Spirituality And Prayer

Toward the spiritual life

We hear a great deal these days about New Age spirituality and others forms of spirituality - some with a long and rich tradition, and some current fads. In all of this it is well to remember that Christianity has an extraordinarily rich and varied spiritual tradition. The tradition begins with the life of Jesus Christ. Whether things were going well or whether things were not going well, Jesus prayed. Indeed, he is the greatest model of a prayerful person we have. There are numerous examples in scripture where Jesus went off to a lonely place and prayed and he taught us a beautifully compact prayer of praise, thanksgiving, and petition that we know as the Lord's Prayer. Since the time of the apostles the Christian tradition has developed in a variety of ways, sometimes within the organized church and sometimes not. The Christian spiritual tradition is a very rich one and we encourage you to explore its many dimensions. If you would like some assistance in developing your own spiritual life and would like to meet with a chaplain, please contact chaplains Peter French or Joan Fleming. Here are a few ideas and resources to help you develop your spiritual life.

Retreats

Another great way to develop your spiritual life is by making a retreat. A retreat is a time away from your routine life in a place that is quiet and conducive to meditation and prayer. Each spring, The Episcopal Church at Princeton University makes a retreat. A daily round of prayer and silence, group discussions and plenty of free time for walks, private discussions with friends or the ECP Chaplain (as well as for school work!) provide an atmosphere of deep reflection and spiritual growth. If you are interested in joining the next retreat February 29 - March 2, 2008, or have questions about just how a retreat on your own might help you on your spiritual journey, please contact the Episcopal Chaplain, Peter French.

The 2008 Spring Retreat was February 29 - March 2, 2008, at Holy Cross Monastery in West Park, New York - along the banks of the Hudson River. It was a wonderful weekend for all who attended. Watch this space for news about the 2009 retreat.

By the way, we're still looking for a generous benefactor to endow a fund to send students on retreat this year.

Habits of Prayer

Keep these things in mind as you develop your prayer life:

  • One way to think about prayer is simply paying attention to God - listening for God.
  • Pray every day, all the time.
  • Have a special time and place for prayer and meditation each day.
  • Discipline yourself to be faithful to a daily prayer time.
  • Try different forms: The Daily Office, free form, meditation, devotional books, favorite prayers, etc.
  • Keep at it even when it feels dry (like jogging or working out or studying when you don't feel like it).
  • Pray alone and with others (common prayer).
  • Cultivate a consciousness of the presence of God so that everything you do becomes prayer.
  • Receive Holy Communion at least weekly.
  • Make a silent retreat once a year at a retreat center, convent, or monastery.

The basics

Ten basics - with accompanying quotes from the Bible - that summarize what following Jesus means to Episcopalians

Daily prayer

Links to several daily prayer websites.

Lectio Divina

Holy Reading - On this page are links to reading material which could be used fruitfully in the practice of lectio as a way of prayer.

Prayers in time of terrorism and war

Prayers from the Book of Common Prayer and from other sources addressing the difficult issues raised by terrorism and war.

Some prayers and meditations

A collection of prayers from the bible, the Book of Common Prayer, and other sources.