Silent Prayer - A Recent Talk at St Bride's by Jon Jelfs
SHALL WE PRAY? Part 2 – Silent Prayer and the Experience of God
INTRODUCTION Today we are focussing on the role of silence in the experience of God and its role as a spiritual practice for Christians. In this short paper I am suggesting that Christianity, as all authentic spiritual movements, was born out of a profound experience of God and that silent or inner prayer (in its various forms) has a key part to play in the experience of God today, and ultimately in the transformation of human consciousness, culture and society.
THE INNER LANDSCAPE AND THE EXPERIENCE OF GOD It can be a momentous thing, for the first time to stop all outward activity, to set aside plans and agendas, the endless list of things waiting to be done or demanding our attention, to sit and open to an interior stillness, to be alert to what will unfold in that inner silent place. It can be a revelation to observe your thoughts and to realise that you are not your thoughts but you are the self that is able to observe or witness your thoughts and make choices about them. It can be fascinating to notice what enters the mind, what concerns are there, what dreams and imaginations, and to go deeper and discover the ground of your being and the characteristics of your deepest truest self.
JESUS I think Jesus may have had such a momentous experience before his ministry began when he felt compelled to spend time alone in the desert, the wilderness, the wild place. Such places are the places to slow down, to look deeply into one’s self and to take the opportunity to be present to what is emerging in us.
I wonder if Jesus was taken by surprise by what happened? He found himself struggling with huge issues around ego and attachment to material things, including status and power. All of this was personified and projected outside himself in the gospel account, portrayed as tempting by Satan. I imagine him spending much time in those 40 days and nights in silent prayer. Not necessarily using those ancient-modern techniques of contemplative prayer and meditation that we know today. But nevertheless alone with God, and his mind, in a still quiet place. Hard work was done but at the end of it we are told “angels came and waited upon him”. He was changed and blessed through this time. It was after this experience he began to tell people “repent – (metanoia – be transformed) the Kingdom of God has come near”. It was as if in that experience, in the wild place listening to God, he himself had touched the Kingdom of God, it had come near to him and he was now able to embody it for others. From this time onwards, people found that being with him brought the divine near. He had such clarity of thinking, the separations of gender, status and religion melted in his presence, people found freedom from any sense of guilt, worthlessness or despair and felt made whole in his presence.
EARLY FOLLOWERS It was not only Jesus who was changed through spending time alone with God. Think too of the occasion when the early followers of Jesus took themselves aside to pray. It was after his shocking and brutal death, the followers of Jesus were taken by surprise as they began to experience him as risen and present. They followed his advice to “wait” and devoted themselves to prayer in an upper room. In that place they had a similar experience of being waited upon by God as they experienced God’s presence. It was as though a wind of change blew and flames of transformation rested upon them. This was not simply a passive spiritual experience; it spilled out into the streets. They began to share everything they had, their consciousness had changed – they began to love neighbour as self, they had experienced oneness.
I think it was the direct experience of God through prayer that made Jesus who he was and that provided the energy and the impulse for the Christian community to be born.
FROM EXPERIENCE TO BELIEF AND BACK AGAIN Gradually, particularly after Constantine when Church became aligned with Empire, there was a shift away from experience towards belief, dogma and creed. But there were those who valued the experience of God through prayer, and some of these moved to the deserts of Egypt, Palestine and Syria to continue their practices. And so we had the desert fathers and mothers, the abbas and ammas who sought a life continually attuned to God. And so the practice of silent prayer, and being transformed by resting in the presence of God, was carried through the centuries, above all in the monasteries, eventually surfacing once more into common practice in the 20th century.
It is interesting to me that in the 20th century, at about the same time as the development of progressive theology, was also the rediscovery of the transformative experience of God in gathered worship in the charismatic movement, and also transformative experience of God through silent forms of prayer - meditation and contemplation. I like to think that these three – progressive-charismatic-contemplative – belong together!
CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER AND MEDITATION TODAY Many of us are conscious of our need to continue to develop, mature, to become more whole in ourselves as human beings. We are also very aware of so many local and global issues that call for changes in human behaviour. The mystical heart of many spiritual traditions teaches that human transformation (individual or societal) is aided by an intentional practice of silent prayer, meditation or contemplation. Change in the outer world is dependent on change in the inner world of the mind, heart and consciousness. Contemplation and meditation are key practices for developing the capacity to transcend one’s isolated or limited ego-perspective and identity, to find higher or wider perspectives and identities. “The more one goes within, the more one goes beyond, and the more one can thus embrace a deeper identity and a wider perspective” (Ken Wilber SES p265) Meditation changes ones perspective quite powerfully through bringing direct experience of being part of a greater whole, leading us beyond our own narrow concerns.
Silent practice, in its many forms, is becoming quite popular. No longer is it confined to the monasteries of Buddhists and Christians and others but it is entering schools, medical practices, businesses and prisons. There is considerable research going on, particularly into the role meditation may have for human health and wellbeing. Liverpool hasaMeditation and Mindfulness Research Group at JMU headed up by Dr Peter Malinowski.
In the Christian community there has been a resurgence of contemplative prayer, especially in the last 40 years, with the influence of Christian leaders including Thomas Merton, Thomas Keating, John Main, Laurence Freeman, Cynthia Bourgeault, Richard Rohr, Gerald May, Tilden Edwards and in the UK Joyce Huggett and Margaret Silf. Although there can sometimes be caution or even suspicion in conservative communities, the practice is increasing across a range of church traditions.
WHAT HAPPENS IN CONTEMPLATIVE PRAYER AND MEDITATION? There are hundreds of types of meditation practices arising from the variety of religious and spiritual traditions of many cultures. Many of them follow the same basic principle. They aim to quieten the mind so that the chattering thoughts of ordinary consciousness fade away and we experience stillness of mind and pure consciousness. From a Christian point of view, in that place of stillness we are resting in the presence of God, at that deep place within where human consciousness meets divine consciousness. In meditation this stilling is often done by focussing the mind – inviting it to focus on a single object of attention. This may be a repeated word or phrase (a mantra), the breath, it could be an external object such as a candle flame – there are many possibilities. As we focus our attention on one thing, gently letting go of other thoughts as they arise, with practice the mind becomes still. Some practices then recommend letting go even of the object of our attention, such as the mantra, so that we can experience the stillness and peace at the heart of our being without any distraction.
Some forms of meditation don’t have an object of attention at all, teaching you to simply stand aside from any thoughts or sensations as they arise as you simply witness them arising and passing. This way you become familiar with the territory of the mind and learn how to identify and live from the True Self that is distinct from all feelings and thoughts.
The effects of regular meditation practice can include the following:
A sense of peace and relaxation which can extend beyond the meditation into the day
Renewal of life energy and sense of wellbeing
Numerous physical and psychological health benefits
Temporary spiritual or awakening experiences that be ecstatic, blissful, delightful and that encourage faith and trust in God
A growing awareness of God’s Presence as Love
A deepening sense of self, who you really are. Our ordinary sense of who we are is very much governed by the thought chatter that runs through our minds. As we learn the practice of stilling this ego-mind, we discover a deeper more abiding sense of self which feels more whole, more loving and more connected to others, the earth, the universe and to God.
Meditation, over time, helps us develop a broader perspective, a sense of Oneness with all that can lead us to be less egocentric and more connected to the whole. This is sometimes called the ‘evolution of human consciousness’ – a maturing beyond our self-centred focus to realise that we participate in a greater whole.
Meditation can sometimes be hard work, with a frequent need to let go of intrusive thoughts. This is good. Meditation can offer us greater freedom to choose how to be. As we become used to noticing our thoughts and feelings and practice letting them go so this can be applied in everyday life so that are more able to make choices about how we respond when thoughts or feelings arise. For example, when we notice anger arising we can more easily see it for what it is and make a choice about how we respond to it.
SOME FORMS OF SILENT PRAYER IN THE CHRISTIAN TRADITION
There are many forms of contemplative prayer and meditation and it is good to develop a range of practices that are helpful to you. There are at least three core forms in the Christian tradition:
Lectio Divina which means ‘sacred reading’, an ancient monastic practice with 4 stages.
Lectio: prayerful, slow, heart-centred reading of the sacred text
Meditatio: deliberate pondering of the message in the text
Oratio: responding to God’s message with honest, sincere prayer
Contemplatio: allowing the prayer to dissolve into wordless silent contemplation, while simply resting in the divine presence, beyond human thought
Christian meditation A form of concentration meditation using a mantra, promoted by the World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM), developed by John Main.
Sit with good upright, alert, comfortable posture. Close your eyes gently and begin to repeat your word, your mantra. Say it interiorly in silence and stillness of body and mind. Stay with the same word throughout the meditation period and at each meditation period. Keep returning to it when you get distracted. The word we suggest is: Maranatha. Say it as four equal syllables: ma-ra-na-tha. This word is an ancient Christian prayer which means "Come Lord, come Lord Jesus" (see 1 Cor 16:22). Do not think about its meaning because in meditation we let go of all thoughts. When you become distracted simply return to the word, gently, faithfully and attentively. Meditate each day, morning and evening for between twenty and thirty minutes.
Sit with good upright, alert, comfortable posture. Choose a sacred word or phrase as the symbol of your intention to be open to God’s presence. Choose something that reminds you to be present to God such as Love, Peace, Jesus, be still etc. Begin by silently repeating the sacred word or phrase, which points you gently towards God. When you are ready, you can let go of the sacred word and simply rest in God. When thoughts arise, gently let go of them and turn towards God, repeating the sacred word again if necessary but allowing to ‘drop out’ as thoughts settle. Continue for 20-30 minutes or whatever is best for you.
Centering Prayer as promoted by Contemplative Outreach under the leadership of Thomas Keating.
RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
Books
Waking from Sleep - Steve Taylor The Big Book of Christian Mysticism (the essential guide to contemplative spirituality) – Carl McColman Manifesting God – Thomas Keating Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening – Cynthia Bourgeault Spirituality, Contemplation and Transformation – Thomas Keating et al The Power of Now – Eckhart Tolle Word into Silence – John Main The Miracle of Mindfulness: A Manual on Meditation Thich Nhat Hanh Wherever You Go, There you are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life Jon Kabat-Zinn
Websites
www.contemplativemind.org/ - Contemplative Mind www.wccm.org/ - World Community for Christian Meditation www.contemplativeoutreach.org/ - Contemplative Outreach (centering prayer)
READINGS
When you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you . (Matt 6:6 NASB)
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God is so far beyond everything that we can scarcely speak, thus it is also by means of silence that he is adored.
Remain silent, beloved, silent: if you can rest completely in silence, then God will give you more blessings than you would know how to ask for.
If you wish to express the being of eternity, you must first abandon all discourse.
When you remember God, you hear him in yourself. You become quiet and if you remain silent and peaceful, he will not stop speaking to you.
(Quoted in ‘The Experience of God’ Raimon Panikar, p130. By Angelus Silesius [1624 – 1677] German Catholic mystic and poet.)
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"Christianity began in Palestine as an experience, it moved to Greece and became a philosophy, it moved to Italy and became an institution, it moved to Europe and became a culture, and it moved to America and became a business! We've left the experience long behind." (Paul Smith, author of Integral Christianity)
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The Christian religion is primarily about a transformation of consciousness. This takes spiritual practice and the cultivation of wisdom. In another time this was called cultivating the supernatural organism, what Paul called ‘a new creation’. So the main thing is to be transformed into God, what the early church called deification, theosis, divinisation. (Thomas Keating).