What I'm Reading -- How About You?

[JM]

I'm Eastern Orthodox with Reformed sympathies. And I am discovering and reading the sermons of Charles Spurgeon . What a treasure trove of blessings.

love that guy.

Any thoughts on the Puritan practice of prayer and meditation and how, if it does, relate to the practices found in Eastern Orthodoxy?

Currently reading:

The title is a little misleading, the book is really about roots music originals and Old Time music just before it morphed into what we now call Country.

 

[Osage Bluestem]

Today I finished Micah, read Nahum, James, and Ruth.

 

[StarsDeclareHisGlory]

"Any thoughts on the Puritan practice of prayer and meditation and how, if it does, relate to the practices found in Eastern Orthodoxy?"

Hi JM yes. I'm learning about Puritan meditation though I am not as familiar with it as Orthodox meditation. The Puritan practice of meditation on a scripture truth is very close to what the Eastern Orthodox monks practice and encourage people to do. A popular form is the Jesus prayer "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner"
Some people have misunderstood and think that in Orthodoxy you just 'meditate' by chanting it over and over like some new age thing. That is not what it is. Its actually very much like the Puritan 'reflective meditation' on a scriptural truth. It is here they intersect. Both understand that you are dealing with a profound truth. You meditate by finding a quiet place and saying that prayer and then thinking about it and then waiting for God to communicate you about it. You say it and mull it over. You wait. You think. You say it. You think about it. You wait. Quietly. If you are not a believer and you are moved to pray it --you become a believer in Jesus (as many evangelicals point out). But here is one step beyond: if you already are a believer and saved, then focusing in meditation on this burns out present desires to sin by making you focus and be inflamed for his fine grace towards you. The Puritans did this with many scriptures and the Orthodox doing it famously with this main one however I must point out that the certain advanced Orthodox teachers point out you can do it with all scriptural truths.

quote from a monk on this matter (and how its different than new age stuff)
"Gerondas from the Holy Mountain Athos enumerated the following points about the difference of the Jesus prayer from Yoga. 1. The Jesus prayer express faith in God through His Son Jesus as part of a trinitarian God. It emphasizes that salvation is attained through God which is why we ask for His mercy. Salvation cannot be attained by our own efforts.
2. We are not attempting to find some impersonal God or absolute truth through the Jesus Prayer. The Jesus Prayer focuses on a personal relationship with the God-Man Jesus."

orthodoxprayer.org/Jesus%20Prayer/Jesus%20Prayer-Not%20Eastern%20Meditation.html


Remember Eastern Orthodox is a big church with a long history. I've come across baptists that are way off reform thought and others that are way right on. So in Orthodoxy you will find some thrnkers very biblical and very correct on any topic. Basil the Great eastern church father said to use the scripture first to verify the topic. In this case there are many scriptures that say you out to meditate on His Word as you know.


By the way I'm a big Bluegrass fan. One of my favorites is Jimmy Martin. youtube.com/watch?v=8wNZxkFioyk__________________________________________
"Jimmy Martin when my savior reached down for me












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[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans serif]"He who believes from the heart and is informed that Christ came not to judge but to save him, and not by works nor by toil nor by perspiration, but only by faith in Him. Those who are perfected in holiness and virtue were saved freely and not by the works of righteousness. Since salvation is effected in the believers "not by the works of the law that no one might boast" (Galatians 2:16) according to the divine apostle, works are not necessary. I mean fastings and vigils or rigors and hunger and thirst. Indeed, I am emboldened to say neither fastening the body with irons nor afflicting it with hairy skins is necessary. Such things are nothing at all, since even many criminals and those who are poverty-stricken suffer these rigors but still remain the same people and do not free themselves from evil nor do they ever improve." (St. Symeon the New Theologian --Eastern Orthodox theologian 949-1022 AD). [emphasis mine][/FONT]

 

[JM]

Thanks for the reply Stars. I posted some useful links on my blog if you're interested in getting a little deeper into the Reformed understanding of meditation.

Happy reading/listening.

here: Biblical Meditation | Feileadh Mor

 

[StarsDeclareHisGlory]

"Thanks for the reply Stars. I posted some useful links on my blog if you're interested in getting a little deeper into the Reformed understanding of meditation.

Happy reading/listening."




My pleasure friend. Nice blog I'm bookmarking it and reading it thank you. Yes I do want to get deeper into that. I try to read Reform and Orthodox on whatever topic I am focusing on at the time, so this is much appreciated.
I'm gonna turn in now--its almost 10:37. I see you are in Ontario, a fellow Canadian eh? I'm in Toronto myself but eventually I want to move to a smaller city or even a town. God bless.





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"He who believes from the heart and is informed that Christ came not to judge but to save him, and not by works nor by toil nor by perspiration, but only by faith in Him. Those who are perfected in holiness and virtue were saved freely and not by the works of righteousness. Since salvation is effected in the believers "not by the works of the law that no one might boast" (Galatians 2:16) according to the divine apostle, works are not necessary. I mean fastings and vigils or rigors and hunger and thirst. Indeed, I am emboldened to say neither fastening the body with irons nor afflicting it with hairy skins is necessary. Such things are nothing at all, since even many criminals and those who are poverty-stricken suffer these rigors but still remain the same people and do not free themselves from evil nor do they ever improve." (St. Symeon the New Theologian --Eastern Orthodox theologian 949-1022 AD). [emphasis mine]

 

[cygnusx1]

Edit

 

[InspiredHome]

I am reading Joel McDurmon's Restoring America One County at a Time--How Our Freedom Was Lost and How to Get it Back. In it he explores the application of biblical principles for society.

 

[StarsDeclareHisGlory]

I am reading Joel McDurmon's Restoring America One County at a Time--How Our Freedom Was Lost and How to Get it Back. In it he explores the application of biblical principles for society.

That's a great book. (Full disclosure: I'm a post mill )


Hey if you like AmericanVision books then you probably will like Gary North's books which are available free from him (as pdfs).

 

[InspiredHome]

That's a great book. (Full disclosure: I'm a post mill )


Hey if you like AmericanVision books then you probably will like Gary North's books which are available free from him (as pdfs).

Me too! Yes, I have several of North's books and really enjoy the free pdfs from the ICE site. Glad to see another post mil!

 

[All Souls]

Awaiting What We Talk About When We Talk About God by Rob Bell

 

[JM]

 

[Hammster]

Christ and Him Crucified by Jon Cardwell.

 

[JM]

Christ and Him Crucified by Jon Cardwell.

Sounds like a good read.

The title reminded me of the one below which, having next week off, I'm going to re-read.

 

[bsd058]

 

[InspiredHome]

I'm also reading this morning God's Plan for Victory--The Meaning of Postmillenialism by R.J. Rushdoony.

 

[Keachian]

Life of Luther by Barnas Sears

 

[cygnusx1]

Almighty over all ~ Sproul

 

[JM]

Amazingly well written!

 

[gord44]

Great book. As are most of Bernard Cornwells books. The Sharpe series are probably my favorite. Read them all. Some more then once.

 

[JM]

It is a good book and should come with a warning! lol That was one violent story.

gord, have you heard of the Saxon series by Tim Severin? I picked it up this morning. It looks like a nice break from reading Durham's commentary on Revelation.