Centering Prayer for everyone oNLINE GROUP

We are offering Centering Prayer for Everyone Online Group on Tuesdays at 7 pm EST. Sign up here to join us. Our group is on summer hiatus until September 12th, 2023, but you can still sign up to receive emails when we return.

Or go to The Meditation Chapel to find a wide array of other online groups. We meet by Zoom, which can easily be used by voice only for those who do not have a camera. You do not need a Zoom account.

Visit the Centering Prayer for Everyone YouTube Page to view videos of our sessions.

I have practiced centering prayer with people all over the world by video conference and telephone conference and many people are surprised and delighted by how powerful it can be to practice centering prayer in an online community. Those who find digital groups helpful or even preferable include contemplatives who have trouble finding a local group with which to practice; introverts who feel more comfortable meeting from their own homes; groups in churches who want to try contemplative prayer but don’t have a leader; those who for health, childcare or other reasons have difficulty leaving their homes; and those who for various reasons don’t want to be physically seen. Join me for silent prayer via video. You are welcome to practice centering prayer or any other form of silent meditation with which you are comfortable during the twenty minutes of silence.

Centering Prayer for Everyone Online Group meetings usually last about 40 - 50 minutes and consist of the following:

• About five minutes of teaching about an aspect of centering prayer or some other element of the program, usually at the beginning but sometimes incorporated into some other part of the program;

• A chanted psalm;

• An opportunity to offer special intentions for the time of prayer either silently or aloud;

• We were previously offering sessions on Wednesdays, when I gave a short talk, approximately five minutes, on a theme related to contemplative prayer. Our Wednesday sessions are temporarily suspended. Examples can be found here in our recorded sessions;

• Preparation for silent prayer or meditation;

• Twenty minute period of silence. You are welcome to practice any form of silent meditation that you choose during this period;

• Lectio divina or sacred reading. A short passage will be read three times with periods of silence in between. After the third reading you will be invited to offer a word or phrase from the reading that resonates for you;

• We will close by saying together the Prayer of Jesus, a version of the Lord’s Prayer that uses inclusive language by John Philip Newell, or the Night Prayer from A New Zealand Prayer Book.

The program we use is taken from the book Centering Prayer for Everyone.

Online Centering Prayer refreshers usually last about two hours. We review the basics of Centering Prayer with some suggestions on how to deepen the practice. We practice for at least 20 minutes and there is plenty of time for questions and comments period. Beginners may find this a helpful introduction to the practice and more experienced practitioners may appreciate a refresher. View a recording here.

Find other online Centering Prayer groups.

Learn more about Centering Prayer.

Learn more about Lectio Divina .

Visit the Centering Prayer for Everyone YouTube Page to view videos of our sessions.