Explanation of the Contemplative Outreach Symbol
The symbol chosen by Contemplative Outreach is called “Job’s Redeemer—Patient Waiting.” The heart and soul of Centering Prayer is consenting to God’s presence and action in our lives. Like Job, our patient waiting and consenting will be our gift of gratitude. The elements of the symbol include:
The Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, which acknowledge that our God is at the center of our consent and being.
The cross, symbol of our salvation, stands for our dying to our thoughts and commentaries.
The flowers symbolize the abundance of life and the resurrection. These flowers represent our letting go, in which our false self gives way to the flowering of the new self.
The circle is a sign of an ongoing process bringing us deeper into Divine Intimacy.
This symbol has been seen in three different locations: on an ancient church in the land of Uz, which is referred to in Scripture as the residence of Job; on a Byzantine stone from excavations in Jerusalem; and in a church named “Multiplication of the Loaves” in the Galilee area.
