meditation in christianity
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Hello @JK2021, yes, there is meditation in Christianity, but Christian meditation is VERY different from the Eastern/Transcendental style of mediation, just FYI. For instance, Christian meditation is a mind-filling, rather that a mind-emptying practice. In fact, Christian mediation always begins and ends with the word of God. As the Bible says,
--David
p.s. - here are links to a couple of articles that you may find to be helpful (with links to additional articles about meditation at the bottom of the GotQuestions article/link #2 below).
Joshua 1
8 This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.
Psalms 1
1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.
Psalms 119
15 I will meditate on Thy precepts,
And regard Thy ways.
16 I shall delight in Thy statutes;
I shall not forget Thy word.
God bless you!8 This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.
Psalms 1
1 How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor stand in the path of sinners,
Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
3 He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.
Psalms 119
15 I will meditate on Thy precepts,
And regard Thy ways.
16 I shall delight in Thy statutes;
I shall not forget Thy word.
--David
p.s. - here are links to a couple of articles that you may find to be helpful (with links to additional articles about meditation at the bottom of the GotQuestions article/link #2 below).
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royal priest
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The Judeo roots of Christianity involved meditation, but it always involved the words and works of God. It was often accompanied by audible recitation. This is seen by the Hebrew meaning of the word translated meditate in our Bibles.
Paul, the 'Hebrew of Hebrews' (Philippians 3:5), knew this well. We see him constantly exhorting the church to think and set their minds on God's Word and His works.
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Here's a recent article that talks about "chewing the cud" (there are a number of them available on the Internet), which I believe is one of the best analogies for understanding Christian meditation, so I thought that I'd post it here as well (though I believe that both of the linked articles in my last post talk about it as well).
How will you look to change by the end of 2029, one decade from now? What will form you for good or for bad? What practice might you embrace that will affect the trajectory of the decade ahead?
As I have thought back on my decades as an adult, one practice stands above others in its effect on my life; the practice of meditating on Scripture. I wish I could remember the source that inspired me to begin the discipline. Though I have been far from consistent over the years, I find that I return time and again to the practice. Meditating on Scripture shapes thoughts, perspectives, actions, habits. It molds us in invisible ways far beneath the surface. The author of the book of Hebrews captures this perfectly when he says, “The Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any two-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) In other words, it seeps into the essence of our DNA. No other book approximates its power!
Meditation has mixed connotations in our day. I picture a person repeating a mantra, attempting to empty their mind of all thought. The biblical practice of meditating is not the same as the widespread practice these days of mindfulness. To meditate in the original Hebrew language of the Old Testament means “to mutter, to ruminate.” Two images arise. The first is of a person who is walking around muttering under their breath as if he cannot stop obsessing over a thought. The second is the image of a cow chewing its cud. The idea is chewed, swallowed, regurgitated, chewed again, and swallowed until it is thoroughly absorbed. Meditating is the practice of muttering and ruminating (chewing the cud) on Scripture. It is the most complete form of internalizing God’s Word.*
These two pictures, muttering and ruminating, give us quite a different way of approaching the Bible. Far from a quick read of a chapter a day, meditating chooses deep over wide. While there is immense value in gaining a broad overview of the stories and themes of Scripture, meditating balances this with the life-altering benefit of making Scripture infuse our very being. Psalm 1 captures the value when it says that for the one who meditates of Scripture, “whatever he does prospers.”
Imagine the impact a decade of meditating on Scripture would have on your life. Start small by taking a favorite passage from the Bible and lingering with it. If you want a suggestion of where to begin, try Matthew 11:28-30. Chew on it. Journal about it. Visualize it. What does it mean? What difference would it make if you believed it completely? Come back to the same passage the next day and the day after until it takes deep root. Live with it until it becomes a part of you. One passage, fully believed, can change your life forever. This is the power of meditating on Scripture. ~Meditating – Chew and Cud – Tommy Thompson
--David
*I would add the memorization of God's word along with Christian meditation as, "the most complete form of internalizing God's word". These two Christian disciplines go hand-in-hand with one another.
Meditating – Chew and Cud
How will you look to change by the end of 2029, one decade from now? What will form you for good or for bad? What practice might you embrace that will affect the trajectory of the decade ahead?
As I have thought back on my decades as an adult, one practice stands above others in its effect on my life; the practice of meditating on Scripture. I wish I could remember the source that inspired me to begin the discipline. Though I have been far from consistent over the years, I find that I return time and again to the practice. Meditating on Scripture shapes thoughts, perspectives, actions, habits. It molds us in invisible ways far beneath the surface. The author of the book of Hebrews captures this perfectly when he says, “The Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any two-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) In other words, it seeps into the essence of our DNA. No other book approximates its power!
Meditation has mixed connotations in our day. I picture a person repeating a mantra, attempting to empty their mind of all thought. The biblical practice of meditating is not the same as the widespread practice these days of mindfulness. To meditate in the original Hebrew language of the Old Testament means “to mutter, to ruminate.” Two images arise. The first is of a person who is walking around muttering under their breath as if he cannot stop obsessing over a thought. The second is the image of a cow chewing its cud. The idea is chewed, swallowed, regurgitated, chewed again, and swallowed until it is thoroughly absorbed. Meditating is the practice of muttering and ruminating (chewing the cud) on Scripture. It is the most complete form of internalizing God’s Word.*
These two pictures, muttering and ruminating, give us quite a different way of approaching the Bible. Far from a quick read of a chapter a day, meditating chooses deep over wide. While there is immense value in gaining a broad overview of the stories and themes of Scripture, meditating balances this with the life-altering benefit of making Scripture infuse our very being. Psalm 1 captures the value when it says that for the one who meditates of Scripture, “whatever he does prospers.”
Imagine the impact a decade of meditating on Scripture would have on your life. Start small by taking a favorite passage from the Bible and lingering with it. If you want a suggestion of where to begin, try Matthew 11:28-30. Chew on it. Journal about it. Visualize it. What does it mean? What difference would it make if you believed it completely? Come back to the same passage the next day and the day after until it takes deep root. Live with it until it becomes a part of you. One passage, fully believed, can change your life forever. This is the power of meditating on Scripture. ~Meditating – Chew and Cud – Tommy Thompson
--David
*I would add the memorization of God's word along with Christian meditation as, "the most complete form of internalizing God's word". These two Christian disciplines go hand-in-hand with one another.
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disciple Clint
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Yes and here is a guide: Meditation Archives - Ignatian Spirituality
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I've got a small book called "A Guide to Christian Meditation" by Fr. John Bartunek. I'd forgotten I even had it until I was digging around in a bookshelf.
He included a passage on "Types of Prayer" viz....
He included a passage on "Types of Prayer" viz....
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No. There is meditating [thinking] on scripture. Meditation in its Eastern form is the repeting of words or sounds. Jesus Christ of Nazareth warned us not to do this as He identified it as a Pagan form of prayer. Be blessed.
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Albion
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I agree with you about that. The use of the word "meditation" will most often make whoever hears it think of the various practices of Eastern religions. But if we take a closer look at meditation as referred to in posts #5 and 8, we see that something entirely different is being described by use of that same word.
Thinking about God, recalling the major events in the life of Christ, and spending some quiet time contemplating the details there isn't wrong. However, without a long explanation of the differences, it might be a good policy not to say "yes" if someone asks about Christianity and meditation.
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