Merton and Meditation
Posted by Mark Shaw on July 12, 2008
Thomas Merton loved the contemplative life, the quiet, the wondrous ways of nature that are provided free of charge by the Holy Spirit. In New Seeds of Contemplation, he has some inspiring thoughts about meditation: “Learn to meditate on paper. Drawing are writing are forms of meditation. Learn how to contemplate works of art. Learn how to pray in the the streets or in the country. Know how to meditate not only when you have a book in your hand but when you are waiting for a bus or riding the train.”
In other words, meditate when there is quiet, but also meditate when there is not or when you are doing some other task. What a novel idea – one that permits us to find the contemplative life even during the hustle and bustle of daily life. Do you meditate? Or do you simply call it prayer, as I do. No matter, finding the time to be one with God, with the Holy Spirit, or with any higher spirit that is calling you is one of the most exciting things about life.
Lea said
I do Christian Meditation (if you’re not familiar with it you can read about it at http://www.wccm.org). Have been doing it for about 3 years or so; at first I did Centering Prayer for about a year before that, but shifted to the slightly different Christian Meditation practice. I also pray as some would call “simple prayer” — talking to God interiorly. I read one of Merton’s books on contemplative prayer when I first started meditation — can’t think of the name right now. More recently (year and a half ago?) I read “The Inner Experience — Notes on Contemplation”. I think Merton often used the term “meditation” to refer to discursive meditation, i.e. thinking about something or picturing yourself in a Gospel scene — not sure if I’m remembering that correctly.
There is no one “right” way to pray, I think. God will work as He wishes. I happen to be drawn to meditation (the non-discursive kind), for whatever reason.
cornishevangelist said
Children of Promise
“Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise”. {Galatians 4 v 28}.
When God looks at this old world, He no longer looks upon it like He did in the days before His only Son was crucified at Calvary. For Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary gave birth to the new covenant or testament, which He wrote on the hearts of men who accepted Christ as Lord and Saviour.
No longer does He see tribes and races of people as such, for now because of Christ’s sacrifice He sees only the children of promise and the children of the bound. Let me explain,
God states clearly in scripture that the children of God are those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, regardless of race or gender, they are the children of God, yes the children of promise. You see it is written, “And if ye be Christ’s then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to promise”, {Galatians 3 v 29}.
Abraham had two sons, one by a bondwoman called Agar, and another by a freewoman called Sarah, as it is written, now these two sons represents the two covenants.
The first son Ishmael of the bondwoman represented Jerusalem, which is now in bondage, which also represents the old covenant, but the freewoman’s son Isaac represents the heavenly Jerusalem, which is the new covenant.
All God’s people are one in Christ Jesus, who are under the new covenant. Under this covenant there is no longer Jew, Gentile, slave or free, men or women, for we are all one in Christ. “For ye are all the children of promise by faith in Christ Jesus”, {Galatians 3 v 26}.
Now God’s plan for the people of Israel is the same plan which He is using for the whole world, and that is that we must all repent and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour.
There is no other plan for salvation, only through Jesus. Who was crucified for our sins and rose again for our justification, and who is alive forever more. Praise be the wonderful name of Jesus. As it is written, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved”, {Acts 4 v 12}.
As Isaac was, so are we the children of promise, no matter what nation we are from, God considers us all equal and precious in His sight. So precious are we that He sacrificed His only Son for each and everyone of us. So, let us all stand together as, the children of promise.
I would like to state that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and many more in Israel are likened unto an olive tree which also represents the children of promise.
We who believe are grafted into that tree, and so we become one with them, and are known as the true Israel of today.
Now today there are still people in Israel who are chosen by God according to election of grace who will be grafted back into the olive tree, which represents the children of promise.
We must pray for them, that they will see Jesus, for it is written, “There shall come out of Zion the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins”, {Romans 11 v 26 & 27}
So dear saints, let us always pray and standby Israel, for I believe that there are many yet to come to know Jesus as their true Messiah. God bless Israel
Mark Shaw said
I like the idea that there is no “right” way to pray. People seem to get hung up on this point and then don’t pray at all. A prayer may take an hour or a minute, it doesn’t matter.
Centering prayer has always intrigued me but I have never experienced it during a long period of time. I would assume there is a nice, spiritual bond present that permits an atmosphere of love, compassion and contemplation.
I’d be interested in if, or if so, how, one should pray to God and the Holy Spirit when we are upset. This has occurred to me recently especially when we so much violence in the world affecting children.
Any thoughts?
Lea said
Sometimes when I hear some news that upsets me — I often simply say “Lord have mercy” or similar.
Anger is a troublesome emotion for me. In commenting on another post I mentioned Mary Margaret Funk. She has written about anger and the obstacles it presents to prayer and getting along with others, referring back to the teaching of Desert Father John Cassian and others. I don’t know if the “upset” you were referring to is anger.
Mark Shaw said
Not necessarily anger, but being upset with God and the Holy Spirit. An example: the number of children that are abused, beaten, and killed each day, especially with the war in Iraq. How do we as Christians understand how this is permitted to occur? And, is it proper to get angry with God about this and ask, “why, why, why” do You permit this to occur?
Same with unfortunate events that happen to good people, loss of homes, jobs, mental illness, disease, injury, etc. How do we reconcile all of this?
cornishevangelist said
You said,”I often simply say “Lord have mercy” He has had mercy HE SENT JESUS REPENT AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL
Lea said
Mark, I have to admit that I haven’t thought a lot about why “God permits suffering”. I’ve read very little theology.
Some of the unfortunate events you mention are the result of nature — disease, death and destruction due to natural disasters, and so on. My mother, now deceased, and brother both suffered most of their lives with severe mental illness. My brother continues to be afflicted. When I was a child, I think I became quite angry at God — I blamed God, I blamed my father, I even blamed myself. Perhaps blaming is a normal reaction for a child.
Bad decisions, flawed thinking, and simple mistakes by people contribute to a lot of the unfortunate events you mentioned. People make many mistakes, some of which make themselves and others miserable. I have made many mistakes myself, and it does get frustrating. I guess it’s this condition that makes me want to search for some unifying meaning or reality behind it all.
The mystics say “all is well.” I was reading a book by Laurence Freeman last night, and he was talking about how joy is the natural state of the human (I hope I’m remembering correctly), and that it’s possible to feel joy even in the face of suffering. Other spiritual writers I admire have written about this.
What do you think?