Exhibiting a Spiritual Foundation and Ongoing Practice

One of my favorite activities at Luther House is offering Centering Prayer at the Duck Pond located near the center of campus at the University of New Mexico. Students, faculty, staff, and the local community are invited to join us during the lunch hour once a week to slow down, listen to the Spirit, and center themselves in the love and comfort of God.

I utilize a variety of resources to offer Centering Prayer. I practice a variety of prayer techniques adapted from "50 Ways to Pray" by Teresa A. Blythe. We especially love breath prayers. One of our most popular prayers is to simply breathe in the love of God, hold, and breathe out anxiety and fear. 

When the weather is not cooperative with outdoor prayer, we use chalk and write our breath prayers and centering prayers on a main walkway through campus. This method allows the community to encounter God throughout the week. We get a lot of positive feedback from our prayer chalkings.

One student wrote to me and thanked me for the written prayer. He said that he was in tears and stressed out and the prayer stopped him in his tracks. He spent some time breathing deeply and praying and was able to calm down and enjoy his day. He said that he was truly thankful for our written prayers.

Centering prayer is one of the many ways we offer time to connect with God. We also offer spiritual practices, text study, worship, and Holy Communion on Wednesday evenings following our free community meal.