Christian Meditation
What is meditation? How do we do it? When and where is the best time and place? How long should we do it? Is it even Christian? These are some of the questions modern Christians have about meditation.
Psalm 1:2 tells us we are blessed when we meditate on God’s law. Joshua 1:8 is more direct. It says meditation of the law will bring prosperity and success. Psalm 63:5 proclaims the soul will be satisfied when meditating through the night.
One of the oldest forms of Christian meditation is called Lectio Divina. The title is Latin for Divine Reading. It is divided into four parts. The first part is simply reading the text. This could be as short as as a verse and as long as story. The object is not just to get through it. One is to read it carefully with the aim of comprehension. Think back to grade school days when we had to take those reading tests. You knew there would be questions at the end and you read so as to absorb everything. I have a phrase I use to describe what happens when I read the Bible carefully. I call it, “I didn’t know that was in there.” This is especially true for people who have been Christians for a long time. We tend to think we know the Bible well and we do. However, along the way we have picked up ideas from this or that person that are twisted or just wrong. Sometimes we misread a passage in the same way every time we read it; until we read it more deliberately in Lectio Divina.
For example, for years I had miss read Matthew chapter 5 where Jesus is telling us to reconcile with our brother before we take our offering to God. I had always thought it said “if you remember you have something against your brother.” However, as you probably know it says the exact opposite, “If you remember your brother has something against you.” That’s a big difference. I didn’t know that was in there.
The second part of Lectio Divina is discursive meditation. This is the time to consider all aspects of the passage. Take my example from Matthew 5. What kinds of things might my brother have against me? What kind of offense warrants a side trip on the way to church? Who is my brother? Is this the same as saying who is my neighbor? What might cause me to remember? Should I take time before going to church to think about this or just let it come spontaneously? What if my sister has something against me? You might also think about the road you travel on the way to church. Your mind can wander into all kinds of things. Anyone of them might be a route to revelation.
After thoroughly thinking about the passage it is time to pray. By this we mean conversational prayer as in a dialogue with the Lord. Share with God your thoughts and questions about the text. Listen for his answers and whatever else He might want to share with you. The Lord might say something like, “Next time you go to church stop and invite someone to come along.”
In the final part of Lectio Divina you simply rest in the presence of the Lord. Think of times where you have sat quietly with your spouse or a friend just enjoying their presence.
Another form of scripture meditation has been called the African Method. It consists of three simple questions. First you pick a text. Again this could be as short as a verse or as long as a story. The first questions is, What does it say? Some people recommend you read the passage aloud before answering the question. You might think any reading of the Bible ought to be careful. However, when we intentionally pay more attention we see and hear things we might otherwise miss.
The second question is What does it mean? This is a deeper question and really begins the meditation process. For example if the scripture is Love your neighbor as yourself, what does that really mean? How do I love myself? Who is my neighbor? What is love?
With the third question the meditation becomes even more personal. What does it mean to me? Here we leave off the theoretical and get personal. Which neighbor don’t I love? What I am going to do about it?
The questions lead us to prayer and the prayer leads us to action.
My favorite kind of Biblical meditation involves what Christian author Morton Kelsey calls Active Imagination. In this method the idea is to put yourself into the Biblical Story. To begin it is helpful to sit in an upright but comfortable position. Put your feet flat on the floor and rest your palms face up. Settle yourself into an attitude of prayer. Close your eyes and breathe slowly and deeply. Let your mind travel. Imagine you are going through time and space back to Biblical times and into the scene you have been reading.
What follows is an account of an active imagination meditation upon the Biblical story of the Transfiguration.
Today on the other side of your flight through time and space, you find that you are on the side of a mountain climbing higher and higher. This mountain is large, but not much more than a big hill by some standards. The going is difficult, but not steep. The day is warm, but not hot. You are enjoying the climb and its mild challenge. Because this mountain is of low altitude, from bottom to top, with thick, grassy slopes and no trees, you easily see a green valley spread out before you. The sky is blue and the sun moving along toward late afternoon as you reach the top.
There you find three men sleeping. Off yet a bit further one more man is standing with his back to you.
In the blink of an eye, you notice that something strange is happening to the weather. The valley seems to fade from sight. Semi-darkness surrounds the mountain even though the sun still shines in the distant horizon.
Meanwhile the men stir and begin to awake as though the eerie mood has permeated their dreams. As they open their eyes and look toward the third figure. Many strange and wonderful things begin to take place.
In an instant, you recognize that it is Jesus. In half a breath, like a flash of lightening, His total appearance shines and glows, almost to brilliantly to watch. In another blink of an eye, you realize that there are two more figures with Jesus. Each with a heavenly glow, bright yet less than of Jesus. Their faces are not familiar, but you know them to be men and not angels.
Until now, you have been too fascinated to be afraid, but now your attention is once again upon the three. Your own holy fear begins to grow in harmony with their trembling bodies.
Again the weather, if that is the correct word, changes. A cloud seems to come from out of nowhere to envelope the mountain top. You hear the faint rumbling of distant thunder and then a voice. Is it all around you? Or is it vibrating in your head?
“Behold, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him. II
Through the cloud, Jesus shines even brighter, as the other two heavenly figures fade away. And then without a moments notice, Jesus has moved or was it you? Either way, you find yourself face to face, with the transfigured Jesus. “Do not be afraid”, He says.
Your heart thinks “How could I be anything else.”
He reaches out and takes your hand. You tremble at first, but you can feel a strange, yet wonderful sense of peace and well being flowing into your body. Then you see that His brilliance is also flowing into you. You are glowing with Jesus.
“Be at peace my friend” He says. Let this visible reflection of my love and power flow into you. Let it fill your mind, soothe your soul and heal your body. Draw in my strength even as I have received it from the Father. Take it for yourself and for the love you share with others.”
Closing your eyes, you know His presence within you, in a new and special way. You hear him speaking in your mind, a special message of love and encouragement.
With your eyes still closed, you realize that once again, you are traveling through time and space. You can sense the nights and days flying by.. As you come close to the present you again become aware of your breathing. You can feel within you a new sense of strength and peace. Soon you are once here and now in the present. Once again you are refreshed from an encounter with Jesus your living Lord.
Amen.
Yet another form of Christian meditation uses repetitive prayer. This is familiar to Roman Catholics who have used the Rosary for centuries. However, Protestants, being mindful of the Biblical admonition against “vain repetitions” have shunned the practice to their loss. The Protestant concern is an important one and perhaps many Roman Catholics are misusing their Rosaries. If you set out to do a hundred Hail Marys or even ten you have probably missed the point. Even setting aside Protestant concerns about praying to Mary in the first place, once you are counting prayers you prohibit the chief benefit of meditation. It is not meant to achieve or earn something, as if each repetition was worth a point and a thousand got you an extra day of life. Rather the process is meant to help you get into such a frame of mind and spirit as to open yourself to the presence of God.
For those of us who refrain from saying the Hail Mary any verse of scripture will suffice as good for meditation. The psalms are full of good choices. Take, for example, something as familiar as, “the Lord is my shepherd I shall not want.” Repeat it aloud or in your mind with each breath. Contemplate its every nuance. Listen for a word from the Lord.
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