Meditation

John 15:1–11 ESV

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

We long to abide in Christ so that He may abide in us. It is commanded from our Lord and Savior Jesus. From the Jewish disciples to the early church fathers and on, Christians have built up practices that have created heart, mind, and life postures to help us abide. These spiritual practices or disciplines help us to tune our heart in this distracting world back to their proper life giving source. Over the next year we will be looking at 12 disciplines divided into 3 categories:

Inward Disciplines.

Meditation

Prayer

Fasting

Study

Outward Disciplines.

Simplicity

Solitude

Submission

Service

Corporate Disciplines.

Confession

Worship

Guidance

Celebration

For all who were with us during The Shema study this is basically moving in the same direction. All God’s teachings begin first inwardly, then slowly go outward to the home, and finally they are who we are at work, at church, and in community.

We are going to gather together, learn about a new discipline each month, practice it in our lives where we are and reflect on them in our following gathering time.

GATHER. LEARN. PRACTICE. REFLECT.

Let’s go back to John 15 to look at how to abide in Christ so that we may bear fruit as branches from the true vine.

John 15:8–9 (ESV)

By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.

Dhati Lewis a pastor in Atlanta, GA said that:

“Making disciples is not A ministry of the church, it is THE ministry of the church.”

DISCIPLE A student, pupil, or learner. In the New Testament it is used for Jesus’ followers. But most scholars maintain that the closest English word to convey the meaning is apprentice. We are apprentices of Jesus.

A person became a disciple as he sought out a teacher and followed him and his principles or disciplines. Similarly, in the rabbinical tradition, a “learner” or “student” (תלמיד, tlmyd) attached himself to a rabbi (literally “my great one,” with the additional meaning of “teacher” or “master”).

But In the New Testament, disciples do not seek out Jesus; rather, they answer when He calls them. The Gospels describe how Jesus called disciples to follow Him. Many of them came from villages in Galilee, especially Capernaum and Bethsaida. They had diverse backgrounds, including fishermen (Peter, Andrew, James, and John), a tax collector (Matthew), and a revolutionary (Simon the Zealot). Jesus’ disciples were not to choose another master, or become masters themselves. Instead, Jesus’ disciples were told to go and make disciples of the nations—to teach them what Jesus had taught them.

So we are to continually learn from our master as apprentices, not as masters. And we are to continually shape and mold those in our lives who wish to learn from our master. Our master Jesus, The twelve disciples and disciples after them, did this through a series of practices or disciplines that helped them to realign their heart, mind, and soul to the promised Spirit of the living God.

Psalm 119:27 (ESV)

Make me understand the way of your precepts,

and I will meditate on your wondrous works.

Discipline #1 - Meditation

Christian meditation, very simply, is the ability to hear God’s voice and obey his word. In fact the Hebrew word for hear is the same word for obey. In his intimate relationship with the Father, Jesus modeled for us the reality of that life of hearing and obeying. When Jesus told his disciples to abide in him, they could understand what he meant for he was abiding in the Father. He declared that he was the good Shepherd and that his sheep know his voice (John 10:4). He told us that the Comforter would come, the Spirit of truth, who would guide us into all truth (John 16:13). He is still guiding us to this day, IF we can practice slowing down and listening.

(Small MLK story)

“I was ready to give up… In this state of exhaustion, when my courage had all but gone, I decided to take my problem to God. With my head in my hands, I bowed over the kitchen table and prayed aloud…. At that moment I experienced the presence of the Divine as I had never experienced Him before. It seemed as though I could hear the quiet assurance of an inner voice saying ‘Stand up for Righteousness, stand up for truth; and God will be at your side forever.’ Almost at once my fears began to go. My uncertainty disappeared and I was ready to face anything.”

My thought was, what if he had a smart phone? That began the reason for this direction this year. How do we abide in Christ in such distracting times?

And What if I told you the greatest threat against faithfully living out an apprenticeship with Christ is not money, sex, and other big, but noticeable desires, but is rather distraction and hurry.

Richard Foster says, In contemporary society our Adversary majors in three things: noise, hurry, and crowds. If he can keep us engaged in “muchness” and “manyness,” he will rest satisfied. Psychiatrist Carl Jung once remarked, “Hurry is not of the Devil; it is the Devil.”

If we hope to move beyond the superficialities of our culture, including our religious culture, we must be willing to go down into the recreating silences, into the inner world of contemplation. In their writings all the masters of meditation beckon us to be pioneers in this frontier of the Spirit. Though it may sound strange to modern ears, we should without shame enroll as apprentices in the school of contemplative prayer. Or meditation.

How do we meditate?

We learn to meditate by meditating. Set aside time throughout your day, so that you may guard that time. Where you are. Meaning don’t do an hour if you’ve never done 5 minutes. It is best to have a designated spot so you don’t have to hunt for one each day. And your body, mind, and spirit are linked, so choose a posture that you can find comfort in, not something that distracts. Regardless of how it is done, the aim is to center the attention of the body, the emotions, the mind, and the spirit upon “the glory of God in the face of Christ” (2 Cor. 4:6).

3 Ways to meditate:

1. Meditate upon Scripture.

The meditation upon Scripture, is the central reference point by which all other forms of meditation are kept in proper perspective. Whereas the study of Scripture centers on exegesis, the meditation of Scripture centers on internalizing and personalizing the passage. The written Word becomes a living word addressed to you. This is not a time for technical studies, or analysis, or even the gathering of material to share with others. Set aside all tendencies toward arrogance and with a humble heart receive the word addressed to you. Dietrich Bonhoeffer says, “. . . just as you do not analyze the words of someone you love, but accept them as they are said to you, accept the Word of Scripture and ponder it in your heart. That is all. That is meditation.” It is important to resist the temptation to pass over many passages quickly. Our rushing reflects our internal state and our internal state is what needs to be transformed. Bonhoeffer recommended spending a whole week on a single text! Therefore, my suggestion is that you take a single event, or a parable, or a few verses, or even a single word and allow it to take root in you. Seek to live the experience, remember the encouragement of church father Ignatius of Loyola to apply all our senses to our task. Smell the sea. Hear the lap of water along the shore. See the crowd. Feel the sun on your head and the hunger in your stomach. Taste the salt in the air. Touch the hem of his garment. Also remember that Christ is truly with us to teach us, to heal us, to forgive us.

2. Recollection or Centering Down

Another form of meditation is what the contemplatives of the Middle Ages called “recollection,” 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.

The following is a brief exercise to aid you in “re-collection” that is simply called “palms down, palms up.” By placing your palms down it is a symbolic indication of your desire to turn over any concerns you may have to God. Inwardly you may pray, “Lord, I give to you my anger toward so and so. I release my fear of my doctor appointment. I surrender my anxiety over not having enough money to pay the bills this month. I release my frustration over trying to find a baby-sitter for tonight.” Whatever it is that weighs on your mind or is a concern to you, just say, “palms down.” Release it. You may even feel a certain sense of release in your hands. After several moments of surrender, turn your palms up as a symbol of your desire to receive from the Lord. Perhaps you will pray silently: “Lord, I would like to receive your divine love for John, your peace about the dentist appointment, your patience, your joy.” Whatever you need, you say, “palms up.” Receive it. Spend the remaining moments in complete silence. Do not ask for anything. Allow the Lord to commune with you, to love you.

3. Meditation Upon Creation

A third kind of contemplative prayer is meditation upon the creation. The heavens do indeed declare the glory of God and the earth does show forth his handiwork (Ps. 19:1). So give your attention to the created order. Look at the trees, really look at them. Take a flower and allow its beauty and symmetry to sink deep into your mind and heart. Listen to the birds—they are the messengers of God. Watch the little creatures that creep upon the earth. These are humble acts, to be sure, but sometimes God reaches us profoundly in these simple ways if we will quiet ourselves to listen.

You must not be discouraged if in the beginning your meditations have little meaning to you. There is a progression in the spiritual life, and it is wise to have some experience with lesser peaks before trying to tackle the Mt. Everest of the soul. So be patient with yourself. Besides, you are learning a discipline for which you have received no training. Nor does our culture encourage you to develop these skills. You will be going against the tide, but take heart; your task is of immense worth.

DO PALMS UP, PALMS DOWN and give Scripture for the week to meditate on. Encourage the third form as well.

We’re gonna focus on each practice or discipline for a month at a time.

Sunday: The glory of meditation / Exodus 24:15–18.

Monday: The friendship of meditation / Exodus 33:11.

Tuesday: The terror of meditation / Exodus 20:18–19.

Wednesday: The object of meditation / Psalm 1:1–3.

Thursday: The comfort of meditation / 1 Kings 19:9–18.

Friday: The insights of meditation / Acts 10:9–20.

Saturday: The ecstasy of meditation / 2 Corinthians 12:1–4.

What are some of your first reactions to the idea of meditation? What is your background experience in this area?

2. What is the basic difference between eastern meditation and Christian meditation?

3. What things make your life crowded? Do you think you have a desire to hear the Lord’s voice in the midst of all the clutter?

4. What threatens you most about meditation?

Experience the following words of Frederick W. Faber for fifteen minutes. Record what you learn from the experience.

“Only to sit and think of God,

Oh what a joy it is!

To think the thought, to breathe the Name

Earth has no higher bliss.”

Do “palms up” and “palms down” throughout the coming weeks. Reflect on what you learn about yourself. What do you need to receive from Our Father? What do you need to release to Him?

Meditate on Matthew 14:25-33 we have the time and quiet. And do the Lord’s Supper in Notes.

Meditate through the coming weeks on Psalm 4 and Matthew 14. Let all your senses be engaged.