Centering Prayer Workshop, Thursdays through June 11, 2009

Join members of St. Barnabas in Chelsea to learn about and practice the ancient form of centering or contemplative prayer. The group will be using as its primary resource the book entitled, "Forty Days to a Closer Walk with God," by The Rev. J. David Muyskens.

The group members will share in facilitating the sessions and in practicing Lectio Divina, a four part way of praying the scripture. Each week will begin with a centering prayer session for 20 minutes, followed by about 20 minutes of Lectio Divina. Discussion about how prayer life is going, and Q & A will follow.

Incorporating silent or apophatic prayer into your daily life will foster a greater sense of peace and calm, a highly valued commodity in today's hurly-burly world. Other methods of prayer will also be discussed.

Our class will culminate on June 11th, the Feast of St. Barnabas. We will include a special worship service that includes a talk on the life of Barnabas and how he inspires our missions through peaceful reconciliation, encouragement, and generosity.