Christian Meditation

Christian Meditation is meditation practiced by Christians following the principles of their faith. It is rooted to the Bible; in Joshua 1:8, God commands his people to meditate on his word day and night. It is regarded as a method of spiritual discipline and not an alternative to prayer.

Over the hundreds of years that Christian meditation has existed there has been misunderstanding and disagreement about the appropriateness of meditation within the Christian faith. Traditionally 'meditation' meant 'continued, intent, focused thought', andcontemplation (rather than meditation) was, and still is, the word used by some Christians, for 'a state of quiet, intentionally unfocused, "contentless" awareness'.

A form of Christian Meditation that has been practiced since the 4th Century AD and is becoming increasingly popular is lectio divina, meaning ‘divine reading’. Lectio Divinia has four stages: lectio (reading), meditatio (discursive meditation), oratio (affective prayer), and contemplatio (contemplation). In the lectio (reading) stage, a pre-selected passage from The Bible is read slowly and attentively. In the next stage, meditatio (discursive meditation), the reader thinks, in God’s presence, about the text or parts of the text that have been read. In the oratio (consecration prayer) stage, there is dialogue with God about the reading. In the final, contemplatio (contemplation) stage, there is simple, joyful rest in the presence of the Lord.

During the 20th Century two major forms of Christian meditation have developed:

 Fr. John Main, O.S.B. (1926–1982) a Benedictine monk and priest who presented a way of Christian meditation using a mantra. You can read more about his work and thoughts on the World Community for Christian Meditation site. Fr. Main's work is continued by Fr. Laurence Freeman, O.S.B.

 Centering Prayer method: a sacred word is used to prepare us to receive the gift of contemplative prayer. As with Fr. Main's method, the goal is for one to just be with God, allowing God’s presence and action to fill his inner being. Fr. Thomas Keating is a founding member and the spiritual guide of Contemplative Outreach where you can read more details about the centering prayer method.

The Catholic Church states:

'Meditation engages thought, imagination, emotion, and desire. This mobilization of faculties is necessary in order to deepen our convictions of faith, prompt the conversion of our heart, and strengthen our will to follow Christ. Christian prayer tries above all to meditate on the mysteries of Christ, as in lectio divina or the rosary. This form of prayerful reflection is of great value, but Christian prayer should go further: to the knowledge of the love of the Lord Jesus, to union with him."

A very good resource for teaching Christian meditation to children is Ernie Christie's website 'Coming Home'. Christie is the Deputy Director of the Catholic Education Office for the Diocese of Townsville, Australia. A meeting with Fr Laurence Freeman sparked an interest in, and led to a passion for, a contemplative way of being in the Christian tradition. Ernie has since been a meditator in the Christian tradition for more than 12 years and is committed to teaching the practice to children.

You'll find some Amazon recommendations, specific to Christian Meditation, in the link below: