The Source of Centering Prayer with Carmen Acevedo Butcher
Dec 18, 2022
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Carmen Acevedo Butcher, an internationally acclaimed speaker and translator of spiritual texts, dives deep into the transformative power of Centering Prayer. She shares her personal journey of healing through meditation and nature, emphasizing self-compassion and community. The conversation explores how trauma can foster connection and highlights the importance of creating safe spaces for contemplation. Carmen also discusses the significance of selecting a sacred word in Centering Prayer, reinforcing the interconnectedness of individual experiences and wider societal challenges.
Carmen Acevedo Butcher emphasizes that centering prayer transforms self-compassion and increases social consciousness by fostering interconnectedness with others and the divine.
The podcast highlights the organic transition from meditation to contemplation, illustrating the accessibility of centering prayer even for those facing challenges like dyslexia.
Deep dives
The Journey to Contemplation
The guest shares her personal journey towards the practice of centering prayer, highlighting how her early experiences with trauma and a connection to nature fostered a proclivity for silence and reflection. This inclination led her to explore the teachings of Father Thomas Keating, which emphasized a natural progression from reading scripture to meditation and ultimately to contemplation. The speaker emphasizes the organic nature of this transition, noting the importance of context, such as her early exposure to Lectio Divina in the Southern Baptist Church. Through her experiences, she articulates that even with challenges like dyslexia, the practice is accessible to everyone, suggesting that the journey of centering prayer can begin wherever one may be in life.
Understanding Meditation and Contemplation
The guest distinguishes between meditation and contemplation, explaining that meditation serves as a form of healing and connection that starts from the experience of nature or scripture. She discusses how misconceptions surrounding meditation, particularly in traditional religious contexts, can inhibit one's understanding and engagement with the practice. By recounting her own meditative experiences, including grappling with feelings of despair and utilizing scripture for reflection, she illustrates how these moments lay the groundwork for deeper contemplative practices. Ultimately, she conveys that true meditation creates space for emotions, fostering a sense of interconnectedness with the divine.
The Role of Self-Compassion
The discussion highlights the transformative impact of centering prayer on self-compassion and social consciousness, emphasizing how deepened awareness facilitates love for oneself and, consequently, for others. This interconnectedness is illustrated through personal reflections on societal issues like digital redlining, which underline how practicing self-compassion can extend to compassion for marginalized groups. The speaker views the practice of centering prayer as a vital tool for addressing personal trauma, suggesting it can cultivate courage and healing. By recognizing our shared humanity, the practice encourages openness to understanding and supporting those in need.
Embracing a Relationship with the Divine
The conversation frames centering prayer as a relational practice that invites individuals into a deeper connection with God. The guest explains that this relationship is founded on openness and listening, allowing practitioners to acknowledge their emotions within the context of prayer. Through the lens of this practice, the guest explores the notion that acknowledging divine presence dispels feelings of separation or absence, promoting a sense of belonging within the broader human experience. This shift in perspective not only nurtures the individual’s relationship with God but also enhances their empathy and engagement with the world around them.
On Today’s episode of Opening Minds, Opening Hearts, we welcome internationally acclaimed speaker, author, poet and translator of spiritual texts, Carmen Acevedo Butcher. Today she shares her thoughts on Centering Prayer practice, self-compassion, community with others, and how trauma can be turned into connection through meditation and contemplation.
To connect further with Carmen Acevedo Butcher Visit her website: https://www.carmenbutcher.com/ Visit her Linktree: https://linktr.ee/carmenacevedobutcher Check out her YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/CarmenAcevedoButcherPresence
Carmen’s translations: Brother Lawrence’s Practice of the Presence (Broadleaf) now available on Audible The Cloud of Unknowing (Shambhala)
To connect further with us: Visit our website: www.contemplativeoutreach.org Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/contemplativeoutreachltd/ Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/contemplativeoutreach Check out our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/coutreach
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