Held by God is a reflection from this week’s Centering Prayer gathering during Advent. Together, we practiced settling the body, resting in silence, and releasing fear into God’s care. As we reflected on Advent’s promise, we named how love invites us forward even when fear arises. In stillness, we remembered that our whole life is prayer, and that we are always held by God.

In this week’s gathering, our Centering Prayer group reflected on gratitude, grace, and the gifts that flow through ordinary moments. Guided by a passage from One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp, writes “The truly saved see grace everywhere and in everything”, we explored how thanksgiving opens our hearts to the light of God’s grace in all things.

In Week 13, our Centering Prayer group explored writing as prayer, using intuitive journaling as a gentle way to listen for God’s presence. Each word became an act of release, gratitude, and love, a quiet offering back to God.

As the holiday season approaches, our Centering Prayer group reflected on gratitude not as another task to complete, but as a quiet awareness of what truly matters. Together, we paused to breathe, offered a simple “thank you” before returning to our sacred word, and rediscovered the peace that comes from resting in God’s presence.

In our Week 11 Centering Prayer gathering at Hope Ridge (October 29, 2025), we explored what it means to know God with our whole being mind, heart, and body. Inspired by Cynthia Bourgeault’s The Wisdom Way of Knowing and Mark 12:30, we reflected on how true wisdom invites balance between thought, feeling, and presence. Through silence and reflection, we practiced resting in this harmony and allowing divine love to flow through all three centers of knowing.