Centering Prayer
I came to know Lorie in person through a Listening Prayer weekend at her home. My spiritual life was challenged and enriched by Lorie’s teaching and she certainly practices what she teaches as I got to know the wonderful community that she draws towards herself. Her longings to deepen and enliven other’s relationship with God, resulted in her terrific book, Invited, Simple Prayer Exercises for Solitude and Community (Fresh Wind Press, 2010). It is a privilege to know her!
Getting to know Lorie:
“I live in Abbotsford with Dwight, my wonderful husband of 33 years. We have five children, now grown, one is married, one still in high school, 3 moved out of town and our first grandchild who thankfully is here in town near Grammy and Papa!!! I enjoy quiet time with God, meaningful times with my family, fun times with friends, divine moments with those I meet. I am a spiritual director, an ordained pastor on staff at Fresh Wind Christian Fellowship.”
“It is my desire to continue to join God in The Way of Love (the life of Jesus), Peace (personal and community), Healing (for the whole person), Grace (unearned redemption), Justice (co-suffering and restorative), Stillness (silence and solitude), and Intimacy with God (ever enlarging union and abiding with God in Christ). High values for me are living and working closely in community with mutual love and acceptance, serving people from all walks of life as led by the Spirit of God. My main hope for the future is to be present to God and the Kingdom of God and welcome Jesus whenever and however he may appear.”
Lorie graduated in 2007 from SoulStream which is a contemplative community that trains spiritual directors and has formed a disbursed contemplative community. Lorie has offered spiritual direction to many who come to retreats or are retreating guests at MARK Centre in Abbotsford. She has a private practice from her home where she meets clients regularly for the past 5 years. Click here to learn more about spiritual direction and read some of Lorie’s articles.
Visit Lorie’s new Website at http://www.loriemartin.com
Centering Prayer
by Lorie Martin of Abbotsford, B.C.
Chalk Labyrinth by Cathy Hardy, Pender Island
My favourite contemplative practice, far above all of my favourites, is Centering Prayer. In this quiet 20 minutes with God the purity and simplicity of being with the Divine Presence is most practical and mystical all at the same time. I’ll share the essence of it in this post; however, click here for more information and details for a full understanding.
Posture: Sitting straight in a chair with feet squarely beneath you and hands relaxed on your lap.
Begin: Ask the Holy Spirit to give you, or you choose a “sacred word” such as Father, Jesus, Abba, Holy One, Love ……. which will be used to bring you back to an awareness of God’s presence when you’ve wandered away in a thought that comes to mind in the quiet. Set a timer for 20 minutes so you can enter in without time being a distraction.
Continue: Sit quietly in God’s presence with an awareness of Divine Love being with you. Thoughts, pictures, prayers, etc. will come to your mind in the quiet, which they are supposed to in all thinking beings. Lightly as a feather you are invited to let the thoughts go for now and gently say the sacred word you’ve been given one time to bring you back to an awareness of God. The goal is Presence.
Some times in Centering Prayer will seem to go so very well, other times it may feel useless and unproductive. However, the joy is being with God without either needing any interaction (there are other times for conversation, intercession, healing, etc.) – this is about purely being together. A most beautiful gift to give God and to receive for yourself.
