Christian Meditation
Table of
Contents:
Theoretical
Basis for Christian Meditation
For
many Christians the word "meditation" conjures up images of Eastern
yogic and Zen practices. For others, the term "New Age" instantly
springs to mind. But Christian meditation has nothing to do with the New Age
movement. In fact, it has very ancient roots in Christianity. Any similarities
that it might have with Eastern meditative practices rests in the fact that
they both deal with human beings seeking spiritual awareness. (Cf.
"Worldly and Divine Spirituality") It should not surprise anyone to
find that people in all areas of the world sleep and dream in very similar
ways. In the same way, there are commonalities in spirituality. The differences
are found within their theological contexts. It may surprise some, however, to
find that all "born-from-above" believers practice Christian
meditation. From Jesus Christ to the present, believers have sought to draw
near to God in personal relationship. This personal encounter with God defines
spirituality. Personally encountering God in a Christian context is what is
referred to here as Christian spirituality. What method or technique is used in
drawing near to God? A cross-section of Christianity today reveals many forms
of meditation used in devotion and prayer. Whether it is the Jesus Prayer,
rosaries, charismatic "praise service" or a simple morning
devotional, Christians practice meditative practices. No one would ever accuse
Billy Graham of being "New Age" or of practicing yoga or Zen. Yet he
teaches very general techniques for advancing in our relationship with God (cf.
Peace With God by Billy Graham). Devotional techniques, such as Bible reading
and prayer are, in a very real way, forms of Christian meditation.
Private
prayer, in particular, is a specific meditative technique. Or at least, it
should be. The disciples of Jesus Christ understood this as they asked their
Master, "Teach us to pray." It is sad that so many believers today
have lost interest in their personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ. I
personally believe that it is because they have not been adequately instructed
in how to nurture their relationship with God. Bible reading and prayer are
meant to be living and growing experiences in our daily lives. But no one
should be expected to know how to cultivate these things without being taught.
The
theory and practice of Christian meditation given here is not essentially
different from that advocated and practiced by saints like Francis of Assisi,
Bernard of Clairvaux, Martin Luther, John Wesley and Ignatius Loyola. The goal
of Christian meditation is to draw near to God in vibrant relationship with Him
through Jesus Christ. It is designed for believers. Trusting in God through
Jesus Christ (i.e. an experience by faith of God's forgiveness and covenantal
relationship) is a pre-requisite for Christian meditation. Perhaps it may
better be stated simply as "Christian meditation is for Christians".
It is useless to even begin the journey if there is fear in one's heart
concerning the directions that are given. God will lead you in this journey but
you may have to let go of some traditional hang-ups along the way. What is
offered here are techniques in Christian spirituality and the theory behind
them. I pray that your journey be prosperous.
A Theoretical Basis For Christian Meditation
Stop
what you are doing for just a few minutes. Close your eyes and try to relax.
How many things are you aware of within yourself and your environment? You may
notice after a couple of minutes that your mind continues to ramble from one
thought to another. You may also notice that there are a lot more sensations
going on than you had previously realized. You may not have noticed how many
automobiles pass by, or the smell and sound of the neighbors mowing their
grass, or even things as simple as how your back fits against the chair on
which you are sitting. All of these things were there before but most likely
you ignored them. The fact is that we are confronted with scores of different
sensory experiences at any given moment. We see many things at one time but we
usually on focus on one thing at a time. The mind has a marvelous way of
filtering out extraneous sensations so that you may concentrate. Without this
mechanism you get very little done. Your thoughts would be in such a jumble
that you could not think straight.
How
does one learn to concentrate? I do not remember anyone specifically teaching
me how to do it. Yet somewhere along the way I learned ways to do it. It may be
beneficial to give a course in "How to concentrate" but that is not
how we learn it as a rule. There are some persons who have never learned how to
concentrate. You have probably heard their cries for help, "I can't pray
without falling asleep!" or "I can't listen to a sermon (or read the
Bible) for more than five minutes without dozing off." The problem does
not lie with the sermon or the Bible but rather with the believer's lack of
concentration. Being "born-from-above" does not automatically change
that. Meditation, in part, is a technique for learning to concentrate on
spiritual things.
Fine
arts painters learn to focus on color and value changes within a scene that
would go undetected by the average eye. To gain that skill they must learn to
concentrate on things that they had previously ignored. Mechanics, wood-workers
and surgeons must learn to focus all their senses on the job at hand if they
are to be successful. Should spiritual matters be considered differently? It
takes effort for the painter, mechanic or surgeon to learn how to concentrate
their perceptions in a certain area. And, it takes effort for the Christian to
become attuned to spiritual things. Many believers learn to read the Bible and
pray without specific instruction but many more do not. These techniques are
especially directed to those who need to learn how to focus their spiritual
perceptions.
The Three L's
There is much more to
Christian meditation than just learning to concentrate. Any good
stress-management program or relaxation technique can help you achieve this
goal. But these have little, if anything, to do with Christian spirituality.
Meditation for the believer is always theologically-based. The believer's
intimate, personal relationship with God in Jesus Christ sets the method,
direction and purpose of Christian meditation.
Respectively, they will be seen as Light, Love and Life. I call them the
Three L's.
At
the heart of Christian meditation is the Light. There is nothing impersonal or
abstract about the Light in a Christian context. It cannot be equated with
"the Force", the Tao or any other terms for some undefined divine
energy. The Light is the manifestation of a personal and holy God. Jesus Christ
said, "I am the Light of the world: he who follows me shall not walk n the
darkness. but shall have the Light of life". Jesus Christ revealed that he
was the "manifestation of a personal and holy God". In the same vein,
Jesus Christ said, "I am the Way..." The Light establishes the method
for Christian meditation. Whoever follows the Light (i.e. Jesus Christ)
"will not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of life". He is
the "uncreated Light" taught by such saints as Gregory of Palamas
(14th century archbishop of Thessalonika). On the reality of this Light may be
built a method for drawing near to God.
The
direction of Christian meditation is set by love alone. There is nothing
impersonal about love. And there is nothing impersonal about the relationship
of God with man. The much quoted passage in John 3:16 states, "For God so
loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son...". Love is both the
dynamic and the direction of God's relationship with man. The cross of Jesus
Christ, His Son, epitomizes that love. The apostle Paul wrote to the Assembly
that was at Rome a reminder of this awesome truth. "God", Paul writes,
"demonstrates His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us." The form of this love is distinguished by the cross of Jesus
Christ and established by His commandment, "Let us love one another, for
love is from God; and every one who loves is born of God and knows God. The one
who does not love does not know God, for God is love."
Lastly,
the purpose of Christian meditation is Life in the Son, Jesus Christ. God's Son taught that He
"came that they might have life, and might have it abundantly". This
is the purpose of any spiritual quest. The purpose of Christian meditation is
to experience the abundant life proffered by God's grace in His Son. It is here
that the term "Christian" stands out above any other form of
meditation. The purpose of TM, yoga or Zen can never be eternal life because
they deal with existence rather than life. Life is of God. The great Truth of
Christianity is that eternal life is found only in God through Jesus Christ.
Light,
Love and Life come together in Christian meditation. They are often as
difficult to distinguish, when seen in the clear vision of meditation, as the
three persons of the Trinity. Method fuses into direction, and direction into
purpose. This meditative trinity becomes merely a perceptual device when
confronted with the Holy Trinity. The theory behind the meditative practice may
fade away just as music theory vanishes from one's consciousness when a
musician is swept up in the rapture of the song. Behind every Christian
meditative practice, however, there is sound Biblical understanding. Without it
one could easily be lead astray. There is always danger of deception. There are
always substitutes that the devil is willing to tempt the novice. Many in the
Church have succumbed to a "deluded spirituality" which offers a
substitute of carnal sensationalism. Sound Biblical study and spiritual
exercises, therefore, must work together in Christian meditation. Since the
deceiver is continually at work, all spiritual exercises must be undertaken in
humility. The believer must rest in the power of God rather than the wisdom of
man.
PRELIMINARY SENSORY EXERCISES
Before
actual meditative practices can begin in earnest, an individual must learn to
focus their physical senses. This is the essence of concentration. If one
cannot focus their physical senses then he or she cannot expect to be anymore
focused in spiritual matters. The sensory exercises are very simple and most
people find them enjoyable.
The
purpose of these preliminary exercises is two-fold. First, there is the need to
focus on a particular sensation (i.e. sound or smell). This takes self-control.
Secondly, there is the need to experience, with awareness, one's environment.
The first of these purposes prepares one for the second. Have you ever considered
how much of life's experience is missed because of distractions? A mastery of
these simple exercises will greatly enhance the quality of any individual's
life. But there is much more to it than this. It is the first step in learning
to dance.
These
exercises, it must be remembered, are only preliminary. They have a purpose.
Just like hand/eye coordination exercises have a certain purpose for the
surgeon, so also do the preliminary sensory exercises have specific purposes
for the believer. They help prepare the believer to fully appreciate the
meditative experience. They teach the believer how to deal with distractions.
And through them the believer gains a feel of the "floor" on which
the dance is held. The exercises should not, however, be seen as an end but as
means to quality meditation.
There are five physical senses: sight, hearing, taste, touch and smell. These sensory experiences center in certain portions of the body. Generally speaking, sight belongs to the eyes, hearing to the ears, etc. But most people realize that the senses work together to bring about an awareness of one's environment. Taste, for instance, has as much to do with the sense of smell as it does the taste buds on the tongue. Even sight and touch contribute to the tasting experience. The culinary arts rely on all the senses in order to enhance the experience of taste.
The
exercises given here are designed to isolate the senses so that they may be
better appreciated as they work together. The first exercises will focus on
hearing, the second on smell, then on taste, touch and sight. There is no
specific reason for the order. But at first, it is recommended that the order
be observed.
The
exercises deal with three distinct areas of concentration:
Priority
(i.e. experiencing a sense as if for the first time)
Analysis
Recollection
Priority -
The first preliminary sensory exercise directs the believer to focus on a specific sensory experience as if he or she had never experienced this before. Find a quiet spot outdoors and sit or stand comfortable. Choose a specific object to look at. It may be anything (e.g. a tree, a bridge, a flower, a river, etc.). Look at this object as if for the first time. Consider it as a visual experience. In other words, resist thinking about the thoughts or memories evoked by the object. Instead address the object as a visual experience only. You should find enjoyment in this new experience.
The
same exercise may be applied to auditory sensations as well. Close your eyes
and listen without thinking about what you are hearing. Isolate a sound and
concentrate on it. Again listen to it as if you had never heard it before. For
instance, throw a stone into a stream and listen to the sound that it makes as
it strikes the water. Notice how the sound begins and ends. Listen to a bird as
it sings. You do not need to identify the bird making the sound just focus on
the sound that it makes.
Continue
with the other senses. The visual sense is so powerful in our normal experience
that you may want to close your eyes so that you may concentrate on a sound, or
the way something feels, or smells. The important thing is to focus solely on
that particular experience whether it is the color of a field or the taste of a
raisin. Experience this ordinary sensation as if for the first time. We miss a
great deal in our daily experience by growing overly accustomed to our senses.
This exercise will help you recognize the special nature of the moment and its
experience.
Analysis -
In the first exercise you were to resist the urge to think too much about the object of your attention. But in this exercise you will intentionally analyze it. Look at an object like an artist might if he was acquiring visual information for a painting. Notice everything about it. Again, focus solely on this object and think about it. Consider the different colors found in the object. Notice how they change from the illuminated part to the shadows. Notice any patterns or designs that may be found within the object. Are they intentional designs or something created by external forces such as the light?
Now
try analyzing a sound. First, isolate that sound and then try to describe that
sound in words. You may want to try and imitate the sound. Listen to different
birdcalls or the different way that dogs bark and make comparisons between each
sound. Listen to a car as it approaches and then passes by. Are there different
sounds that you never noticed before? You may try this exercise with music as
well. Analyze the sound in your own personal way. You do not have to be a
trained musician to appreciate music but you may need to learn how to listen.
These
exercises may be done using the other senses. You may be more challenged by
touch, taste or smell. We are not accustomed to analyzing a smell or the way
something tastes. But you will learn to concentrate using all of your sense if
you practice these preliminary exercises. After you have tried each of these
sensory exercises separately you may want to combine them. For instance, choose
an object and analyze it visually. Then take the same object and analyze the
odors associated with it and perhaps the way it feels against your skin. A tree
may be a good subject. Experience not only the visual aspect of a tree but its
smell, touch and sound.
Recollection -
The last exercise has to do with recalling sensations when the object of the original experience is no longer near. For instance, if you tried the above exercise with a particular tree then close your eyes and concentrate on recalling those senses. Try to remember what it looked like, what sounds were associated with it, try to remember the smell of the tree and the way its bark of leaves felt against your skin. With practice this becomes easier.
You
may wonder what purpose any of this has to do with spirituality. But it can be
answered in one word, "focus". If you are unable to focus your
attention for a few minutes on something as powerful as a visual image, then
you will not have the meditative skills necessary for spiritual exercises. The
same mental process is used in recalling the smell of a tree that is necessary
for remembering scripture passages. You will find that as your abilities to
focus on things around you improves so also will your meditative skills.
A Closing Word
Many persons fail at their attempts at
spiritual exercises because they have never learned how to concentrate. As you
practice these preliminary sensory exercises you will notice that your
concentration has improved. Remember that you must have certain skills before
you can gain any benefit from Christian meditation. The goal of Christian
meditation is for you to draw closer to God in Christ. Learning to concentrate
is a necessary part of that activity but it is not all. You will learn other
meditative practices and disciplines in these studies but none will do you any
good if you are still a slave to sin or if your devotional life is lacking.
Prayer is vital to spiritual life. No matter how well you master Christian
meditative techniques they will do you no good without humility and prayer. As
one author wisely noted, "God had one Son without sin but He never had a
child that did not pray."
