—Feb 10 2009
Contemplative Prayer, Fr. Brian C. Taylor
Llisten to a talk that Fr. Brian gave on Contemplative Prayer.
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Llisten to a talk that Fr. Brian gave on Contemplative Prayer.
The narrative that follows is a compilation of interviews, meeting minutes, official documents and historical data. Of all these resources, the memories of the parishioners are, by far, the greatest treasures. Documents provide accurate data, of course, but the vignettes that are stirred in discussing the past bring forth a warm and loving picture of St. Michael’s. In many ways the parish, although a larger community 50 years later, has retained much of the special character described in the early days.
For some, the term contemplative prayer may be intimidating. Perhaps when we think of contemplation, we envision pious, holy mystics who are lost in rapture. While a few such saints have always existed (and many of them have been contemplative), there are also other ways of being contemplative that are far more ordinary. Silent prayer that has no other purpose than to be present to God is also contemplative. I assume that because you hold this book in your hands, you are attracted to this way of being with God. I do not assume that you are experienced in it. Nevertheless, if you are, my hope is that you will benefit from what I have to say about my experience with contemplative prayer. I share with you a particular approach which I have learned over years of practice. I suggest that you try it long enough to get to know in your own experience what I am talking about, instead of reading it simply out of curiosity.
Liturgy marks time. Our week is marked by the celebration of the resurrection on the morning of the first day. The week, as well as our lives, are a new creation. Liturgy also marks even larger cycles. The liturgical seasons of the church year provide a way of acknowledging the passage of the seasons of nature. By them we also observe certain basic truths about our life in God. Every year we go through the same journey, from Advent through Pentecost, and in so doing so we revisit the touchstones of our faith. Over time we make them our own. It may be that we are never exactly in sync with the seasons, but that doesn’t matter. We may never really experience repentance during the six weeks of Lent. God’s nearness may become real for us in the middle of summer rather than at Christmas time. This is not a problem. What is important is that we walk the journey every year so that these themes become a part of who we are. We begin to look at our experience through the lens of incarnation, crucifixion and resurrection.
End Document — St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church