How to Meditate

Yesterday we what & why and the where & when of Meditation. Today I'd like to propose some methods we can use to get started in our practice of Christian Meditation. As I mentioned before, Christian Meditation differs from Eastern Meditation in that, instead of emptying the mind and trying to become "nothingness," Christian Meditation involves filling the mind and spirit with God's presence. We can do that in several different ways.

The most common method is to meditate on Scripture: pick one verse from the Bible (the Psalms are a rich source of useful lines of scripture), or chose one word (Mercy, Peace, Love), or you might want to use an event (one of Christ's parables, the Beatitudes, an example of healing). The practice then entails delving deeply into the portion of the Bible you have selected.

This is not the time for study ... comparing translations, reading commentaries ... but a time for just sitting and working the scripture into your soul, seeking intimacy with God. Don't rush from passage to passage but stick with just one. Use all your senses to experience the text your working with. Spend a week, if you like, contemplating on the verse, word or event throughout the day ... not just during your quiet time.

Another method people have used is to meditate on God's creation. Evelyn Underhill recommends, "... begin with that first form of contemplation which the old mystics sometimes called 'the discovery of God in his creatures.' " As Psalms 19:1 tells us, "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament (i.e.earth) does show forth his handiwork." Select a tree or a flower: allow its beauty and form sink deep into your mind and heart. Listen to the birds or watch the little creatures that creep through your garden. Richard Foster says, "These are humble acts, to be sure, but sometimes God reaches us profoundly in these simple ways if we will quiet ourselves to listen."

There is another form of mediation: selecting a current event or something from our recent past. Seek to perceive its significance in the larger scheme of things. Thomas Merton writes that the person “… who has meditated on the Passion of Christ but has not meditated on the extermination camps of Dachau and Auschwitz has not yet fully entered into the experience of Christianity in our time." You might want to approach this form of meditation with a Bible in one hand and a newspaper (or your iPad's New York Times app) in the other. You might want to meditate on the current government shutdown or the conflict in Syria. What is God's design in these events? What action do you feel called to take in response?

One final suggestion for meditation is suggested by Foster in The Celebration of Disciplines: "... what the contemplatives of the Middle Ages called “re-collection,” and what the Quakers have often called “centering down.” It is a time to become still, to enter into the recreating silence, to allow the fragmentation of our minds to become centered." In this form of meditation, sometimes called "palms down, palms up," we bring whatever is troubling us that day (a project at work, an illness, a troubled relationship), anything that you are anxious about, and simply say, "Palms down," and release it into God's care. Surrender your fear, let the Lord handle it for you. Then, turn "Palms up" ready to receive what you need (peace of mind about the project at work, comfort and healing for your illness, a solution for your troubled relationship) . Once you have "centered-down," spend the rest of your meditation time in complete silence. Don't ask for anything else. Let God commune with you, to simply love you.

In all these methods of meditation, this is what we are waiting for: a fresh experience of God's love. What an overwhelming wonder to know that the God of the Universe is listening to me, caring about the things I care about, offering His acceptance and peace in my life.

I pray that one of these forms of Meditation appeals to you. I hope you will try one of them in the week ahead. Please share any thoughts or difficulties. I'd like to hear if you are troubled or if you find peace. Together we can help each other gain a deep connection to the Father.