integration paper

Week 3: Reflection

Date: 01/29/2018

Reading through the article “Centering Prayer” there are various issues and ideas that are brought out that are interesting and intriguing. The idea behind contemplative prayer is very important in the life of a Christian. Most Christians if not every Christian wish to have an intimate union with God and a more powerful God’s experience in their lives (Sandman, 2009). This needs a simple prayer that ordinary people could learn and practice easily. The centering prayer as explained in the article can if practice can enable Christians to be able to conduct contemplative prayers. This is because looking at the guidelines of centering prayer, the steps are simple and an ordinary person can manage in order to have a contemplative prayer.

Analyzing the fruits of Centering prayer has have been highlighted in the article, there are various things that can be noted. Everyday connection with God is necessary for one to have the divine connection with God. Through everyday connection with God through prayer deepens the intimacy that one has with God as the awareness expands. This proves that centering prayer is one of the ways in which contemplative prayer can be achieved. Achieving a divine awareness with God has many benefits as seen with the benefits of practicing centering prayer. Such benefits include decrease in compulsive behavior, a greater freedom to respond positively among other things.

In the message quest for meaning as seen in class notes, one of the things that is evident is that God only calls us to be and to do that which people can be and do. This is why it has always been said that God cannot test us beyond that which we can sustain and endure through. However, knowing what one has been called for is not easy. There are times when people confuse career for a call. There are always signs and evidence that God provides to help people identify what they are called to. It is therefore, important that people should always be on the watch on the signs and evidence that God provides that they get to know and understand clearly what they are called by God to be and do.

It is true that calling is tough call that people are given by God. There are things that people have to do to ensure that they are successfully in their callings. One is that a person has to wait for his or her call, as people are called at different times and in different ways as seen in the stories of the Bible about how people were being called by God for various tasks. In waiting for a calling one has to be open and receptive to whatever God will ask them to do as part of their calling. This is because some of the calling as tough and people have to be ready, which means being open and receptive. Calling as sometimes things that we do not expect. It is important that people live with uncertainty for them to be able to accept the calling they are given.

In the class about incarnation, there are various points that are worth reflecting on. It is known that God revealed Himself to human beings just like humans through Jesus Christ. This shows that God is like all other things but sin. It is argued that sin is less than human. Reasoning have been made of why God became man. It is true that at the time when God became man, He and man had a broken relationship. By becoming like man, it was easy for God to reconciliate with man and restore the original grace. Showing man that He was like him made it easier to achieve the broken relationship.

Divine nature is also a concept that were introduced in the class notes. The question why divine nature is evident. One of the answers to this question is that divine nature of God is to help humans to also partake in such divinity. In achieving the divine nature of God, people have to pray. Contemplative and centering prayer is one of the ways humans can partake in such divine nature of God. Divine nature enables humans to become their true self.

References

Sandman, J.G. (2009). Center Prayer: A Treasure for the Soul. Boston: Springer Publishers.