Christian way to meditate

[New_Spiritual_Birth]

I know that there are several secular way to meditate. But what is the Christian take on the subject and how are you supposed to do it?

 

[New_Spiritual_Birth]

No one

 

[MKJ]

What do you think meditation is? What is it's purpose?

 

[New_Spiritual_Birth]

I am not sure. Never quite understood its purpose. But my guess is - to reduce anxiety/stress and increase self-control. I don't know, but praying does seem to do all those things too. So to tell you the truth, I am talking about something I understand very little about.

 

[MKJ]

I don't know a lot about it either, but I think often the purpose is to quiet the mind of stray thoughts, and bring it to a place where it is very much in the now rather than the past or future.

Not quite like prayer really, but I think possibly a good preparation before praying.

 

[Begonias]

I like to run the same snippet of scripture through my head over and over.

 

[Catherineanne]

I know that there are several secular way to meditate. But what is the Christian take on the subject and how are you supposed to do it?

I am far from an expert, but as I understand it, Christian meditation involves taking an event from Scripture and bringing it to mind, and then thinking on what happened, either from the standpoint of one of the people involved, or as a bystander. The crucifixion would be the most obvious example of this.

Catholics meditate on what they call 'mysteries' of the gospel when they pray the rosary. This meditation is productive of particular graces, because it prompts them to emulate those involved, or their behaviour.

In Anglican terms I think this is a subject that is often skirted around, but is not really treated consistently. I am aware that some so called 'Celtic' Christians do funny things with stones, candles and such, but that doesn't really appeal to me, so it is perhaps best described by someone who likes it.

 

[MKJ]

I am far from an expert, but as I understand it, Christian meditation involves taking an event from Scripture and bringing it to mind, and then thinking on what happened, either from the standpoint of one of the people involved, or as a bystander. The crucifixion would be the most obvious example of this.

Catholics meditate on what they call 'mysteries' of the gospel when they pray the rosary. This meditation is productive of particular graces, because it prompts them to emulate those involved, or their behaviour.

In Anglican terms I think this is a subject that is often skirted around, but is not really treated consistently. I am aware that some so called 'Celtic' Christians do funny things with stones, candles and such, but that doesn't really appeal to me, so it is perhaps best described by someone who likes it.

Yes, some Anglicans do this sort of thing while others don't, but I haven't much heard the theory of it described or commented on by Anglicans. I tend to be wary, as the East sees this kind of meditation that uses the imagination as very dangerous, and I tend to agree.

 

[mark46]

Be still, and know that I am God! (Psalm 46:10)

The psalms contain much good advice. This is perhaps the best. That is what Christian meditation is all about.

This resource should help as an introduction to the variety of ways that Christians use various meditation techniques. The two things to remember is that "meditation" is nothing fancy; it is simply "quiet prayer". The second key is that the focus is always on God, never on us.

The Voice in the Stillness

Two of my favorite forms have already been mentioned.

Lectio divina is meditating on Scripture. Read a passage, sit and wait for the Holy Spirit to speak to you. Read it again and consider what the passage means. Read it yet again and consider what action you might take. This method is great for small groups.

In centering prayer, one attempts to quiet the mind so that we might hear the Spirit. The method is one of focus on a particular image or word or phrase. Favorites might include Jesus, Savior, Lord, Mary, abba, resurrection. The phrase itself is secondary. The repetition is simply a way to keep away idle worldly thoughts. If such thought come, simply recognize them, put them aside, repeat the phase action and continue. If the same "idle" thought comes back, it is usually a good idea to stop write it down and continue.
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Stations of the Cross and the rosary (the scriptural rosary is my favorite) both provide excellent meditations, as well as the Jesus Prayer.

I believe that it was St. Ignatius that suggested reading Scripture and imagining yourself as one of the participants in the scene. For example, in the Scripture concerning the Samaritan woman, you might imagine yourself as her, as Peter, as one of the other apostles, as Jesus. Again the stations of the cross provide a fine set of scenes to start.

And dare I mention praying with icons? From one of my Anglican pamplets on prayer: "An icon is a type of painting of a biblical scene or saint, but you don't look at an icon - you "read" it. you meditate on it, allow yourself to be drawn into it.

Finally, many of the prayers of the Church lend themselves to meditation. For example, one does well to pray each statement of the pater noster (Our Father), stop and listen and read another.

 

[New_Spiritual_Birth]

Thank you all. I can see the diverse perspectives through the discussions in this thread and it has been really helpful.

Mark1, I want to give you a special thanks for going in depth on the various commonly used techniques.

 

[Catherineanne]

Yes, some Anglicans do this sort of thing while others don't, but I haven't much heard the theory of it described or commented on by Anglicans. I tend to be wary, as the East sees this kind of meditation that uses the imagination as very dangerous, and I tend to agree.

Do you mean Orthodoxy?

As far as I understand it, Orthodoxy uses icons to draw us into the mysteries of Gospel events. Although the method used is very different, the intention is the same as praying the mysteries of the rosary; to make the Gospel real to us.

Orthodoxy has a far better understanding of this than the other apostolics. It even has the concept of theosis, which we reallu don't like to have much to do with. We tend to be a bit wary of mysticism, I think.

I agree that imagination on its own can be dangerous, but properly guided in ways honoured and sanctioned by the church it can also open a whole new way of finding God.

 

[MKJ]

Do you mean Orthodoxy?

As far as I understand it, Orthodoxy uses icons to draw us into the mysteries of Gospel events. Although the method used is very different, the intention is the same as praying the mysteries of the rosary; to make the Gospel real to us.

Orthodoxy has a far better understanding of this than the other apostolics. It even has the concept of theosis, which we reallu don't like to have much to do with. We tend to be a bit wary of mysticism, I think.

I agree that imagination on its own can be dangerous, but properly guided in ways honoured and sanctioned by the church it can also open a whole new way of finding God.

The East would include the EO, the OO, and the Eastern Catholics, and I suppose maybe the Christians in India descended from St Thomas, though I don't know much about how the latter deals with images or imaginative prayer.

Orthodoxy uses icons partly for just the reason I gave - to avoid the use of imaginative prayer, which is very easy to fall into accidentally. An icon is an image, but not imaginative - it is as much a scripted image as Scripture is a scripted word - so the image being used is known to be correct.

Imaginative prayer where one builds up a set of images of their own, or even makes up a story of ones own, is a bit different. It is very easy to create an image which is simply a product of imagination. And what that tends to mean is that one is praying to a product of one's imagination. (Screwtape gives an excellent explanation of this to Wormwood in The Screwtape Letters.) Some people also feel that it can create opportunities to be tricked by false images - it's not surprising in that light that the West, especially Catholicism, has so many reported visitations and apparitions - people often see what they expect to see, and are willing to accept as authentic what they want to be authentic.

 

[Catherineanne]

The East would include the EO, the OO, and the Eastern Catholics, and I suppose maybe the Christians in India descended from St Thomas, though I don't know much about how the latter deals with images or imaginative prayer.

Orthodoxy uses icons partly for just the reason I gave - to avoid the use of imaginative prayer, which is very easy to fall into accidentally. An icon is an image, but not imaginative - it is as much a scripted image as Scripture is a scripted word - so the image being used is known to be correct.

Imaginative prayer where one builds up a set of images of their own, or even makes up a story of ones own, is a bit different. It is very easy to create an image which is simply a product of imagination. And what that tends to mean is that one is praying to a product of one's imagination. (Screwtape gives an excellent explanation of this to Wormwood in The Screwtape Letters.) Some people also feel that it can create opportunities to be tricked by false images - it's not surprising in that light that the West, especially Catholicism, has so many reported visitations and apparitions - people often see what they expect to see, and are willing to accept as authentic what they want to be authentic.

I understand what you are saying now. Thanks.

Which raises another question, as you seem to be sensible. If a person happened to 'see' something at a particular time, what should they do with it? Should they tell their minister, accept it but let it remain private, or just ignore it?

 

[mark46]

We do understand theosis a bit differently in the West. We call it divinization or entire sanctification. I believe that this understanding is a critical part of our spriritual growth. I agree that it better described in the East, but I think that Wesley did a pretty good job of framing it within the Western Church.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divinization_(Christian)

Do you mean Orthodoxy?

Orthodoxy has a far better understanding of this than the other apostolics. It even has the concept of theosis, which we reallu don't like to have much to do with. We tend to be a bit wary of mysticism, I think.

 

[gurneyhalleck1]

Yes. And in Orthodoxy, icons are not meant to be perfect renditions of historical events, full of realism and perfect details. That would edge toward idolatry or imaginative prayer that you mention. The Orthodox idealize the situation and put much effort into showing Christ transfigured, in His Glory, and the depiction represents a divine point of view, a window into heaven as they say. So while Catholicism focuses on the bloody details, the gashes, wounds, the suffering, the Orthodox show His pain but more through a divine lens as God would see Him, noble and transfigured but in a state of temporal sorrow. I like that icons are not exact depictions but full of symbolism, signpoints for theosis, and majesty.

The East would include the EO, the OO, and the Eastern Catholics, and I suppose maybe the Christians in India descended from St Thomas, though I don't know much about how the latter deals with images or imaginative prayer.

Orthodoxy uses icons partly for just the reason I gave - to avoid the use of imaginative prayer, which is very easy to fall into accidentally. An icon is an image, but not imaginative - it is as much a scripted image as Scripture is a scripted word - so the image being used is known to be correct.

Imaginative prayer where one builds up a set of images of their own, or even makes up a story of ones own, is a bit different. It is very easy to create an image which is simply a product of imagination. And what that tends to mean is that one is praying to a product of one's imagination. (Screwtape gives an excellent explanation of this to Wormwood in The Screwtape Letters.) Some people also feel that it can create opportunities to be tricked by false images - it's not surprising in that light that the West, especially Catholicism, has so many reported visitations and apparitions - people often see what they expect to see, and are willing to accept as authentic what they want to be authentic.

 

[Catherineanne]

Thank you all. I can see the diverse perspectives through the discussions in this thread and it has been really helpful.

Mark1, I want to give you a special thanks for going in depth on the various commonly used techniques.

Something I ought to mention. Some years ago I used to go to retreats and not know why I couldn't meditate in the same way as other people.

Anyone who has anxiety issues may well find that attempting to meditate raises anxiety, and that they can't concentrate. For such people, like me, meditation is best accompanied by physical activity such as ironing, gardening, washing up; anything like that.

We can't all meditate in the same way.

 

[mark46]

Well said.

I am reminded of Brother Lawrence who taught about the practice of always being in the presence of God. He taught that it was in our daily routines of life that we can draw close to God.

www.PracticeGodsPresence.com: Home of Brother Lawrence's 'The Practice of the Presence of God', Reflections on Practicing God's Presence and The Gospels Of Matthew, Luke, Mark, and John

Something I ought to mention. Some years ago I used to go to retreats and not know why I couldn't meditate in the same way as other people.

Anyone who has anxiety issues may well find that attempting to meditate raises anxiety, and that they can't concentrate. For such people, like me, meditation is best accompanied by physical activity such as ironing, gardening, washing up; anything like that.

We can't all meditate in the same way.