Centering Prayer
Welcome!Welcome to the St. Andrew Centering Prayer web site. Our Centering Prayer group fosters the contemplative life by supporting the practice of silent prayer and faith sharing. You can know centering best by experiencing it! We invite you to join us, anytime, and give it a try. Our Purpose:To deepen our relationship with God, to support each other on our spiritual journeys Our Method:Praying in silence for twenty minutes, opening our hearts to the presence of God within us Membership:St. Andrew's Centering group consists of fifteen to twenty regularly attending members. We are open to all interested adults, no matter what faith affiliation. Everyone is welcome. Come whenever you can; you can start at any time. Contact: |
Who we are:The Local NetworkThe organization that supports Centering Prayer groups, offers Quarterly Mornings of Prayer, and organizes an annual retreat is known as Triangle Contemplative Outreach (TCO). For a group near you see the list of Centering Prayer Groups on this web site. TCO also publishes a quarterly newsletter. To be put on the mailing list for TCO, please contact our list administrator, e-mail: cmormino@earthlink.net. To schedule an introduction to Centering Prayer contact John Kelsey, e-mail: jkelsey@bellsouth.net For information, e-mail: centeringprayer@saintandrew.org Regional NetworkContemplative Outreach of Western Carolina (COWNC) on the web: http://www.cpcharlotte.org/wnc.php * * * on the web: http://www.cpcharlotte.org/ * * * |
Meetings:We meet every Monday evening, from 7 - 9 p.m., in the CARE center, room 212. A Typical Monday evening:
The contemplative life is an ancient Christian concept based the spirituality of the scriptures. We are seekers, trying to find God in our lives, to make our life's journey in a close relationship with the being who creates us, sustains us, and loves us into redemption. In its simplest expression, a contemplative life is living ordinary life with extraordinary love. Silent prayer is one tool in creating a contemplative life. It helps us deepen our awareness of God, even in the midst of our active lives. The Centering Prayer method is simple, but when practiced twice a day it increases our awareness of God living in us and His presence in the events of our lives. We follow the method developed by Fr. Thomas Keating, OCSO. |
Who We Are, Internationally:Our local group is affiliated with Contemplative Outreach Ltd., the network dedicated to supporting individuals and Centering Prayer Groups through information sharing, sponsoring longer retreats, and providing multimedia resources. [Vision and Mission Statement for Contemplative Outreach] The heart of Contemplative Outreach is Fr. Thomas Keating, a Cistercian monk living at St. Benedict's Monastery in Snowmass, Colorado. His friends and companions on the journey who provide practical support make up Contemplative Outreach Ltd., headquartered in New Jersey. The president of CO is Gail Fitzpatrick Hopler; the Vice President is Fr. Carl Arico. The officers and staff carry out the mission of contemplative outreach, in consultation with the Board of Directors. |