Voices of the Community

Fr. Keating recommends studying the beatitudes.  The beatitudes, especially poverty of spirit, seem to stand out in the heart of his writing.  It seems to me I can take satisfaction [...]

Read More... from A Meditation on Centering Prayer and Poverty of Spirit

In his book, Invitation To Love, Thomas Keating writes: “On the spiritual Journey there is usually someone in our family, our business or in our community whom we cannot endure, someone [...]

Read More... from The Story of My Surrender

When I was ordained in 1965 I had no idea what spiritual formation meant or how to experience God, which is another way of saying I didn’t know how to [...]

Read More... from Knowing About God is not Enough

In college, I happened to work the early morning shift at the Crowell Hall Reception Desk at Moody Bible Institute in downtown Chicago. After I sorted the morning papers, I [...]

Read More... from Centering Toward Love: A Pastor’s Journey to Centering Prayer

“Slow down, you move too fast.” These are lyrics that I grew up on. I really did not fully understand what they meant until about five years ago when I [...]

Read More... from My Journey with Centering Prayer

It is Autumn. As I make the daily drive North from Rio Rancho to Santa Fe I am aware that Brother Sun rises later and later. No matter how many [...]

Read More... from Discovering Centering Prayer in New Mexico

“In the silence we are guided by the spirit.”Thomas Keating As I sit and think about my life’s journey, I am keenly aware of God’s presence and action and how [...]

Read More... from Reflections on the Beginnings of Centering Prayer

fierce wind blowingwidely splittinghigh white blue skyever opening enter all into the circlesit upon the tiles of treesgather quietsilence round uscalmly breathinghoping peace fierce wind blowingrushing wildlydown snow mountainsblasting free [...]

Read More... from The Wind

I often wonder about my Centering Prayer practice even though I have been doing it for over 15 years. There are times when all seems well and then many times [...]

Read More... from Relationship Isn’t Easy

The reptile’s top priorities are few Full tummy, sunny rock, and babies new Its consciousness is narrow as its tail Survival pure and simple will prevail Our human brain includes [...]

Read More... from A Poem

On my flight from Chicago to Denver, my talkative seatmates clearly thought I was out of my mind: “You’re not going to Snowmass to ski but to pray? For ten [...]

Read More... from Out of My Mind, Into My Heart

I am an ordained Protestant minister who has benefited greatly from contemplative prayer.  I speak from experience with a way of being open to contemplative prayer called Centering Prayer. I [...]

Read More... from Protestant Barriers to Contemplative Prayer

  “In returning and rest is my salvation.”  Isaiah 30:15   When I was in the 7th grade I wrote a short story about a young girl who ran away [...]

Read More... from Centering Prayer as a Path of Return