Contemplative/Centering Prayer and Emergent Church

[MannyRSilva]

“This gift of contemplative prayer is not a way of thinking. It's much more a

way of not thinking. It's not a way of talking; it finally moves beyond words into silence. It moves into the mystery that is too deep for words.” Richard Rohr

“For in this darkness we experience an intuitive understanding of everything material and spiritual without giving special attention to anything in particular (The Cloud Of Unknowing)

[maddogmargetts1]

@MannyRSilva excellent description

[bluejay3536]

@MannyRSilva --- Yes... that kind of strange silence when performing the "contemplative prayer" should be a serious warning message to you! You leave practically your mind IN BLANK...so that other "beings" enter it... Remember those who used to say to the Lord "We know you, you're the Son of the Holy God"? They want to SPEAK all the time. But they do not want you to SPEAK.

[MannyRSilva]

Some quotes from contemplatives: “So, no thinking, no reflection, no desire, no words, no thing … just receptivity and consent.” (Thomas Keating, one of the fathers of the contemplative prayer movement)

[MannyRSilva]

Centering prayer and other contemplative practices are nothing but a leap into the dark. It is not true prayer as taught in scripture. It is a mystical method whose aim is to empty the mind.

Mantras are used to get one into a rhythm of some kind where your goal is to repeat a phrase to get you into a state of altered consciousness. That is the method of, as you say, allowing God’s presence. Prayer is direct, conscious communication with God- not “practicing the silence.”

[jhgosnell]

This is not really accurate though--with respect to you all. In Centering Prayer, you don't use a mantra in any way...only allow God's presence and action within. This is the essence of all prayer anyway...and the meaning of the Bible. There is no switching off of the mind really...the word really represents a return to your consent to God's presence and action within. The mind may still continue to be quite active...you don't have to get rid of the mind.

[vicambulatorious]

The mantra = vain repetition, that which we were warned against. I'm glad I found the Manny Silva channel again. I enjoyed the videos in the past but didn't remember the name. BTW, Ray looks like like Walid Shoebat's brother (?). God bless you.