Gathering
Opening Prayer:
O God of peace, who has taught us that in returning and rest we shall be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be our strength: By the might of your Spirit lift us, we pray, to your presence, where we may be still and know that you are God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Begin with brief check-ins and the opening questions below:
Opening Questions:
How has it been practicing zimzum discipleship and silence? Have you tried the “Be still” prayer? Have you found time for quiet contemplation in your busy life?
Lectio Divina: Matthew 6:6-8
“Jesus taught his disciples, saying, “ But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
- Use lectio divina (“divine reading”) for this passage.
- Read the text slowly aloud. Sit for a time and notice where your heart takes you.
- Meditate on a word or phrase that has caught your attention. Or imagine taking on a role in this narrative and playing it over again in your mind.
- Pray the passage aloud slowly again, or simply pray the word or phrase that has taken your attention.
- Quietly consider how this passage might lead you to live more faithfully as a disciple of Jesus, and let the Spirit guide you as to next steps for contemplative living.
Content Study
- Watch the video together titled “How to do Christian Meditation” by Paul Demeyer and the World Community for Christian Meditation (wccm.org) online at www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvFneqPA8U8
Reflection Questions
- What has your understanding of meditation been? Have you thought of it as primarily an Eastern religious practice? What’s been your experience with Christian meditation?
- In the video, Paul Demeyer says, “Meditation is the prayer of the heart where we let go of all thoughts and words.” And then says that we are to “guard the heart from negativity and emotion by laying aside all thoughts.” It’s fairly clear that our culture promotes unease within ourselves through marketing—we need the latest gadget or this new toothpaste or this fitness plan to become the person we desire to be—and it is never quelled. What negativity or emotion do you see impacting our culture, or perhaps your own interior life?
- With this type of prayer, we are “not speaking to God, but being present with God. Letting go of the self-chatter.” Describe a time when you’ve experienced non-verbal prayer of presence with God.
- Throughout the video, we are reminded that in meditation we are all beginners and to be gentle with ourselves. There is no straight progression. Yet it can “lead us home through the jungle of our thoughts. It can take is always deeper to our true selves which is whole and peaceful: Christ within.” What do you make of this?
- What would it take for you to intentionally embrace zimzum—making space in your life—in order to engage more fully in meditation regularly?
Final Reflections
- What has captured your heart or your imagination in today’s discussion?
- Where have you seen God—or Love—recently?
- What might you intentionally do over the next 2-4 weeks to bring you closer to God?
Closing Prayer
Almighty and Eternal God, you sacrificially withdrew from a place within yourself in order to create the entirety of the cosmos so that you might be in relationship with us and all of creation. Help us to embrace zimzum discipleship and make space in our own lives, that we might more faithfully follow in the way of Jesus who gave of himself for the salvation and healing of the whole world. All this we ask in the name of the Risen Christ, who dwells endlessly with you and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
