Aug 26, 2018 - Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline. Silence, Scripture, Listening. âThe mystics all agree that s
Meditation John 14:15-23 08.26.18 Dave Lomas Mysticism is the art of union with God. Mysticism is the pursuit of — or enjoyment of — union with God. Paul in Colossians 1:26-27 …the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
“One day when I was busy with my hands I began to think about our spiritual work, and all at once four stages in spiritual exercise came into my mind: reading, meditation, prayer, and contemplation. These make a ladder for monks by which they ascend from earth to heaven. It has few rungs, yet its length is immense and wonderful, for its lower end rests on earth, but its top pierces the clouds and touches heavenly secrets.” - Guigo II, The Ladder of Monks The Ladder: Reading Meditation Prayer Contemplation John 14:15-23 15 “If you love me, keep my commands. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in
me, and I am in you. 21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” 22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” “What happens in meditation is that we create the emotional and spiritual space which allows Christ to construct an inner sanctuary in the heart.” - Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline Silence, Scripture, Listening “The mystics all agree that silence is the royal road to spiritual formation. I have never met anyone seriously interested in the spiritual life who did not have a growing desire for silence… As long as our hearts and minds are filled with words of our own making, there is no space for the Word to enter deeply into our hearts and bear fruit. In and through silence the Word of God descends from the mind into the heart, where we can ruminate on it, [chew] it, digest it, and let it become flesh and blood in us. This is the
meaning of meditation. Without silence the Word cannot become our inner guide; without meditation it cannot build its home in our hearts and speak from there.” - Henri Nouwen, Spiritual Formation Christian meditation is the ability to hear God’s voice and obey God’s word. “Your kingdom come, your will be done, in me as it is in heaven.” Without the WORD, there is no real meaning to meditation. Spirit and Word = Presence and Meaning Psalm 1:1-2 Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law [way] of the Lord, and who meditates on his law [way] day and night.
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Lectio Divina Meditatio Scripturarum “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, as Mary did. That is all. That is meditation.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer Mark 1:35-38 35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” 38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”
“The real problem of the Christian life comes where people do not usually look for it. It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in… We can only do it for moments at first. But from those moments the new sort of life will be spreading through our system: because now we are letting Him work at the right part of us… This is the whole of Christianity. There is nothing else.” - CS Lewis, Mere Christianity
