You are invited to begin this time with a breath prayer. As you enter into a stillness, use these words to align with your breath. Explore this breath prayer for this month as a way to center your body, mind and soul.
Breath Prayer
Inhale: Lead me Lord
Exhale: I trust You
THE CENTER PRAYER
Will you pray for the Center for Spiritual Formation?
Dear God:
We pray for the life and ministry of the Center:
May it become a healing stream
for those who would be sustained by prayer;
May it become an ever-flowing river
for those whose spirits have grown dry;
May it become a fountain of life,
for those who would practice their faith
in a dry and thirsty land;
And may it nourish the seed of your Word—
the Church,
yielding a bountiful harvest for your
Kingdom.
AMEN
Specific Prayer Needs of the Center
Please join in prayer for these specific needs of the work of the Center in this season. If you would like to help with provision for these needs, contact Rhonda Strouse at director.rhonda@centerformation.org
We present this prayer to the Holy One to whom all praise and gratitude are given as we seek to travel the sacred pathway of the Center…
Lord, let your provision flow through the Center…
May Your Light be reflected in prayerful giving and serving that keeps the work and commitment of the Center known out in the world …near and far…
May your invitation and call be heard for those who journey with the Center – in the past, now, and time to come – to sustain and grow the reach of the Center in teaching, training, and leading…to extend safe harbor and love for all…
Let us be connected and threaded with co-laborers in the Spirit in fresh and creative ways so we may encounter You in ways unimagined for Your will and Your way…through voices yet unheard and places not yet known…
We are grateful for all You provide…now and for the ages…
Amen.
Featured Prayer from Debbie Heisley-Cato
MAKE A PILGRIMAGE
A pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place or a place of spiritual significance. There are places made holy by many prayers or by great acts of courage for the sake of others. There are also places of personal meaning, sacred to us because of the memories they hold or because they have been spaces where we have encountered the Presence. Often being in these liminal places can give us a new perspective or lead to personal transformation. The Center at Orchard Hill has been such a place.
Is there a Holy Place that is calling to your spirit just now?
- Make the journey to that place in reality or in your imagination.
- Become as fully present as you can in that space. Listen to the sounds around you. See the colors and the contrasts. Breath deeply, take in the aroma of the place. Touch and feel the place where you sit or stand. Notice how your body responds, how your soul is stirred.
Are there echoes of the past, of other prayers, experiences, or people who have come to this place?
- Sit quietly and simply be present for as long as the Spirit leads you to be.
- Pray the words of the prophet Samuel, “Speak, Lord, your servant is listening.”
- Accept the “something” or what seems like “nothing” that is given to you in these moments. It is for God to decide, and for you to be grateful.
- If journaling is one of your practices, take some time to reflect on and record your reflections from this time with The Holy.
- Gently return to your everyday life, knowing that even if you are unaware of how, you have been shaped by being consciously in the Presence.
Deborah grew up in Pennsylvania and attended Clarion State College (now Clarion University). She holds a Master of Divinity degree from Lancaster Theological Seminary in Lancaster PA, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington DC. Now retired, she has served as pastor of churches and served as District Superintendent with the United Methodist Church in Pennsylvania. Deborah has served on the Board of the Center for Spiritual Formation since its founding. She graduated from the Ministry of Spiritual Direction and currently provides Spiritual Direction. Deborah is married to Randall and the mother of adult children Forrest and Joanna.
Prayer from the Center’s Archives
The Center for Spiritual Formation has a treasure trove of prayers collected over the years through our Ministry of Spiritual Direction training, retreats and workshops.
Life’s Pilgrimage:
Alone with none but thee O God,
I journey on my way.
What need I fear, when thou art near
O king of night and day?
More safe am I within your hand
Than if a host did round me stand.
~Columba, c. 521-97 CE
Pilgrim God, there is an exodus going on in our lives: desert stretches, a vast land of questions. Inside our heads your promises tumble and turn. There is no pillar of cloud by day or fire at night that we can see. Our hearts hurt at leaving loved ones and so much of the security that we have known. We try to give-in to the stretching and the pain. It is hard, God, and we want to be settled, secure, safe and sure. And here we are feeling so full of the pilgrim’s fear and anxiety. O God of the journey, lift us up, press us against your cheek. Let your great love hold us and create a deep trust within us. Then, God of the journey, set us down; take our hands in yours, and gently guide us across the new territory of our lives.
~Adapted from Joyce Rupp