Present to Presence: A Centering Prayer Retreat

God is always in and with us—closer to us than our own breath—but we are not always with God. Our harried, over-scheduled, noisy lives and patterns laid down in childhood prevent us from simply being with God. Centering Prayer is a way to re-member disparate parts of ourselves, gather scattered energies, and connect with the dynamic, creative God that loves us more than we know.

Thomas Keating, Trappist monk and the leading teacher and refiner of Centering Prayer, once posed the question: Why go on retreat?  His response: to open “uninterruptedly to God’s presence and to the enormous energy of love that creates and sustains us and the universe …”

Centering Prayer is a way to immerse ourselves in silence and open to God’s presence within and all around us. By being present to Presence, we open to a dynamic, ever-creating God, who heals, transforms, and loves us beyond measure.

This retreat, intended for those who would like to explore Centering Prayer or re-ignite their practice, will introduce the basics of Centering Prayer; offer opportunities to experience the prayer, walking meditation, and lectio divina; and explore ways to anchor a Centering Prayer practice in your life. There will also be time to walk the grounds, read, or rest.

“Be still and you will know,
not by the knowledge of the mind, but
by the knowledge of the heart
who God is and who you are.”
                                                    -Thomas Keating

Schedule

Friday
3:00 p.m. Check-in
6:00 p.m. Dinner
7:00 p.m. The Essence of Centering Prayer
8:00 p.m. Enter silence

Saturday
8:00 a.m. Breakfast
9:00 a.m. Morning Prayer
9:30 a.m. Centering Prayer Basics & Guidelines
10: 20 a.m. Break
10:30 a.m. Session I
12-1:00 p.m. Lunch
1:30 p.m. Labyrinth Walk (outdoors if weather permits)
2:30 p.m. Session II
6:00 p.m. Dinner
7:00 p.m. Reflection
7:30 p.m. Evening Prayer

Sunday
8:00 a.m. Breakfast
9:00 a.m. Room check-out
9:30 a.m. Session III
10:45 a.m. Conversation & Closing
12:00 p.m. Departure