Christian Meditation: A Case for Practicing Meditation in the Christian Tradtion

by francesco.rosati

Article by David G Wilcox

If you were to ask most westerners what they thought about meditation, they would likely crack some joke about long haired Gurus in orange garments, sitting cross legged with eyes closed, incense burning, their fingers turned into little ok signs as they rest them on their knees, breathing in and chanting loudly AUMMMMMMMMM.

And while this is certainly an image of meditation that has some basis in reality, it reveals the basic misunderstanding of meditation which permeates the western world. There are many reasons for this misunderstanding, however the biggest reason, I believe, is that most western exposure to religion has been in a Christian tradition, and Christians are taught to be skeptical of meditation. However, Christians should not be skeptical of meditation. Meditation was practiced for centuries by Christians from around the world, and still is today. There is also evidence from the Gospels that Jesus practiced a form of meditation when he retired by himself every morning and evening to be with his Abba. Meditation is a spiritual practice which is common to all religious traditions, including Christianity. So, what is meditation then?

Meditation is a form of prayer which attempts to focus and quiet the objective or conscious mind in order to lead a person to connect with the central core of their being. In simple terms, meditation practice tries to establish a link between the human mind and the human heart. In doing so, the practitioner is brought into contact with their true self, and their conscious awareness of life is expanded.

Christian Theology and Biblical teaching supports the idea that the Holy Spirit resides within each person. Within us, in the central core of our being, is an infinite power, the Power of the Spirit. However, what is also clear from Christian teaching is that the Spirit within must be contacted through focused prayer, otherwise the Power of the Spirit within remains only a potential power, dormant and not actualized. St. Paul refers to thi! s by tea ching us that the Spirit groans within us, and prays for us, because we do not pray as we should. Meditation can be the key to unfolding the Power of the Spirit within by quieting and focusing the objective mind, and bringing it into direct contact with the central core of being, the Holy Spirit within. In this way, meditation can become a transformational practice, as it unfolds the Power of the Spirit into the lives of ordinary Christians. And when the infinite Power of the Spirit is unleashed in a person's life, anything becomes possible.

Traditional Christian worship is good, and important. However it is often too formal, too ritualistic, and too rooted in the objective mind. Unfortunately, the objective mind often becomes an impediment to real and genuine contact with the Spirit within, as it wrestles with the cares and concerns of life. The objective mind is also easily distracted, and loses itself easily in spiritual distractions such as listening to sermons which, as Paul said so well, tickle the ears. Meditation brings us in communion with our source, the teacher within. John the Evangelist tells us that we need no teacher, for our teacher, the Holy Spirit, resides within us. Meditation can become the way that we learn to listen to the lessons the Spirit wishes to teach us, and actualize the Power of the Spirit in our everyday lives.

About the Author

Dave Wilcox writes articles on topics such as self-improvement, spirituality, diet, and fitness.

For more information on meditation, please go to:

http://www.squidoo.com/meditation-for-self-improvement

or

http://thepowerofthespirit.blogspot.com/

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