centering Prayer During Times of Unrest
Q: Extreme injustices and inflicted cruelty are buried in people’s lives. When these experiences arise (often unexpectedly) as a response to the asking participation in one’s own spiritual journey, it […]
The Welcoming Prayer and “letting go of the desire for security, affection, and control.”
Q: I have a question about the Welcoming Prayer, related to “letting go of the desire for security, affection, and control.” I say the prayer often during my daily encounters […]
Posture and Breathing in Relation to Centering Prayer
Q: My impression is that some meditation practices have very specific guidance about physical technique such as posture, breathing etc. But Centering Prayer suggests fairly little except to have a […]
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Nothingness
This place living in nothing is like my end,my death,and yet I truly feel it is more like the agony of my personality being a nothingness.It is a place I […]
My daily practice…
Breath for the spirit,Meditation for the mind,Yoga for the body,Prayer for the heart,Contemplation for the soul.Everyday. Barbara SullivanThe Colony, TX […]
I Checked the Timer
Some years ago a dear friend gave me a lovely chiming meditation timer encased in a wooden pyramid. You set the timer for the length of time you want to […]
By Grace We Are Christ
For a few months I have been sitting with this wonderful quotation from Basil Pennington‚Äôs book on Centering Prayer. “By grace we are Christ. Our relationship with God is that […]
