Sounds and Silences of Grace

All prayer practices are meant to help us go deeper in our relationship with God. Most prayer practices are prayers of attention and requires active involvement of the person praying. A contemplative prayer practice called Centering Prayer teaches a SILENT prayer of intention. The intention is to sit in both STILLNESS and SILENCE to allow time for God to be present and take action in our lives according to His will. This retreat will include an opportunity to learn and participate in the contemplative practice of Centering Prayer. We will offer four simple guidelines for the practice prior to a period of Centering Prayer.

SOUND coupled with SILENCE has an ancient kinship with prayer and meditation. One currently popular practice is called “sound bathing”, which uses crystal bowls, chimes, and other instruments to bring inner spiritual connections that are enhanced by silence and space between the notes.

The second portion of the retreat, will consist of the leader guiding the group on a prayer journey through sound assisted meditations. Through interactive internal alignment, intuitive flow and silence, we will settle, listen, and allow the sounds to bathe us and open us to the grace and action of this prayer of attention. You will be invited to observe the way different frequencies, sounds and even silence are sensed throughout the body and open you to the action of God to stimulate different thoughts and memories, bring relief to wounds, and potentially release grace blockages. Welcoming all emotions in this safe environment will allow the free flow of grace and the natural energies of the body to be available to the Holy Spirit, the one Fr. Thomas Keating names as The Divine Therapist.

There will also be a short sharing session to hear from participants how aligning and opening through silence and sound frequencies helped them to connect closer to God. Please join us as we prepare to enter the sacred season of waiting and preparation that is Advent.

Light snacks and some beverages will be provided. You are also encouraged to bring a light or healthy snack to share.

Host or Publisher Contemplative Outreach of Central Missouri