We met this morning at 8 a.m. and had a peaceful session which proved a meaningful start to our day. We read from our Lenten book, 40 Days to a Closer Walk with God and read Psalm 62 by J. David Muyskens just prior to our 20 minutes of silence.
We used two prayers prior to our silent time to help prepare us for centering prayer. Here are the prayers which we offer for use prior to private centering prayer practice during this Lenten season.
At the beginning of our session, we prayed together:
"Heavenly Father, we praise you for our daily bread of guidance and wisdom. Enter into our presence and wash away our sins. Create in us a pure heart and mind, open us to the stillness and silence where you dwell. Cast on us a loving kindness that we can carry with us throughout this Lenten season. Amen"
Then just before our silent session, we used this prayer:
"Dear Lord, in the cool of the morning, you walked with your children in the garden. Quiet our hearts with the renewing presence of the Spirit of your Son. Lead us into that mysterious silence where your love is revealed to all who call, 'Come, Lord Jesus.' Amen"
Please feel free to come join us for Centering Prayer in the Chancel area of the Sanctuary on Fridays at 8 a.m. or Wednesdays at noon.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
2011.03.15 Lenten Centering Prayer Sessions at MPPC
The Lenten Centering Prayer group is currently meeting on Wednesdays at noon and on Fridays at 8 a.m. Both sessions are held in the sanctuary chancel. The text for the group is Forty Days to a Closer Walk with God by J. David Muyskens available on Amazon for $11 or Kindle for $10. Come join us!
Friday, March 4, 2011
2011.03.04 Centering Prayer Coming Events
For those interested in learning about centering prayer or in coming to a deeper understanding of centering prayer, there are two upcoming events which may be of interest. Brochures are attached which give registration information and more details regarding the events.
The first event is an Introduction to Centering Prayer Workshop on Saturday April 2, 2011 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at St Matthew Catholic Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Parkway in Charlotte, NC. Cost is $30 and lunch will be provided. The presenter for this workshop will be Dr. John Kelsey who is the Chapter Service Representative for the Eastern and Southern Regions of Contemplative Outreach. The registration deadline for this workshop is March 24 and is limited to the first 100 registrants. This workshop includes six continuing sessions to lend support as a person begins centering prayer practice. See brochure for registration form and more details about this workshop. Burt Melton is the contact person for this workshop and his contact information is included in the brochure here. Click Here for brochure. (You will need to print the registration form and fill it out manually.)
The second event is intended for those already in regular practice of centering prayer and is a Four Day Intensive Centering Prayer Retreat from June 20 through 23, 2011 at the St. Francis Springs Prayer Center in Stoneville, NC. The retreat leaders are The Reverend Rob Field and Joan Ricci. This retreat is limited to the first 15 people and cost is $350 for single occupancy (recommended) or $300 for double occupancy. The brochure indicates this retreat will provide an "in-depth experience into profound stillness and silence." The purpose of the retreat is "to assist participants in entering into a more intimate relationship with God and Self." For more information, contact Joan Ricci at 336-765-0865 or joanricci@triad.rr.com. Also, the brochure giving details and registration form for this retreat is included here. Click Here for brochure (You will need to print the registration form and fill it out manually.)
The first event is an Introduction to Centering Prayer Workshop on Saturday April 2, 2011 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. at St Matthew Catholic Church, 8015 Ballantyne Commons Parkway in Charlotte, NC. Cost is $30 and lunch will be provided. The presenter for this workshop will be Dr. John Kelsey who is the Chapter Service Representative for the Eastern and Southern Regions of Contemplative Outreach. The registration deadline for this workshop is March 24 and is limited to the first 100 registrants. This workshop includes six continuing sessions to lend support as a person begins centering prayer practice. See brochure for registration form and more details about this workshop. Burt Melton is the contact person for this workshop and his contact information is included in the brochure here. Click Here for brochure. (You will need to print the registration form and fill it out manually.)
The second event is intended for those already in regular practice of centering prayer and is a Four Day Intensive Centering Prayer Retreat from June 20 through 23, 2011 at the St. Francis Springs Prayer Center in Stoneville, NC. The retreat leaders are The Reverend Rob Field and Joan Ricci. This retreat is limited to the first 15 people and cost is $350 for single occupancy (recommended) or $300 for double occupancy. The brochure indicates this retreat will provide an "in-depth experience into profound stillness and silence." The purpose of the retreat is "to assist participants in entering into a more intimate relationship with God and Self." For more information, contact Joan Ricci at 336-765-0865 or joanricci@triad.rr.com. Also, the brochure giving details and registration form for this retreat is included here. Click Here for brochure (You will need to print the registration form and fill it out manually.)
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
2011.03.02 New Weekly Centering Prayer Session for Lent
Beginning Wednesday, March 9, we will have weekly centering prayer at noon in the sanctuary chancel during Lent. This session will be in addition to our weekly Friday morning sessions at 8 a.m. Our text is "Forty Days to a Closer Walk with God" by J. David Muyskens, available on Amazon for $11 or on Kindle for $10. We have a few of these books left from our first order and can make a second order if there is enough demand. Even if you can't join us, this book is a wonderful resource.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
2011.02.25 Friday Meeting
The Centering Prayer group met at 8 a.m. today and we are considering having Wednesday sessions at noon during Lent. We are working on a Blog about our group to help tell about our group, any schedule changes, or other news and to provide a Roster to help communications. To see the roster, a user name and password are required. If changes are necessary to the information on the roster, please let Linda Myers know at the email address shown on the roster.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Centering Prayer at MPPC
Beginnings: Myers Park Presbyterian Church hosted a Centering Prayer Workshop on August 14, 2010 and subsequently began a Centering Prayer group which meets on Friday mornings at 8 a.m. We began a six week continuing education session on August 20, 2010 and upon completion of that series, we continued with regular centering prayer sessions. The Saturday workshop was led by Deborah Conner, Priscilla Walters, Katie Crowe, and Burt Melton. Regular prayer sessions have been facilitated by Priscilla Walters. We are planning another weekend workshop in the near future.
Ongoing Sessions: Sessions beginning February 11, 2011 will be held at 8 a.m. in the Sanctuary Choir Loft. Priscilla Walters can be contacted if you have questions about this group. Her number is 704-364-7624 and her email address is priscillawalters@aol.com.
Ongoing Sessions: Sessions beginning February 11, 2011 will be held at 8 a.m. in the Sanctuary Choir Loft. Priscilla Walters can be contacted if you have questions about this group. Her number is 704-364-7624 and her email address is priscillawalters@aol.com.
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