| The term "Christian meditation" has taken on | | | | upon which they will focus their attention; Fr. Main |
| some unnecessary connotations over the past | | | | recommended the word maranatha. In the |
| few decades. Hearing that phrase, many would-be | | | | context he suggested it, maranatha means |
| meditators have come to believe that there is | | | | "Come Lord", said with the intention of inviting |
| only one proper way for a good, faithful Christian | | | | Jesus into one's heart. |
| to meditate (if that person is fairly well read, they | | | | The actual technique for using this Christian |
| might be open to two ways). | | | | meditation is very simple, and follows this path: |
| Before talking about each of those two | | | | - Find a quiet spot you can be alone and |
| meditative disciplines, let me quickly dispel the | | | | undisturbed for 10 or 20 minutes - Close your |
| notion that there is a specific Christian technique | | | | eyes (or simply allow your eyelids to shade the |
| when it comes to an interior practice. The fact is | | | | eye) - As you naturally breathe out, say quietly |
| that ANY meditation technique, so long as its | | | | or silently to yourself 'maranatha' (emphasize each |
| purpose is to bring us closer to the Trinity, is | | | | syllable evenly and with some definition: ma - ra - |
| Christian meditation. The current reliance on two | | | | na - tha) |
| primary modes of meditation is more a result of | | | | When your allotted time is up, sit quietly for a |
| the efforts of folks like Fr. John Main and Fr. | | | | few moments, simply resting in the resulting |
| Laurence Freeman; Frs. Main and Freeman (and | | | | quietude with gratitude for the chance to spend |
| others) were anxious to make meditation | | | | time with the Trinity. |
| accessible to believers who had been largely | | | | That's the mechanics of this Christian technique of |
| without instruction in meditation for hundreds of | | | | meditation, or Contemplative Prayer. But, the |
| years and who were willing to connect to Asian | | | | importance of the practice begins to come clear |
| traditions in order to apply meditative technology | | | | once you move a bit beyond the structured |
| in their own lives. I applaud their efforts, but am | | | | technique. As you continue mindfully repeating |
| sometimes frustrated by the subsequent | | | | your chosen word, the meaning of the word |
| assumption made by many followers that the | | | | fades, and you are left with the bare sensory |
| techniques these good men promote are the only | | | | awareness of the sound. Along with the word's |
| acceptable means of approaching the Divine. | | | | meaning, the other chatter which generally |
| Having gotten that out of the way, it is still | | | | occupies our minds (hopes, fears, loves and |
| important for today's faithful to be familiar with | | | | hates) also fades. We are then left with a bare |
| these two basic modes of Christian technique: | | | | awareness of awareness itself; and when we |
| 1. Contemplative Prayer 2. Lectio Divina | | | | stop paying all that attention to our own self talk, |
| Contemplative prayer is very similar to what is | | | | we can begin listening to what God is saying. |
| more commonly known as mantra repetition, or | | | | THAT is the real benefit to contemplative prayer |
| what is called the Relaxation Response by Dr. | | | | - getting out of our own way as we look to see |
| Herbert Benson. The meditator chooses a word | | | | God. |