Christian Meditation
Meditate comes from the Latin word, metitat, meaning “contemplated.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines meditate as: engage in contemplation or reflection or to engage in mental exercise (such as concentration on one's breathing or repetition of a mantra) for the purpose of reaching a heightened level of spiritual awareness. We most commonly think of Eastern meditation which is based in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism. However Christian Meditation has existed for a very long time, reaching back to the earliest days of the Church. Jesus modelled this for us by frequently retreating to solitary, quiet places for prayerful reflection. Early Christian meditation was part of Jewish prayer practices of meditating on Scripture. In the 3rd and 4th centuries, the Desert Fathers and Mothers focused on silent prayer and continual remembrance of God. Medieval Monasticism involved structured reading of Scripture, prayer, meditation, and contemplation. Known by a number of names including contemplative prayer, centering prayer, and The Jesus Prayer, Christian meditation is still practiced to this day.
According to Teresa Yerkes, founder of Christian Meditation Center, Christian meditation is a way of paying attention to God, a time when we’re just still with him and we're just being with him. She has personally benefitted from the practice in the stabilization of her emotions. “[The practice] for me over time has renewed my mind and brought me into a stronger relationship with God. One of the greatest benefits that I received from the practice of Christian meditation is the expansion of the Fruit of the Spirit within me. And you might remember that the Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. We already carry these beautiful attributes within us, and we’ve all tasted them in different ways. Through Christian meditation, they gradually become less occasional experiences and more a reflection of who we truly are.” She attributes many positive changes in her life to this practice. “It’s a combination of letting things go that are no longer serving us and also bringing things into our life, practices into our life that are supporting a stronger relationship with God, ourselves, and others. What I have discovered over time through Christian meditation is that love becomes the foundation for everything else that flows from us – our behaviors, our attitudes, and even our thought life.”
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. (Lamentations 3:25) While there are many ways to practice Christian meditation, Teresa’s basic format is as follows. Sit in a chair with your hands on your lap. Close your eyes. Start with a prayer. The Lord’s Prayer is fine. Or a prayer of intention or your own prayer to God works too. When you’re finished talking to God, just be silent. Move your attention to your heart center. If you get distracted, focus on your breath to bring you back to your heart center. Notice your breath going in and out to stay centered. Continue this for 15-20 minutes and enjoy your time with God. “That’s a beautiful way of just being with God, not doing anything, just being with Him and allowing ourselves to be open to what He might want to do with us.”
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. (John 15:4) “And so now, our attention is not just thinking about Him, but now our attention is also with Him from our heart, from a place of desiring more of Him. Because when we start out, we start to see how the Holy Spirit is working in our lives and He's changing us. He's renewing our mind and our life is getting better. It might take time, but our life starts to get much better because we are living according to what God has asked us to do. So, it's when we're doing that, we're on a path to peace, and then we move into this relationship in our heart with God that expands our relationship with Him and God opens up in a much broader way for us.”
Teresa Yerkes, the Founder of the Christian Meditation Center, has been a devoted Christian since 1983 and has practiced Christian meditation since 2000. She is the author of five books: Come Closer: The Practice of Christian Meditation, God Within You: The Case for Christian Meditation, Making Love: The Spiritual Act of Love, Julianna and Madeline’s Journey to God’s Peace and Love: A Christian Meditation Adventure, and Divine Parallels: Exploring the Shared Lessons of Jesus in the Bible and A Course in Miracles. She has big plans for the Center.
To see the planned chapel and retreat center: https://www.christianmeditationcenter.org/about/chapel-and-retreat-center/
To learn more, participate in guided meditation sessions, and for many other resources: https://www.christianmeditationcenter.org/
