Contemplative Prayer and the Present Moment

July 10, 2006 -- Week of Proper 9

"Morning Reflections" is a brief thought about the scripture readings from the Daily Office of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the practice found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church.

Morning Prayer begins on p. 80 of the Book of Common Prayer.
Evening Prayer begins on p. 117

An online resource for praying the Daily Office is found at www.missionstclare.com
Another form of the office from Phyllis Tickle's "Divine Hours" is available on our partner web site www.ExploreFaith.org at this link -- http://explorefaith.org/prayer/fixed/index.html


Today's Readings for the Daily Office (p. 973)
Psalm 1, 2, 3 (morning) // 4, 7 (evening)
Numbers 32:1-6, 16-27
Romans 8:26-30
Matthew 23:1-12


"The Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs to deep for words."

This is one of the passages that speaks to the practice of contemplative prayer. In contemplation, we trust the Spirit to pray for us, below the level of our words and thoughts and feelings. At that deep place within, "God who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit." In contemplation we release, trusting the Spirit within to pray for us.

There are many techniques to facilitate that deep trust. To allow the Spirit to pray means that we must let go of our own control needs, especially our thoughts and feelings which busily try to take over our prayer. Contemplative practices abound -- mantras, beads, chants, repetitive movements, singular concentration, gazing, the breath, detached observation, labyrinths, inclinations of the heart and mind. Centering Prayer is one ancient technique that I practice -- a simple word is the tool to express an intent to consent to the prayer and activity of the Spirit within.

The trust and acceptance that contemplative prayer creates helps create space to be open to the assertions that Paul speaks in the next paragraph today. The NRSV gives us three variant readings, and one seems more believable to me. The text printed in the main section is translated "We know that all things work together for good..." The two footnoted options point to variant readings from alternate manuscripts: "We know that God makes all things work together for good..." or "We know that in all things God works for good..." I find the third to be the most believable version.

I am reminded of the spiritual wisdom of Jean Pierre de Caussade whose practice was centered on our surrender to the presence of God as manifested in the circumstances of the present moment. The present moment is the only place where we meet God and these are the conditions through which God is present. Trust, he says, that God is doing everything for good, and each present moment, with its particular joys, challenges, and sufferings, is as good as it can be given the limitations of creation. So, he says, joyfully embrace the present moment as the presence of God in time. Like you embrace the bread and wine as the sacramental presence of Christ, embrace whatever the present moment may be as the sacramental presence of God with us. De Caussade would like all three versions of St. Paul's text -- We know that all things work together for good, God makes all things work together for good, in all things God works for good."

Such a surrender in trust to God's working in the present moment is like extending the trust of contemplative prayer into the work of the day.

Lowell
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The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, Arkansas