In the middle of a busy day, members of the Stillwaters community are encouraged to pause for a moment, wherever they are, to pray. The ‘angelus’ midday prayer is one part of a rhythm of prayer that includes a weekly service and a monthly gathering, both of which incorporate times of silence.
For Beverly Stark, one of the lay leaders of Stillwaters, contemplative prayer has become increasingly important.
“Sometimes words get in the way. You may not feel anything significant or dramatic when you pray silently and rest in God’s presence - change comes over time. I’ve noticed things about myself, sometimes quite challenging things, because of that practice. Contemplative prayer helps us to ‘live awake to God’s presence’, as Father Adam Bucko puts it, and I think it changes and enlarges people.”
Stillwaters began in Bath in 2017, when the Revd Stephen Girling, then Missioner at Bath Abbey, and others recognised that people locally wanted to explore the centuries-old Christian contemplative tradition – and did not always find an opportunity to do this in their home churches.
This ecumenical and inclusive community offers a supportive way for people drawn to contemplative prayer to deepen their relationship with God.
Beverly says, “We encourage a simple rhythm of life, pausing at midday and holding a short morning prayer service on zoom on Wednesday mornings. It has been good to weave this into our everyday lives, in a way that isn't too onerous, or daunting. We also meet once a month to share a meal together, followed by a time of reflection and silence. Sometimes if you struggle a bit with silence on your own, it helps to share times of silence with other people in the same space. You are held by the silence of others.”
The contemplative tradition offers another means of encountering God. The practice creates space to notice what is happening within us and to place ourselves before God.
Some from Stillwaters also attend a ‘meditation in the Christian tradition’ group at St Mary’s, Charlcombe, which brings together Christians, those who do not identify as Christian, and some who have found church difficult. After a short reading, the group sits in silence together for 20 minutes.
Beverly says, “What’s been amazing is the sense of community that’s built as a result of sitting in silence together for 20 minutes. I would not have anticipated that when I started.”
Stillwaters draws on the pattern of prayer found in monastic communities, but its rhythm is intended to fit alongside everyday life. It also reflects this year’s wider invitation across the Diocese of Bath and Wells to have a particular focus on prayer throughout 2026.
For the Stillwaters community, the purpose of contemplative prayer is not silence for its own sake; it is the repeated choice to make room for God: to stop, to rest in God’s presence and to be changed by that.
For more information about Stillwaters please email Katy, Beverly and Richard: stillwaters-uk@googlegroups.com