Centering Prayer is a method of meditation used by Christians placing a strong emphasis on interior silence. The modern Centering Prayer movement in Christianity can be traced to several books published by three Trappist monks of St. Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts in the 1970s: Fr. William Meninger, Fr. M. Basil Pennington and Abbot Thomas Keating.[1] The name was taken from Thomas Merton’s description of contemplative prayer (a much older and more traditional practice) as prayer that is “centered entirely on the presence of God”.[2] In his book Contemplative Prayer, Merton writes ““Monastic prayer begins not so much with “considerations” as with a “return to the heart,” finding one’s deepest center, awakening the profound depths of our being”.

The creators of the Centering Prayer movement claim to trace their roots to the contemplative prayer of the Desert Fathers of early Christian monasticism, to the Lectio Divina tradition of Benedictine monasticism, and to works like The Cloud of Unknowing and the writings of St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross. Advocates of Centering Prayer say it does not replace other prayer but encourages silence and deeper connection to God.[3] Also advocates of Centering Prayer say it helps people be more present and open to God.[4] Father Thomas Keating has promoted both Lectio Divina and Centering Prayer.

Instructor: Penny Childress
Yoga is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India. There is a broad variety of yoga schools, practices, and goals in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Among the most well-known types of yoga are Hatha yoga and Rāja yoga. We provide a simple and easy form of Yoga to help and advance your healthy living.

Every Sunday we gather to delve deep into the Bible. With the help of several leaders, we study the cultural, theological and exegetical significance of the Biblical texts. We enter into deep discussion and prayer so that we understand the underlying meaning of the Words we read. This study helps us to put the Word of God into our everyday life.

Faith is solidified with reason and reason is confirmed by faith. it is a journey towards each other. Some of the most difficult questions in the Bible always will remain hard to crack and difficult to understand. It does not mean we should not ask them and be puzzled by them. We all have questions for which no one has answers for. In the end, we are on a journey. To be able to ask a question is a necessary step to lasting and unchangeable faith.

In this class, anyone can bring up any question that they are struggling with or questions that one thinks are too important to ignore. No question out there is silly or simple. No question is too small or too big to shake up God. God is a big enough to contain the questions that sometimes unsettles us. True faith begins when true and deep questions exhaust.