Category Archives: centering prayer

Seed of Silence

As a spiritual practice, I sometimes write journal entries in the present tense to give the memory depth and meaning. The following is one memory regarding my early introduction to practice of silence.

Ten miles from my adolescent home in Bremerton, Washington, is a small Bible camp named Lutherhaven. Situated on the west side of Wildcat Lake, the camp has two sections. The first is a picnic area with a large picnic shelter for congregational gatherings, a softball field and a small swimming beach with a short dock. Across a small footbridge and deeper into the tall fir forest is the camp itself. Six or so small sleeping cabins with metal frame bunks line a path in the woods. They feel ancient and bare-bones to my teenage senses. The path leads to the tall A-frame building with cedar shakes, through which I can see the sky. The building holds the kitchen, open dining hall/chapel, and a small office/storage rooms. My first trips to the camp had been for the annual confirmation retreat that always seem to coincide with the fishing opener so that my pastor could spend the early morning on the dock fishing.

My strongest memory and an essential seed to my spiritual path is a High School retreat. Jerry and Nada Torgerson are my church Luther League advisors and I am about 16 years old. Nada is a student at the Lutheran Bible Institute and they often bring engaging Bible lessons or spiritual practices for our Luther League gatherings. At this retreat of a dozen teenagers Nada invites us to practice silence for several hours one evening, instructing us to be silent and pray or read scripture. We are free to move about the camp but not to engage in conversation with each other.

At first I am surprised that they want us to be silent. Usually they want us to talk about Jesus, God, the Bible, or other religious material. I don’t think I will like the silence, a whole evening to sit, pray, and reflect alone. After all I enjoy talking!

I wander into the kitchen wondering if there might be something to snack on. After looking and finding nothing appetizing, I sit on a counter and just observe the other people there. Even though we are not talking, we are interacting – something about the silence seems to draw us into deeper intimacy – as if we have peeled back one of the masks we are often wearing and now are seeing each other without the persona. A feeling of contentment enfolds me. I silently pray a word of gratitude.

In the chapel, I read a short piece of scripture and start to pray my thoughts, but my mind wanders after a bit. The silence is disarming. Is God truly here? What time is it?

After awhile I go outside, down to the dock to sit. The stillness of the night strikes me. I feel the cold air as I breathe. I look up and marvel at the night sky and the silent forest around me. I sense that there is more here than I am ready to receive. I am drawn into the silence yet unsure how to be with it. I am trying to analyze it and figure it out. I have glimpses of something special going on, but then my mind moves on to other ruminations and thoughts. The evening ends and we all quickly jump back into conversation. We talk about how cool the silence was, but it is a novelty that we are not quick to repeat.

I sense that the evening of shared silence was healing and significant, yet I am not sure how to move deeper with it. I have no instruction about how to deal with my relentless thoughts and ideas. I vaguely hear a call or whisper in the silence but unsure what to do. A seed of silence is planted, but it would take decades for it to sprout and grow. Not until I pick up the daily spiritual practice of Centering Prayer (in my sixties) will the silence begin to show its true depth and beauty.

If you sense a whisper or call to silence, sign up for the Introduction to Centering Prayer on Zoom that I will be co-teaching, starting Tuesday, November 10 at 9am. You will learn how to build a daily spiritual practice of twenty minute silence and how to “manage” the ongoing thoughts, feeling and sensations that accompany us as we consent to God’s presence and action within us. More information and registration are at https://www.minnesotacontemplativeoutreach.org/enrichment.html#intro

Building Resilience through Contemplative Prayer

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As winter approaches and the Covid-19 pandemic continues, dread can enter our hearts and minds. Though the arrival of a Covid-19 vaccine(s) is highly probable it will still be late spring or summer before the necessary percentage of the population has been vaccination to ease the pandemic. Many of us are suffering from “pandemic fatigue” or even “pandemic anger.” We want (or demand) that the social restrictions be lifted so we can get back to “normal.” But humans are not controlling this pandemic – the virus is.

Though at times my faith wavers, I trust that God is greater than the virus and that God will bring forth good from that time of suffering. We know that all things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). I seek to love God and neighbor in midst of our shared trial.

As a society we are learning how to live with the virus. New medical treatments are being developed to treat those afflicted with the virus. New behaviors, like keeping social distance, wearing face masks, washing hands, and avoiding large indoor crowds help reduce its transmission. Old practices like phone calls, exercise and prayer help us maintain hope in the midst of the challenging time. Particularly the spiritual practice of contemplative prayer can be most beneficial in helping one to quiet the reactive thoughts and emotions that can overwhelm us at times.

Contemplative prayer has a rich and broad history within the Christian tradition. The heart of contemplative prayer is simply being with God. Various spiritual practices seek to open our hearts and minds to the indwelling love of God. For example, you can use the power of imagination in order to visualize or experience the stories of the Bible as your own story, such as imagining yourself as one of the two sons in Jesus parable in Luke 15. Another is the daily practice of gratitude which invites you to set aside time to give thanks to God for the many blessing you have receive. These are but two of many spiritual practices.

The contemplative spiritual practice that I have embraced is Centering Prayer. I have written about on my blog here and here. Centering Prayer is a method designed to prepare our minds and hearts to receive the gift of God’s gracious presence. Centering Prayer is not meant to replace other kinds of prayer; rather it casts a new light on them. The twenty minutes of silence teaches me to Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10). Centering Prayer is also called the Prayer of Consent, in which we let go of our own thoughts, reactions, desires and feelings, so that God may commune with us. We let go, to let God. Learning to let go has strengthen my resilience and patience during this year of Covid-19.

The Guidelines of Centering Prayer

Choose a sacred word or a sacred breath as the symbol of your intention to consent to God’s presence and action within.
Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to God’s presence and action within.
When engaged with your thoughts, return ever-so- gently to the sacred word. Thoughts include body sensations, feelings, images, and reflections.
At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes.

I will be co-teaching a four week Introduction to Centering Prayer (on Zoom), beginning Tuesday, November 10^th from 9-10:30am. Rev. Luna Gebbengreen will be co-facilitating with me. The class is open to anyone who wants to learn how to start their own practice of Centering Prayer. Further information and registration are at minnesotacontemplativeoutreach.org/enrichment

Learning Patience in an Anxious Time

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The novelty of our current stay-at-home routine has worn off. Though most Americans agree that “social distancing” makes sense for curbing the spread of the Coronavirus, we all yearn to reconnect with our family, friends, and congregation members. We are tired of being cooped up in our homes, tired of business restrictions, tired of doing everything on line. We desire social touch and social interaction. We yearn to be back in our church building, singing hymns and drinking coffee with our friends. We want the pandemic OVER!

But yearning, desires and wants do not always line-up with reality. We might all wish for the pandemic to end, but the virus will not magically go away on its own. The vast majority of public health officials agree that the pandemic will ebb and flow over the coming months. Now I am NOT a scientist and I am not a public health official, but as a pastor I know that the pandemic has caused wide-spread anxiety in our community. The future has suddenly become very unclear and potentially dangerous. Many people have lost their jobs and sources of income. Others are totally isolated in their houses or apartments.

Every day I pray the Serenity Prayer, written by Reinhold Niebuhr. It starts with the familiar words, “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things that cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” But the prayer has so much more – see the whole prayer here. One line in particular stands out to me, “taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it.” This is a call for patience.

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Photo from PxHere

Patience is the wonderful ability to live in the present moment without feeling compelled to rush forward to something else. You see patience in fishermen who are slowly and methodically casting their line into the deep in search of the big one. Or in a scientist who is focused on researching the corona-virus in search of a treatment or vaccine. Or in a mother who is sitting with her children and teaching them the first steps in reading. They might want to rush forward to the landed fish or the completed vaccine or the skillful reader, but they know that to accomplish their goal they need to be patient in their daily tasks. They cannot jump ahead, taking shortcuts that sabotage the results.

Patience is one of the Christian virtues that we are exhorted to embrace.

Gal. 5:22 the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness.

Col. 1:11-12 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from God’s glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father.

Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.

Patience is not a part of our present world culture. We want instant gratification. We can buy on credit what we want now. We expect instant answers, quick results, and fast turn-arounds. We want the pandemic over NOW.

Is it possible that in this Great Pause, God is teaching us to stop our frantic, driven way of life and calling us to patiently grow deeper in our love of God and each other? Is it possible that at the heart of this storm is God, patiently calling us to trust and love? God is in the NOW, in this moment, in “this sinful world” as Niebuhr states in the Serenity Prayer. Jesus promised, “Remember, I am with you always” (Matt. 28:20).

One way that I grow in patience is through Centering Prayer, a Christian form of meditation. I sit quietly in silence each morning and evening for 20 minutes, with the sole intention of relinquishing my life, my desires, and my control to God. I have written about Centering Prayer here and here

There are four simple (yet challenging) steps to Centering Prayer.

Choose a sacred word as the symbol of your intention to consent to God’s presence and action within.
Sitting comfortably and with eyes closed, settle briefly and silently introduce the sacred word as the symbol of your consent to God’s presence and action within.
When engaged with your thoughts, return ever-so-gently to the sacred word.
At the end of the prayer period, remain in silence with eyes closed for a couple of minutes.

This spiritual practice has strengthened and nourished my love of God while also manifesting the fruit of the Spirit such as patience in my daily life. If you want to learn more about Centering Prayer try contemplativeoutreach.org or please contact me below.

What are practices that have strengthened your patience?

Work and Wait

The Divide

Right now there is a tremendous divide in our nation as together we face the COVID-19 pandemic. Those who work and those who wait.

The Essential Work

Many millions of people are overwhelmed and overworked: doctors, nurses, and other health care workers; public health officials and scientists, government leaders and grocery clerks, mask producers and delivery drivers. A member of my congregation cleans the local hospital’s ICU and she is worried and burdened by the challenges she sees. They are our front-line workers in the desperate battle to mitigate and eventually end the pandemic.

They need our prayers and unwavering support.

Almighty God, we call out to you for help. Your children are being overwhelmed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Bring strength, compassion, and hope to all who are working day and night to stop this pandemic. Guide our leaders with your wisdom. Empower the nations to work together. We cannot do this without your grace and power. Amen.

The Essential Wait

Yet as millions work and work to find a way through this pandemic, tens of millions are at home not sure what to do. I am writing this post primarily for those who are staying home, waiting for the pandemic to pass, And waiting is so hard.

As Americans we hate to wait. Our culture values action, doing, and productivity. We are measured by what we accomplish. We become restless if we don’t have something to do. We want instant gratification and satisfaction. We hate to wait.

But now so many must wait.

Perhaps, just perhaps, this is our opportunity to learn how to wait? How to simply be?

Those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. (Isaiah 40:31)

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! (Psalm 27:14)

Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)

Rather than learning to wait and be patient, many of us are practicing panic, worry, and anxiety. We become overly saturated with news and information. We succumb to despair rather than abide in hope.

Many spiritual practices that can help in the waiting. Scripture study and meditation is one; hymn singing and chanting is another. Many are finding new ways to volunteer, even in this season of social distancing.

The practice that I have embraced in recent years is Centering Prayer, a form of Christian meditation that I practice daily. I have written about this in other posts of my blog: here and here. You can also learn more at Contemplative Outreach. The practice of Centering Prayer deepens my trust in God and continues to transform my life from the inside out.

Perhaps this is your season to begin such a practice? In the next week or two I will be starting an online centering prayer group though the online Meditation Chapel. I will have more information in the coming days on this blog.

Centering Prayer will not be an instant pacifier. But it can help you learn to wait and stay calm as the present storm intensifies.

How are you handling this time of waiting?

Hide and Seek with God

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Andrew_peeking When my children (and now grandchildren) were small, a favorite game we played was hide-and-seek. One of us would close our eyes and count while the others scattered through the house to hide. The basement closet, the upstairs bathroom, under the bed – no room was off-limits. The seeker would search every room, look behind every door to find the hidden ones. If I was hiding, I sometimes would make special shouts – “Ookookachoo” – to help them in their search. We would all squeal with delight when the hidden were found and then a new person would close their eyes and start to count.

When I was a child I imagined God was playing an ongoing game of hide and seek with me. I knew that God was somewhere in the house but that he was hidden in some way and that I had to find him. If I prayed long enough, or studied the right scriptures or behaved the right way, God would suddenly pop out of his hiding place and we would embrace. I experienced moments of shared spiritual intimacy and wonderful joy, but then, in a moment, God was hidden again.

In this season of COVID-19 pandemic, one might think God is hidden, beyond our normal sight lines. Our regular practice of gathering for worship has been interrupted. The comforting taste of Holy Communion and church coffee has been locked away. The familiar sounds of congregational songs are silent. We sit alone searching on our computer screens for the hidden God.

Yet what the Bible teaches and what my contemplative prayer practice affirms is that God is always present, especially in the suffering of life. When the great leader Moses died, his young protégé, Joshua was called to lead the people into their promise land. Joshua was frightened by the unknown challenges ahead. In that moment of uncertainty, God spoke to Joshua, “Be strong and courageous, do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9) God did not magically remove Joshua’s obstacles (nor our pandemic) but God gives us courage and strength to walk through the challenges, the fears, and even death itself.

What I am learning -and it is a life-long process- is that God is not hidden, but rather I am the one who has closed my mind and heart to the God. She is always with me. And the ironic thing is that it is often when I close my eyes, quiet my racing mind, and open my heart in centering prayer, I hear the still small voice of God shouting, “I am here, I am always here.”

Be strong and courageous, friends.

Pastor John Keller

Reflections of a Lutheran Pastor