Centering Prayer: Loving Attentiveness to God
Alexander Sash, Unsplash
I was having a conversation with a friend the other day and in the midst of that conversation, our attention turned to the practice of silence, or in some traditions, the specific practice of centering prayer.
There has been a lot of conversation about the benefits of silence and centering prayer, leading to the affirmation of pushing through the initial discomforts with such a practice. (For a helpful podcast on practicing centering prayer, check out Exhale!) Neuroscience has affirmed these benefits on a physiological level. Many counselors have expressed the benefits they have seen in clients. I have felt those benefits myself. And to be sure, a part of me gets very excited to see the broad personal benefits that silence and centering prayer has on people.
In the course of the conversation though, I was reminded of a deeper reason that I promote those practices: God.
When we engage silence best, it is for the purpose of “fixing our eyes on Jesus.” It is a space to gaze upon him longingly and lovingly. And it can feel quite counter-cultural. We often express love through doing, and in many cases the pace of our world gets assimilated into the pace of our time with God. Even when we have a robust set of practices that we engage, or we have carved out ample space to pursue Jesus, those can become things we simply do, without recognizing their formational significance. Silence or centering prayer can certainly become things we do, but it's they are not only things we do. Silence is an invitation to slow down and gaze at Jesus, to give him the fullness of our love, and to receive the fullness of His.
Through scripture there is a phrase used often that I missed for a long time: “to minister to the Lord.”
“When they go into the tent of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn a food offering to the LORD, they shall wash with water, so that they may not die.” Exodus 30:20, ESV (emphasis mine)
“At that time the LORD set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the LORD to stand before the LORD to minister to him and to bless in his name, to this day.” Deuteronomy 10:8, ESV (emphasis mine)
Throughout the Old Testament, ministry had two different expressions. One was ministry to the Lord, as highlighted above. The other was ministry to the people (see Numbers 16:9). In our day and age, when we use the word ministry or minister, it usually refers to the latter. But ministry to the Lord was a major component of the priests in the Old Testament.
I wonder if there is an invitation for us to “minister to the Lord” through silence and centering prayer. It's certainly not the only way, but it can be a powerful expression of loving attentiveness toward God.
PAUSING FOR REFLECTION….
As you consider the practices of silence and centering prayer, here are a few questions worth pondering:
What do you see practicing silence as being? (Check out this blog post for how to practice silence!)
What is your experience of practicing silence or centering prayer?
What does the phrase “minister to the Lord” evoke within you?