A Centering Prayer Workshop
Recovering the Prayer of the Heart
Rooted in the ancient Christian contemplative tradition
Saturday, October 24, 2026 | 9am – 4pm | $35 | The Anchor House
Join us for a one-day Centering Prayer Workshop rooted in the ancient Christian contemplative tradition — designed to introduce you to a practice that opens the door to deeper silence, freedom, and communion with God.
You are not alone.
So many sincere seekers carry these words quietly in their hearts:
“Prayer just doesn’t work for me.”
“I wish I could live from the heart.”
“I need more silence and peace in my life.”
“I feel so enslaved to my emotions. Will I ever get free?”
If you have voiced these words — or felt them too deep for words — you are not alone. The restless mind, the guarded heart, the sense that God feels distant — these are not signs of spiritual failure. They are invitations.
From the very beginning of the Christian tradition, the great spiritual masters taught that there is a way through the noise — a path of surrender and stillness that leads, slowly and gently, into deeper communion with God, with others, and with your own truest self.
That path is contemplative prayer. And one of its most accessible contemporary expressions is called Centering Prayer.
What to Expect:
Here is a simple picture of the day — no prior experience required:
1. Arrive at The Anchor House — Begin the day in a beautiful, unhurried setting made for retreat and reflection.
2. Learn the Method — Be introduced to the practice of Centering Prayer: what it is, how it works, and why it matters.
3. Discover the Roots — Explore the theology and history of contemplative prayer within the Christian tradition.
4. Sit in Silence Together — Practice three guided “sits” of Centering Prayer in a safe, supportive group setting.
5. Navigate the Obstacles — Learn how to work through the very real challenges that arise when developing a prayer practice.
6. Ask Every Question — There is ample time built into the day for honest questions and open conversation.
7. Leave Equipped — Depart with printed handouts, practical tools, and a practice that is truly yours to carry forward.
Cost: $35, includes lunch and all printed materials
Meet Your Guides
Rev. Michael Sciretti, Jr., Ph.D. has spent years accompanying seekers and strugglers into the practice of contemplative prayer. Drawing from the rich wells of Christian mystical tradition, he brings warmth, scholarly depth, and the kind of wisdom that can only come from a living practice. Michael will guide you through the theology, the history, and the method of Centering Prayer — meeting you exactly where you are.
Joining Michael is Nancy Sterling, who currently facilitates all Centering Prayer sessions offered through The Center for Christian Spirituality. Nancy brings her gentle presence and years of lived experience to the workshop — a fellow traveler on the contemplative path.
What Remains Without a Practice?
Without an anchor of interior silence, it is easy to remain stuck on the surface of life — reacting rather than responding, driven by emotion rather than grounded in love. The noise of daily life has a way of crowding out the still, small voice where God speaks.
You were not made for spiritual survival. You were made for communion.
Imagine This…
What would it mean to move through your days with greater stillness? To respond rather than react. To feel the tightness in your chest begin to loosen and your heart quietly open, not through effort or striving, but through surrender.
Those who practice Centering Prayer regularly describe a gradual deepening: a greater freedom from reactivity, a growing sense of God’s nearness, and a life increasingly lived from the inside out.
Whether you are brand new to contemplative prayer or returning to a practice you have let slip, this workshop is an open door. Come as you are.
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
— Psalm 46:10