- This topic has 13 replies, 7 voices, and was last updated 3 years, 1 month ago by
.
-
Posts
-
It’s my hope to learn the distinctions between contemplation and meditation. I’ve often heard them used interchangeably, though I know that this is not correct. It’d like to dive into the vastness of the Christian contemplative tradition, and hopefully by doing so be able to apply those practices to my own spiritual life. The goal is to one day be able to instruct others in similar practices and cultivate a deep appreciation of monastic spirituality within Anglicanism.
Brandon, I hope that your question was answered to distinguish contemplation from meditation. In Lection Divina, Holy Scripture is read in four stanzas. The first reading is an invitation to “open the ear of your heart” and simply listen to the Word. After a brief period of stillness before God, the passage is read again. This reading invites us to reflect on the Word. The Latin word used for this practice is Meditatio, which is misinterpreted as meditation in the Eastern sense. However, Meditatio is really reflection. You ask “What does the Word say to me?” A good pattern is to reflect on a word, phrase, situation, person, or some other thing that struck you in a particular way during the reading. In the third reading, ask yourself, “What do I reply?” What is your response to God’s message? This third stanza is Oratio, or prayer. Though all of Lectio is prayer, this is a time for responding to God. The fourth and final reading of the same passage is called Contemplatio, which is a time of rest. Sometimes we are led beyond prayer into a quiet and attentive resting in the presence of God. After a period of resting, I like to conclude Lectio Divina with The Lord’s Prayer.
While meditations (in its Eastern concept) is clearing the mind, Christian Contemplation is focusing the mind. Hope this helps.
Abbot Dan
I hope to gain a greater understanding of what contemplative prayer is and how to live as a contemplative in the world. It can be scary to set out on any new path so I hope to gain guidance and appreciation of the richness of the Christian contemplative tradition, there is much misunderstanding about this subject you say contemplation or meditation and most people think of Buddhism or Hinduism and then comes suspicion that what one is doing is “new age” or not Christian. I want to understand the difference between contemplation and Meditation. I have a fairly cursory knowledge of this but would like to know more. I feel a vocation to a contemplative life and over my lifetime I have felt this calling. I think that now I am in the position I am in that calling is much clearer. I cannot do much in any kind of practical way because of my health issues but I can pray.
Dear friend, as you dive deeper into prayer, especially contemplative prayer, I hope you discover great riches await you. Prayer, I believe, is the most practical of ministries one can experience. In prayer, we commune directly with God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And He communes with us. The world, even the Church, tends to impress upon us a false narrative that our identity and value is found in what we do. In reality, as our Lord taught, our identity is based on whose we are. Our being eclipses our doing. You are God’s beloved! That is your identity. He communes with you through prayer, both prayers of petition and prayers of contemplation. You have opportunity to intercede for others – that dear one is the epitome of great practical ministry.
In Him,
Abbot DanI have read and studied on various practices of contemplative prayer for about two years. Despite this, I have found it incredibly difficult to regularly incorporate any form in my prayer life with any real consistency. It is my hope to gain a better understanding of the various practices and to be able to make them a consistent part of my communion with God.
Brandon, I also had some trouble distinguishing between meditation and contemplation until I began practicing lectio divina about a year or so ago. Contemplation, to my simplistic understanding, is opening myself to the presence and work of God, while meditation tends to be an active practice – thinking deeply about and considering Scripture, for example.
Thanks, Abbot Dan, for your earlier and brief comment regarding the difference between eastern meditation and Christian contemplation. Undoubtedly, one thing that tends to frighten some people away from the contemplative path is the fear that they may be participating in some form of eastern or New Age religion. Education on these historical practices is key.
Recently I have become more disciplined in studying the bible and other good books. But, I didn’t realize that by not meditating and contemplating what I had read I was missing out on key components of the process to gain more knowledge of God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost. I hope to gain more knowledge of the benefits of spending time meditating and contemplating what God would have me know.
When I was young, I didn’t have the patience to spend much time in contemplation and meditation. I believed that praying, attending church and keeping busy doing good deeds was what God was asking of me. I have learned recently that He desires me to want to be in His presence, not just in prayer, but in study, and in disciplining my life to obey His laws and promptings. I’m still trying to understand His Grace; I’m fearfully awed at His creative power, and humbled that He is even aware of me, and wants me to be in His presence. I want to know Him better and accomplish the purpose He created me for, so that when I lay this body down and my spirit returns to Him I might spend eternity in His presence. I’m so looking forward to learning more about contemplative prayer.I hope to gain a better prayer life through this course. I hope that through an improved prayer life that I an better discipline myself and grow closer to God through an improved prayer life. While this may sound rather generic, I do believe that when is able to improve their way of praying that they can have better control of themselves(ie control over sins, a sense of mental calmness and a regimented routine). I write this as the world comes out of a pandemic where life as we knew it was thrown into chaos. We are naturally a regimented species and being in pure chaos and unease does not help our bodies, minds and our souls. Some turn to drugs to self medicate, others turn to fleeting pleasures(food, sex, drinking, etc) to avoid the problem. In the end, we are left with an existential void. In the case of this recent pandemic, we are left with a void and a foreboding sense of doom over our own mortality. Taking up a prayer life can help us to go inside ourselves and really reach out to Jesus.
Brandon,
I hope you were able to find the answers to your questions through this course. I personally do practice(or rather, increasingly attempt to) meditation. I have found it to be of great benefit but I do think my prayer life can always be improvedJerry,
I hope you were able to learn more and better incorporate contemplative prayer into your lifeJoseph:
I am in a rapid learning period presently. My prayer life has been strong, but not very varied. I’m finding an expanding growth as I try practicing contemplative prayer and meditation. I feel myself drawing closer to God spiritually, and to the Holy Ghost. Yes, Father Dan I am finding my hand in Christ’s. Like you Joseph I am trying to discipline myself more in all facets of life; prayer, studying the Bible, sharing my testimony with others as I come into contact with them, and really listening to the counseling and striving of those that I come into contact with. I’m finding the Benedictine Rule to be a very good discipline for my life now.
I am a grateful student of (the late) Dallas Willard who often spoke about ‘the Golden Triangle’ for discipleship: The presence and movement of the Spirit of Gpd at the apex; reflection on the circumstances of one’s life on the bottom corner; the discernment of appropriate spiritual disciplines needing to be embraced and used (under the Spirit’s guidance) to address the circumstances and thus grow into Christlikeness. The key is to discern the voice of God in the midst of the voices (thus, contemplative prayer).
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.