Flying fish : the experience of members of the United Church of Canada who participate in a contemplative prayer group

Abstract

“Flying Fish: The Experience of Members of the United Church of Canada Who Participate in a Contemplative Prayer Group” is a transcendental phenomenological study that examines the experience of members of the United Church of Canada (UCC) with both the UCC and the contemplative prayer group (CPG) [Centering Prayer, Christian Mediation, Ignatian Exercises, and others] they attend. The experience inside each group (CPG and UCC) and the combination were investigated, looking for trends or themes. A number of themes emerged: the hero’s journey, the living Christian prayer tradition and the emerging religious movement called “practice-orientated spiritualities.” The research also led to several critical questions: Are CPGs elitist? Is there proper scriptural support for CPGs? Do CPGs promote spiritual utopianism? Opportunities identified by the research include emerging practice-orientated spiritualities, the need for silent practice and, most significantly, the renewed need for teaching prayer.