"God is present to everything,
like the eye of a camera that sees everything
just as it is."
— Thomas Keating, Intimacy with God
For with you is the fountain of life,
… in your light we see light.
— Psalm 36: 10
In this, the second offering in a trilogy on Centering Prayer, we will focus on how the practice of Centering Prayer serves as a doorway into a process that involves a downward movement into one’s inmost being to what’s blocking the free flow of grace and a rising movement of the influence of the Divine Indwelling within, which awakens an awareness of the immense love and goodness that is at the heart of all creation. Ultimately, this results in the transformation of our entire being.
The Christian spiritual journey has traditionally been expressed in terms of purification-illumination-union or contemplation, a process wherein the scales fall from our eyes and we experience reality within and without — as it is, rather than through the overlays of our programs for happiness and cultural conditioning which over time are buried into our unconscious. Centering Prayer provides space for these movements to take place, for the Divine Therapist to heal obstacles to the flow of grace through a purification process and to illumine our mind and heart — our whole being — to the Divine Presence, beyond thoughts, words, and emotions. In so doing, we are constantly invited to reevaluate and renew our motivations and intentionally to all of life. This method of prayer is a movement deeper into communion with the Living Christ.
In this e-course, you can expect:
- 12 emails scheduled at a pace that you choose.
- Practical guidance for your Centering Prayer practice.
- Links to video teachings to support learning and practicing Centering Prayer.
The first course in this series, "Centering Prayer as Practice and Process," is available in a self-guided version, but it is not a required prerequisite. Thomas Keating's book Open Mind, Open Heart also provides helpful context but is not required reading.
The third course in the series, "Centering Prayer as a Way of Life," is also available in self-guided form.
"Contemplative prayer is a process of interior transformation, a conversion initiated by God and leading, if we consent to divine union. One’s way of seeing reality changes in this process. A restructuring of consciousness takes place which empowers one to perceive, relate and respond to everyday life with increasing sensitivity to the divine presence in, through and beyond everything that happens."
— Thomas Keating, Open Mind, Open Heart
Partial scholarships available from Contemplative Outreach. Please email office@coutreach.org.
(4 CEHs for chaplains available.)
Available On-Demand
(choose your own start date and frequency)
$49.95
