Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Week 10 – Meditation as Communion with God

Celebration of Discipline Bible Study
Prepared by: Rev. Willetta Ar-Rahmaan

     In our lesson last week, we defined meditation and briefly explained the difference between Eastern Meditation and Christian Meditation. This week we will dig deeper into Richard Foster’s book and the chapter on meditation. In the beginning chapter, Foster reinforce the meaning of meditation as “listening to God’s word, reflecting on God’s works, rehearsing God’s deeds, ruminating on God’s law, and more….which stress upon a change behavior as a result of our encounter with the living God” (p. 15). Therefore Christian meditation is asking and allowing God to enter into our lives, our most inner places and communion with us.
     When we are in communion with God we have the “ability to hear God’s voice and obey God’s word” (p. 17). In order for God to have communion with us we must be in a position to listen and hear God’s voice. Often the busyness of our lives causes us to be distracted by the world we live in that we block out communion time with God. Let us not get communion confused with the practice for the ordinances Jesus left for the church to do. This communion we are referring to is a holy relationship with God. A relationship in which we talk to God and God talks to us in our most intimate inner place. This type of intimacy is where are vulnerable to God and we allow God to enter into the places of our secret desires, dreams and dysfunctional behavior.  When we must bare all we find ourselves not worthy to be in God’s presence, therefore we act just like the Israelites in Exodus 20:18-21 “18 When all the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraidd and trembled and stood at a distance, 19 and said to Moses, “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we will die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come only to test you and to put the fear of him upon you so that you do not sin.” 21 Then the people stood at a distance, while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was.”1
     So many of us are afraid of communion with God because it requires intimacy on a level we have not experienced or rather not experience because we do not believe God’s grace is sufficient. What we ought to realize and understand is that we, “God’s people continue to learn to live on the basis of hearing God’s voice and obeying God’s word” (p. 18). Our mediation should allow us to become familiar with God that we can see God move and hear God’s voice constantly. God’s desire is to have a “perpetual Eucharistic feast in the inner sanctuary of the heart…we cannot burn the eternal flame of the inner sanctuary and remain the same” (p. 20). What Foster is saying is that as we partake of the bread and wine in remembrance of Jesus Christ sacrifice for us, God wants our heart to be a never ending communion feast in our hearts.  As Christians meditation is allowing God to dwell within us forever (Revelation 3:20, Romans 14:17). When we commune with God and reflect on the name Immanuel we are saying, God is not only with us, but God is in us. When we are willing to listen to God let us open the inner sanctuary of our hearts to God.


Going Deeper:
1. How do you describe your communion with God? Is it shallow or deep?

2. Do you continue to have others to intercede on your behalf before God?

3. What type of centering moment would you prepare for your communion time with God?



Next Week: Foster’s Book pp 25-26 (Sanctifying the Imagination for Meditation)


d Sam Gk Syr Vg: MT they saw
1 The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989, S. Ex 20:18-21

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Week 9 – Understanding Meditation and its Purpose

Celebration of Discipline Bible Study
Prepared by: Rev. Willetta Ar-Rahmaan
Week 9 – Understanding Meditation and its Purpose

In our last lesson we completed an in-depth look at Spiritual Growth Development as it compares to Human Development. This brief detour from Foster’s book was taken to prepare us for the rest of the disciplines needed and how these disciplines helps us get to the reproduction stage in Spiritual Maturity. Of course there are many books on spiritual maturity and as time prolongs, a list of helpful books will be identified for each lesson. Let us journey onward into Meditation.

When we hear the word meditation we often recall or reflect on images of sitting on the floor doing yoga or legs crossed with our hands in a praying position. We may think about the sounds people make as they meditate. These are some of the ways people understand meditation especially in the Western Culture. When we mention meditation people will also assume we are talking about Yoga, Buddism or Hinduism. However, “the difference between Christian meditation and Buddhist meditation is that the former is oriented to an object (the encounter of the perceptible world and the self-revealing God; → Revelation), whereas the latter expressly has no object.”

Prior to opening Foster’s chapter on mediation here’s a few definitions to help unravel the mystery of meditation. First we must recognize that meditation is active and according to Webster’s dictionary it is “a discourse intended to express its author’s reflections or to guide others in contemplation.” Therefore when we meditate on scripture we are reflecting on what the author/writer of was saying during that time so that we can interpret, make plain and unpack it for modern revelation. Meditation also draws us to study and marvel a little while longer. For example have you found yourself in awe and fully focused on God’s creation that you forgot about everything and everyone around you except for that one thing that has you full attention? That is deep meditation, the meditation of study. According to O. Haendler (1890–1981), all healthy people meditate. When we know astonishment or wonder, when a word or event grips us, when we look at a picture or at something beautiful and it touches us (→ Aesthetics), we have an experience close to meditation. Haendler views meditation as “the living activity of our most inward mental and spiritual organs, with which we apprehend life’s reality and achieve the depth and power and essentiality of our own being” (p. 13).

Let us look at another definition of meditation, “the word “meditation” or its verb form, “to meditate,” is found mainly in the Old Testament. The Hebrew words behind this concept mean “to murmur,” “a murmuring,” “sighing,” or “moaning.” These are the scriptures of the OT that focus on meditation: Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2; Psalm. 4:4; Psalm 19:14; Psalm 39:3; Psalm 49:3; Psalm 63:5, 6; Psalm 73:12–22; Psalm 77:10–12; Psalm 104:34; Psalm 119:11, 16, 23, 48, 55, 59, 78, 97–99,148; Psalm 139:17, 18; Psalm 143:5
As we think about the characters and people of the OT they knew what mediation was and how it was done.

During my research I found that many of us only understand or see mediation as something being done for relaxation or a cultural practice for many in the Middle East. So before we think meditation is not for us, take the time to review the above scriptures and these from the NT Luke 21:14, 1 Timothy 4:15, Philippians 4:8 and Colossians 3:2. In our meditation moment were put our faith to work asking God to reveal situations and scripture that have grab our attention but will not let us go until we are able to re-interpret it in a practical way. Take the time to really focus on the scriptures and think about what meditation means to you. There are two assignments to ponder this week, the fun assignment and the going deeper questions.

Fun assignment: Perform a GOOGLE search on the word meditation. How many sites referred you to Christian mediation? What was the focus of the meditation and what were the suggestions for mediation?

Going Deeper:
1. Are we fearful of meditation because it is practiced in other cultures and religions? Why?
2. What are some ways you can revive meditation as a Christian?

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Week 8 – Spiritual Growth Development Part VI

Celebration of Discipline Bible Study
Prepared by: Rev. Willetta Ar-Rahmaan
Week 8 – Spiritual Growth Development Part VI

In our last lesson we talked about the Young Adult stage. This week we will discuss the last stage, the Adult stage. This is that fully mature stage where one is reproducing in others the tools necessary for spiritual growth and maturity. This is the stage where we set the examples for others to follow. When a child grows and mature into an adult, the adult will serve as a mentor to others growing and maturing. As an adult we want to share the wisdom and knowledge we’ve gained over the years so others do not walk down some road that will cause them to be frustrated and rebellious. As an adult, whether a parent or not, we’ve learned some valuable lessons along life highway. If we take the time to think back to the Apostles, they were first call disciples. They had to go through the same stages of spiritual growth. Basically we are no different than those first disciples. We are no different than the young ruler with a mound of wealth.

Once we reach this adult stage we have become the teacher. We are taking the time to reproduce what is in us. The biggest danger we face in this stage is the lack of concern for others. Often in life when people climb the corporate ladder, excel in sports, spiritual gifts, natural talents or education we may forget or forsake those who have sacrificed, molded or groomed us so we can be who we are now. Some of us have been cold, callous and critical of our formal lives that we will do anything to bury it. As Christians who have matured into teaching vessels we want to remember parts of our lives so we can explain with real life situations. As we look at scripture we find people who demonstrated the life as a spiritual mature adult. Take the time to read and reflect on the following:
Life of Joseph, Book of Job, Book of Esther, the Apostles and the Life of Paul, there is much to learn about spiritual growth and maturity. Here are a few things to remember about Spiritual Maturity:

1. It is a process and there are no shortcuts. We can not grow from a baby to an adult overnight so remember our spiritual maturity is the same
2. Just because we are of a seasoned age and just accepted Christ we are not grandfathered in, we have to go through the same process as everyone else.

3. There will be days when we will find yourselves sliding up and down those basic needs and danger areas identified:

BASIC NEEDS: Assurance, Discernment, Discipline, Victory and Reproduce.

DANGERS: Doubt, Led Astray, Rebellion, Frustration and Apathy

4. No matter how much we know, we will never know more than God. When we surrender ourselves to God we are forsaking family and friends to follow this Gospel.
5. Stay focus because the goal of the enemy is to keep us immature in the word and growth.

Really take the time to read those books and passages. There is a lot of useful and practical wisdom. So pull out a concordance or go online and search for one. Remember we are held accountable for what we know and what we teach others on the journey.

Going Deeper:

1. If God has called you to reproduce your spiritual walk using the tools given, what will stop you from doing it?
2. In the past year what basic need you didn’t receive and where do you sit on the danger scale?
3. Do you feel that the stage of spiritual growth and maturity is too much of a process? If so, what would be a better way to get to the stage of an adult?


Next Lesson - Meditation

Monday, August 9, 2010

Week 7 – Spiritual Growth Development Part V

Celebration of Discipline Bible Study
Prepared by: Rev. Willetta Ar-Rahmaan
Week 7 – Spiritual Growth Development Part V

In our last lesson we talked about the child/teenager stage. This stage is the beginning of the boundaries being defined and developing our own sense of identify as we are maturing in Christ. This week we will discuss the Young Person stage. The young person stage in the human development has a broad range of age, however for this study we will look at it from the age of 20 to 35. Since we are not placing age on the Spiritual Growth we can say this is the stage of celebration and victory because one has matured to a point where we are our own person in Christ.

When we look at this stage from the human behavior point of view we notice a few things, we are willing and ready to make long term commitments, we learn how to compromise and make sacrifices. At this stage in our human development we have overcome a lot of obstacles to get we are in life. In the midst of all the celebration we often find ourselves being frustrated with how things continue to move in life. We feel if we have matured to become a productive member of society why others haven’t done the same thing. During this stage in life we are bonding with people and creating a lasting relationship. As these relationships grow and others stop growing because they feel they’ve learned all they need to survive for the rest of life, we look at them with amazement because we are learning something new everyday no matter how small it is.

This is what the 4th level of spiritual growth is about. We have set boundaries for ourselves so we can become that mature person in the spirit. We know that at every turn the adversary is lurking around waiting for the chance to push us off the path and not allow us to achieve that fullness of victory. When we talk about victory in Christ we are talking about the maturity steps taken to overcome the hurtful, hateful and hair-raising experience that would want to make us holler and fight. We because frustrated and resentful when we don’t understand why people are still so immature when it comes to spiritual maturity. When we get this point in our life are not expected to know everything but we feel great about what we’ve learned and how we can share our own life experiences with others to help them set their own boundaries, transform their integrity and character.

When we uphold a standard for ourselves we ought to demonstrate that standard in our everyday action. If our standard becomes a moving target we will easily become discourage because we are not where we want to be on the journey. If we try to uphold others to that same standard and they don’t measure it we become frustrated. We are frustrated because we are taking on the burdens that are not for us to carry.

When we become frustrated on this Christian journey we may become isolated. We will cut people out of our lives; ignore people and slowly sliding down the ladder of rebellion. We must remember what works for us will not work for everyone and what we have done in the past may not work in our present level of maturity. We have matured at this point beyond the superficial and the shallow. Our spiritual walk is much deeper than before. We allow things to roll off but we are aware of the darts, snares and arrows that continue to show up in our lives in the image of friends, co-workers, family, peers and colleagues. It’s hard to say not to become frustrated but when we find ourselves in that situation it’s time to steal away in the presence of God.

Scripture Reading:
1 John 2:11-28, John 12:27-31, Genesis 4:3-8, 1 John 5:4

Going Deeper:

1. What has been the most frustrated and annoying thing you encountered on your Christian Journey so far? What could you have done not be annoyed?
2. Since you’ve reach the stage of victory what are some things that helped you to get to this stage? Why do you think others find it hard to get to this same stage?
3. Was it possible to short cut the growth to get to this stage? What would be a noticeable since when one has taken a short cut?

Sunday, August 1, 2010

The Body of Christ and the Church

As I ran errands yesterday, I encountered a number of hurting people who have been mistreated and abused by church members and church leaders. As they shared their story with me, I could hear the hurt in their voice and see the hurt on their face. It is time for us to take responsibility for our words and actions towards others in the body of Christ. We must confront the issues that is festering and destroying the unity in the body of Christ. If our leadership style is to avoid conflict then we will always have conflict and people doing whatever they want to do. If we are followers who are trying to help with the conflict and get rejected how are we suppose to worship in love and peace when a spirit of confusion continue to exist?

We know that God is not a God of mess and confusion, therefore as we look across the country we find churches big and small suffering because of it. As we pray daily let us pray for the weak and controlling mess makers who only want to keep things going. Let us pray for the leaders who avoid conflict as a resolution to issues. If our focus on this Christian Journey is prosperity and riches, then we have missed the meaning of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.