Holding What We Carry | Centering Prayer in Northeast Ohio

January 8, 2026 Gathering

A Centering Prayer reflection from Hope Ridge United Methodist Church in Northeast Ohio

Opening & Arrival

This week’s Centering Prayer gathering took place in the quiet space between seasons with Christmas behind us, a new year beginning, and Epiphany Sunday this past week.

Epiphany invites us to notice how God is revealed and present among us. We held that presence gently through the name Emmanuel, God with us, not as something to think about, but as something to rest into.

Rather than focusing on silent entry, we began with a mindful check-in, noticing where we were arriving from and what we were carrying from the day or week. Together, we practiced settling into our bodies through shared breathing, grounding our feet, softening our shoulders and hands, and releasing tension we didn’t need to hold.

The invitation simple: nothing to fix, nothing to resolve just arriving as we are.

We then entered our time of Centering Prayer, closing our days in the dim library and sitting in silence for our 20 minutes and returning to our sacred word or symbol as a way of consenting to God’s presence and action within us.

Being Present, Together

After our silent 20 minutes we began to return, by gently bringing our awareness back to the room, back to our bodies, and to our circle, we responded in unison with, "I am held" to support our transition out of silence.

God is with us. I am held.

We are not alone. I am held.

As we leave this space…I am held.

In this shared practice, we were reminded that presence is not something we manage or achieve, but something we receive again and again even as circumstances remain outside our control.

A Reflection on Presence

After returning from silence, we reflected quietly on a short saying:

Hurry kills Presence. Worry kills Peace. Doubt kills Faith. Ego kills Love. Now read that again right to left.

As we reread a second time, we simply noticed what stirred or settled as we held them. In the season of Epiphany, this reflection gently echoed the reminder of Emmanuel, God with us.

Worry, Letting Go, and How We Show Up

Our conversation naturally turned toward worry and the question of how we live with what we carry: not in theory, but in everyday moments. What emerged was less about answers and more about awareness: noticing how we show up in the moment, and recognizing the limits of what we can control, particularly when it comes to others.

Rather than trying to change circumstances or fix one another, we shared ways we notice ourselves returning to the present when worry takes hold. Some spoke of pausing and taking slow, deep breaths into the belly to help the body settle. Others mentioned creative practices, such as art, as a way of expressing and releasing what words can’t always carry. Time outside, gentle physical movement, and centering in the body were also named as supportive ways of grounding. For those with mobility challenges, even small movements such as heel raises or supported swinging were shared as accessible ways of reconnecting with breath and presence.

What became clear was that holding what we carry often begins not with changing what’s around us, but with noticing how we are meeting the moment, and allowing ourselves to be present there.

Looking Ahead & Closing Prayer

As we move into the coming week, we may continue to notice what we are carrying and how we respond perhaps beginning to let go of the small things that are out of our hands. Rather than trying to change everything at once, we can gently practice how we show up in ordinary moments, allowing small, mindful pauses to become part of our days.

In paying attention to the simple rhythms of breath, movement, and presence, we return again and again to what is within our care.

Closing Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, we offer you what has been spoken and what remains unspoken.

Teach us to release hurry, worry, doubt, and ego, and to receive presence, peace, faith, and love as gifts rather than goals.

Hold us as we leave this space, and remind us that we are carried now and always.

Amen.

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About Our Group, Centering Prayer in Northeast Ohio

Centering Prayer is a contemplative prayer practice that invites us to rest in silence and consent to God’s presence and action within us. Our group gathers regularly to practice silence together, reflect gently on what emerges, and listen to one another with care without fixing, advising, or interrupting.

All are welcome. No prior experience is needed.

All are welcome. Come as you are, and rest in the quiet presence of God.

For more information, click here or email the group facilitator.