Walmer Baptist Church | 
Meditation
By Revd Sean Michael Carter.
Many Christians today, have either forgotten or are unaware of Christian history and the diverse range of tested and proven spiritual practices that throughout the centuries have helped bring people closer to God, as well as helping them to walk the path to reach the place of inner healing and wholeness that Christ invites us too.
Wholeness, requires a degree of inner and outer peace that respects the at times conflicting, though not contradictory, demands of body, mind and spirit. Historically, one of the most effective and powerful techniques to achieve a greater awareness of the presence of God, and to aid us along the path to wholeness, is Christian meditation. This practice turns the searchlight on in our souls so that we see ourselves in God’s presence and can respond accordingly.
The three great branches of Christianity are the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Protestant Church. The practice of Christian meditation precedes all three of these traditions, so it would be wrong to attribute it to anyone of them. Increasingly today Christians from all three of these traditions are discovering the ancient practice of Christian meditation, and this is because it is a biblical concept. The early Christian teaching on the practice of meditation is rooted in the Gospels and the early Christian monastic tradition of the Desert.
We see the practice of meditation mentioned quite early on in Scripture.
Genesis 25:63 states that Isaac ‘went out to the field one evening to meditate.’
In Joshua 1:8, God commands his people to meditate on his word day and night to instill obedience.
The psalmist says that "his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night" (Psalm 1:2).
The Bible mentions meditate or meditation twenty times. In the Old Testament, there are two Hebrew words for meditation: hagâ, which means to sigh or murmur and to meditate, and sîhâ which means to muse, or rehearse in one's mind.
The word meditation in a Christian context has come to have two different meanings: (1) continued, intent, focused thought; and (2) a state of quiet, intentionally unfocused, "contented" awareness. Traditionally, the word meditation (meditatio) had the first meaning, and another word, contemplation comes from the Latin root templum (from Greek temnein: to cut or divide), and means to separate something from its environment, and to enclose it in a sector. Contemplation is the Latin translation of Greek 'theory' (theoria)
So, meditation is either intense focused thought on an issue or a method to enhance our awareness of the presence of God as we become less aware of the physical reality and more in tune with the spiritual dimension.
Meditation Techniques.
There are a number of Christian meditation techniques that I use either by myself or when I lead a group. I have used these practices with
individuals or small or large housegroups in evangelical or other settings. I will share with you very briefly what some of these are though there are many more.
Meditation Technique 1. Lectio Divina (Or Sacred Reading)
Formal Christian meditation began with the early Christian monastic practice of reading the Bible slowly. Monks would carefully consider the deeper meaning of each verse as they read it. This slow and thoughtful reading of Scripture, and the ensuing pondering of its meaning, was their meditation. This spiritual practice is called "divine reading", or lectio divina.
Sometimes the monks found themselves spontaneously praying as a result of their meditation on Scripture, and their prayer would in turn lead on to a simple, loving focus on God. This wordless love for God they called contemplation.
The progression from Bible reading, to meditation, to prayer, to loving regard for God, was first formally described by Guigo II, a Carthusian monk and prior of Grande Chartreuse in the 12th century. Guigo named the four steps of this "ladder" of prayer with the Latin terms lectio, meditatio, oratio, and contemplatio.
The Four Moments
Moment 1. Lectio (Lectionary)
Read the passage slowly several times.
Moment 2. Meditatio (Meditation)
Reflect on the text of the passage, thinking about how to apply to one's own life. Gravitate to any particular phrase or word that seems to be of particular import. This should not be confused with exegesis, but is a very personal reading of the Scripture and application to one's own life.
Moment 3. Oratio (Oration)
Respond to the passage by opening the heart to God. This is not primarily an intellectual exercise, but more of the beginning of a conversation with God.
Moment 4. Contemplatio (Contemplation)
Listen to God. This is a freeing oneself from one's own thoughts, both mundane and holy. It is about hearing God talk to us. Opening our mind, heart and soul to the influence of God. Any conversation must allow for both sides to communicate, and this most unfamiliar act is allowing oneself to be open to hearing God speak.
Meditation Technique 2 Healing Meditation
This is a technique where a person regulates their breathing and under instruction focused on different parts of their body. Where
pain or discomfort is felt, a healing prayer is offered through the anointing of oil and laying on of hands.
Meditation Technique 3 Ignatian Meditation. St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556)
The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola contain numerous meditative exercises. For example, the practitioner is encouraged to visualize and meditate upon scenes from the life of Christ. His Contemplation to Attain Love (of God), is, in a sense, a method that combines intellectual meditation and more affective (emotional) contemplation. I have carried this practice out in many housegroups
in evangelical churches and on other settings and have had 100% positive feedback.
Meditation Technique 4 Silence and Prayer
If we take as our guide the oldest prayer book, the biblical Psalms, we note three forms of prayer. One is a lament and cry for help. The other is thanksgiving and praise to God. The third, is meditative silence and prayer. In Psalm 131 for instance, there is nothing but quietness and confidence: "I have calmed and quieted my soul … hope in the Lord from this time on and forevermore."
At times prayer becomes silent. Peaceful communion with God can be experienced without words. "I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother." Like the satisfied child who has stopped crying and is in its mother’s arms, so can "my soul be with me" in the presence of God. This sort of prayer then needs no words.
How is it possible to reach inner silence? Sometimes we are outwardly silent, and yet we have great discussions within, struggling with imaginary partners or with ourselves as numerous troubling thoughts race through our minds disturbing our heart. Silence means recognizing that my worries can’t do much so we silence them in meditation. This requires firstly thinking about a problem and identifying the cause of our distress, then to begin the process of quieting our minds by bringing it to God in an unspoken prayer and then silencing our minds and hearts in an act of faith demonstrating that we are leaving to God what is beyond our reach and capacity. These moments of silence are sacred stops, they are sabbatical rests for our souls, a truce of worries in our mind. Many Christian truths and graces can be established in our lives through this technique.
This meditation begins with this Opening Prayer.
"Heavenly Father, open our hearts to the silent presence of the spirit of your Son. Lead us into that mysterious silence where your love is revealed to all who call, 'Maranantha…Come, Lord Jesus'."
Meditation Technique 5 Breathing Meditation
Many health problems, physical, spiritual or psychological develop because people do not know how to breathe correctly. This technique
when offered with healing prayers has many benefits.
Please note. It takes many years of practice and discipline to master these techniques and those who wish to start them should start with very basic meditation techniques. I am willing to advise and help anyone wanting to explore this area of spirituality further.
© Copyright Revd Sean Michael Carter. This article may not be reproduced without written permission.
The World Community for Christian Meditation is a global spiritual community that continues the work begun by the Benedictine monk John Main in teaching ...
