WORSHIP

Prayer

Prayer is integral to the life of this community, woven into the fabric of meetings, classes, worship and gatherings. Periodically a group may meet to explore prayer with others in one of the following traditions. 

Centering Prayer
This ancient practice of contemplative silence is drawn primarily from the work of Father Thomas Keating. Centering Prayer facilitates the movement from more active modes of prayer - verbal or mental prayer - into a receptive prayer of resting in God. It emphasizes prayer as a personal relationship with God. At the same time, Centering Prayer is a discipline to foster and serve this relationship by a regular, daily practice of prayer. Centering Prayer is Christ-centered in its focus and supports the work of the church. It helps to build communities of faith.

Lectio Divina

Many of us have a deep hunger for a richer relationship with God, or a "more mature" prayer life. We long for a sense of God's presence in our daily lives, and wonder what it means to seek God's guidance. The ancient Christian practice of Lectio Divina (literally, "divine reading") focuses on the word of God as revealed in sacred texts and discovered through listening and reflecting on a word or phrase. It is a way of deep encounter with God through prayer, and sharing some of this experience in a group.

In the summer of 2008, on four Tuesday evenings, the Rev. Betty Voigt will lead several sessions based on Lectio Divina:

June 17, July 1, July 22, and August 5 at 7:30 p.m.

The Rev. Voigt is adjunct faculty in the Spiritual Formation program at Pittsburgh Seminary and director of Holy Ground, a retreat facility in Washington County for people who wish to take time apart in solitude.