AUBURN — “Your intention, when you sit for this, is to consent to God’s presence and action in your life.”
The words of Fr. D. Joseph Manship, a priest of the Diocese of Portland, describe the concept of “centering prayer,” a method of silent prayer through which participants seek to open their whole beings to God by clearing away temporal distractions. It is a simple method of Christ-centered silent prayer, a renewal of an ancient Christian contemplative practice updated for our time. It can lead to a deeper prayer life, personal healing, spiritual transformation and a closer union with God.
“It’s not an effort to try to empty your mind,” said Fr. Manship. “It is to focus on the presence of God.”
An introductory workshop on centering prayer with Fr. Manship will be held from 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, at St. Philip Church, 2365 Turner Road in Auburn.
Centering prayer was developed in the 1970s by three Trappist monks at St. Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts. Fr. Manship met one of the monks, Fr. Thomas Keating, years ago and was then reintroduced to centering prayer by a parishioner in 1990. He began practicing it while serving as chaplain at St. Mary Regional Medical Center in Lewiston.
“Centering prayer has been freeing and comforting in my life experience,” said Deacon Darrell Blackwell, who serves at Holy Spirit Parish in Wells and was named diocese’s deacon of the year last weekend. “It has enabled me to deal with life situations better and more calmly.”
The concept of centering prayer is not meant to replace other kinds of prayer but, instead, it is intended to add depth of meaning to all forms of prayer.
“This is not an emptying of the mind; it is a relationship,” said Fr. Manship. “That is the core difference between Christian meditation and other kinds of mindfulness practices. It is a relationship with the indwelling Trinity: Father, Son & Holy Spirit. It is steeped in Christian tradition.”
The workshop features four parts: Prayer as a relationship, the method of centering prayer, thoughts in centering prayer, and the fruits of centering prayer. All are welcome to attend. The cost is $25 in advance and $30 at the door and includes lunch. For more information or to register, contact Ruth Oakley at (207) 210-1089 or ruth.h.oakley@gmail.com.
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