“True contemplation is not a psychological trick but a theological grace.” -Thomas Merton
“In our culture and in our society, Satan majors in 3 things-noise, hurry and crowds.” Psychiatrist Carl Jung once said, “Hurry is not of the Devil; it is the Devil.” (Foster) If he can keep us distracted and engaged in “muchness” and “manyness” then he knows we will be very ineffective in building the kingdom of God. The Bible uses 2 different Hebrew words to convey the idea of meditation. It has various meanings-listening to God’s Word, reflecting on God’s works, rehearsing God’s deeds, obeying God’s laws and more. David says, “Oh, how I love thy law! It is my meditation all the day..I hold my feet from every evil way, in order to keep thy word. I do not turn aside from thy ordinances, for thou hast taught me.” (Psalm 119:97, 101, 102) Every time it is mentioned in the Bible there is an emphasis on changed behavior upon our part,as a result of our encounter with the LIVING God. Repentance and obedience are essential characteristics in a biblical understanding of meditation.
We read about Isaac going out into a field in the evening to meditate in Genesis 24:63. David says “On my bed I remember you; I meditate on you through the watches of the night” (Psalm 63:6). Eli, the old priest (1 Samuel 3:1-18) knew how to listen to God and helped Samuel as a young boy to recognize the voice of the Lord. Elijah spent much time in the wilderness learning how to discern the “still small voice of the Lord” (1 Kings 19:9-18.) In each of these incidences it is obvious that each person had an intimate relationship with God-they were close to his very heart. God spoke to them NOT because they had special abilities, but because they were willing to listen.
We also see the example in Jesus, countless times during his few years of ministry on earth he habitually withdrew to “a lonely place apart” (Matt. 14:13). He had to distance himself from the crowds so he could be alone with God-to talk to him, to listen to Him. And as Christ followers we too are called to do the same-to get away from anything that hinders us and to get alone with God.
“Christian meditation, very simply, is the ability to hear God’s voice and obey His word.” That’s it-it’s not a formula, it’s a way of life. Just as we would talk with a friend, so we can talk to God-pouring our heart out before Him (for He knows all our deepest secrets and fears anyways-“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4:13). But we have the freedom to bare our soul before God without fear of condemnation (Romans 8:1). We are promised in His Word that “perfect love casts out all fear” (1 John 4:18).
Foster cautions us, “Let us not become like the Israelites, who were not prepared for such intimacy with God. Once they learned a little about God, they realized that being in his presence was risky business and told Moses so: “You speak to us, and we will hear; but let not God speak to us, lest we die.” (Exod. 20:19). Foster goes on to say, “In this way they could maintain religious respectability without the attendant risks. This was the beginning of the great line of the prophets and the judges, Moses being the first. But it was a step away from the sense of immediacy, the sense of the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night.” I don’t know about you but I want to speak directly to God, I want a deep and personal communion with him without any barriers.
“The truth of the matter is that the great God of the universe, the Creator of all things, desires our fellowship. In the garden of Eden, Adam and Eve talked with God and He talked with them-they were in perfect communion. Then came the fall and there was a rupture of this perfect communion, for Adam and Eve hid from God in their shame. But God continued to reach out to His rebellious children and in stories of other Biblical characters (just like you and me today)-Cain and Abel, Noah, and Abraham we see God continually speaking and acting, teaching and guiding.” (Foster)
Then in the New Testament we see Jesus walking and talking with his disciples-constantly teaching them as he does life together with mere men. Even after his death we read in Luke that Jesus continues “to do and teach” even if people cannot see him with the naked eye. In Acts we see the resurrected and reigning Christ, through the Holy Spirit teaching and guiding his followers-leading Phillip to new unreached peoples (Acts 8), revealing the Messiah to Paul (Acts 9), guiding the church out of its cultural captivity (Acts 15). And there are many more accounts throughout the entire Bible where people (those who are actually listening) communicate with God on a regular basis.
Do not make the mistake of thinking that these are only stories long ago and that God only speaks through the Bible- Jesus is resurrected and at work in our world. “He is not idle, nor has he developed laryngitis and cannot speak. He is alive and among us as our Priest to forgive us, our Prophet to teach us, our King to rule us and as our Shepherd to guide us.” (Foster)
Misconceptions about Meditation:
Meditation is misunderstood by a lot of Christians today because of their perception of meditation in regards to Eastern religions. In reality, the 2 ideas stand in complete contrast with each other. The idea of the practice of Yoga or the religion of Buddhism and the familiar pose of sitting Indian style, arms up and eyes closed has nothing to do with Christian meditation.
Whereas eastern meditation is an attempt to EMPTY the mind and to think about nothing, Christian meditation is an attempt to FILL the mind-with Christ and what Christ is teaching us and to how to follow His ways and not our own. Eastern meditation is all about detachment from the body to find Nirvana (peace) versus Christian meditation is all about the attachment to God and how to hear from him and be in communion with him-to find COMPLETE peace IN him. This leads to the inner wholeness necessary to give ourselves to God freely.
So as you can see, these 2 concepts of meditation are complete opposites. One confines us to a totally human experience while the other catapults us to a divine-human encounter. While one talks about exploring the subconscious, the other speaks of “resting in Him who we have found, who loves us, and who is near to us, who comes to draw us to Himself”. Both may sound “religious”, but the former fails to find a place for spiritual reality. Another misconception about meditation is that it is too difficult, too complicated and should be left to the professionals. But the idea and concept of meditation is for any one, it is Biblical and easy and all it takes is a desire and a willingness to do it. Once it becomes a habit it is as natural and important as breathing.
Preparing to Meditate:
Just as we can only learn how to pray by doing it, so is true with meditation. We learn to meditate by mediating. I want to start out with a few suggestions.
-Set aside a particular time in your day to do it. The Bible doesn’t tell us to do it at certain times-in the above examples you saw how some did it at night, others early in the morning, others throughout their day. We can do it at any time and in any circumstances if we are intentional. You know what works best for you-I am usually best able to meditate early in the morning during my time with the Lord before the girls are awake, my husband often does it during their naps, and we both strive to do it at different points throughout our day. The church fathers spoke of Otium Sanctum “holy leisure”-a time set aside to not just hurry or run through life, but to pause and reflect on God and His grace and love.
-Find a particular place to meditate. Find a place that is quiet and free from interruptions-no technology of any kind-phones, internet, etc. We live in a society where we are constantly plugged in-constant communication almost endlessly at our fingertips, we must unplug with technology to truly be in tune to the Lord. I have found it easy to meditate while going for a walk or even doing the dishes as I look out the kitchen window. It is good to have a habitual place where you can spend the most time meditating but it is also helpful to be creative in meditating throughout your day-making it a part of things you do regularly-house work, long car rides while stuck in traffic, during your exercise, etc. After all, Thomas Merton writes, “Meditation has no point and no reality unless it is firmly rooted in life.”
-Find a posture to meditate. One that you are most comfortable with and least distracted-it may be with your head bowed and eyes closed, it may mean that you kneel. Regardless of how it is done-the goal is to center the attention of your body, emotions, the mind and the spirit upon the “glory of God and on the face of Christ” (2 Corin. 4:6) Foster says “What happens in meditation is that we create the emotional and spiritual space which allows Christ to construct an inner sanctuary in the heart.”
Forms of Meditation:
-Scripture: Keeping our focus on God’s WORD is the most important part of meditation-our lens in which to keep everything in proper perspective. When we meditate on the Bible, the words come alive and become real to you (“For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12). “It is a time to set aside all our tendencies to be arrogant and instead to have a humble heart to receive whatever it is that God wants to tell you. Just as you do not analyze the words of someone you love but accept them as they are said to you, you must ACCEPT the word of Scripture and ponder them in your heart, as Mary did. That is all. That is meditation. It is important to resist the temptation to pass over many passages superficially-our rushing reflects our internal state and this is what needs to be TRANSFORMED.” (Foster) We cannot truly meditate on God’s living word and walk away unchanged! Camp out on Scripture-spend a week or two on a chapter in Psalms, read one of the Gospels over and over again, learn a parable or a few verses and truly let them sink in and take root in your heart-this is where we see heart change that is lasting because God promises us that His word never returns void.
-Palms down, palms up: “Wait a minute,” you may be thinking, “I thought this wasn’t yoga.” It’s not. But the reality is that we are visual beings and physical cues can help us connect things from our head to our heart. This is why you may find this practice helpful. In the middle ages the Quakers called it “Recollection” or sometimes “palms down, palms up”. Begin by placing your palms down as a symbolic indication of your desire to turn over any concerns you have to God. Inwardly you pray for the Lord to take away your worries, desire for control over your life…then you turn your palms up as a symbol of your desire to receive from God. You could pray silently and allow the Lord to commune with you-to love you. Spend time in complete silence so you can listen and not ask anything but let God to speak to you about situations and circumstances.
-Contemplative Prayer: This is prayer where you specifically meditate on God’s creation-where the great Creator of the universe shows us something of His glory through his creation. Psalms 19:1 says “The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” Spend time specifically thanking God for different parts of His creation and meditate on the AWESOME work of His hands, how He has authority over all.
Don’t be discouraged if in the beginning your meditation has little meaning to you. “This spiritual discipline is another piece of our journey in our walk with God- a progression. It is wise to have some experience with lesser peaks before trying to tackle the Mt. Everest of the soul. “ (Foster) So be patient with yourself. Just remember that meditation is not a single act, nor can it be completed in a short period of time, or checked off as a completed task. It is a way of life. You will be constantly learning and growing as you discover and dive deeper in your walk with the King. “Therefore, holy brothers (and sisters), who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.” (Hebrews 3:1) The familiar words of the timeless hymn “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” drift up to my memory-Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.” Let this song be our prayer, that as we focus our attention fully on Jesus, all others things will fade away from view and we will grow deeper in our trust and love for our Savior.
By Laurel Jeremiadoss
***If you are interested in studying the spiritual disciplines further, most of our teaching comes from Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline, Spiritual Disciplines by Donald Whitney and E.M. Bounds’ Weapons of Prayer.
No comments:
Post a Comment