Reflections on Open Table's Contemplative Prayer Day October 2024
With thanks to our dear friend, The Revd Anne Lawlor, for writing this reflection on our Retreat Day in October this year exploring the ancient practice of Contemplative Prayer.
The quiet day this year was held at the Emmaus Project in a Waterloo, a lovely community space based in a former catholic church. The room was decorated in rich autumnal colours and when the orange curtain was drawn back, a beautiful altar was revealed. This gave a sense of awe and wonder to the space which greatly helped my own sense of God coming alongside us as we prayed together.
Following the theme of contemplation that has been developing at Open Table, the day was an introduction to centering prayer.
It was led very gently by Father Richard Sloan. We began with introductions and learning a little about why each of us was there. My own motivation in attending the day was to re-visit the practice, I used to undertake centering prayer but owing to significant life events have stopped engaging with it and felt vulnerable in opening myself up to it again.
Father Richard began by teaching us gentle forms of movement. I found this particularly helpful, as through the gentle movements Father Richrd enabled us to feel grounded and present in the moment and I was able to let my nervousness go. After coffee we began discussing silence and our response to it. This was helpful for me as the person I spoke to had a very different understanding of it, which helped to open my mind a bit more to the experience. Father Richard highlighted how, as humans, we are made with brains that are constantly thinking and working. This illuminated the practice as In the past I have tried to control my thoughts and fought them as they arose, instead I began to understand how thoughts are a natural process and I need to accept them and then let them go, learning not to be attached to them.
After a tasty lunch and welcome stroll around the garden we began the actual practice of centering prayer. Father Richard explained that the base of the practice is to have a sacred word. This is the technique that helps to return us to our focus. In other meditative traditions this, for example, might be the breath. However, as a Christian practice the sacred word is a reminder that we are returning to our intention to sit with God. We undertook two sessions of practice whilst we were sitting and one walking, this helped me to see the flexibility of the technique, allowing me to practice in numerous situations.
My concerns about the day were completely unfounded as Father Richard’s gentle ways and humour enabled us to enter the teaching from the place where we were. The day has given me permission to be gentle with myself as I slowly regain my practice and it has reminded me of the joy of sitting, silently, with God.
Revd Anne Lawlor
To find out more about Contemplative Prayer here’s just a short of UK based places to explore
The Fellowship of Contemplative Prayer
Also the Centre for Action and Contemplation based in the USA but easily accessible resources wherever you live
