During four Wednesday evenings in March and April 2011, about 25 people attended a Lenten series on Christian meditation at Parkdale United Church in Ottawa. At each session, they heard from an experienced meditator, listened to a John Main tape and watched a short video, followed by 20 minutes of silent meditation and a question and answer period.
In Week 1, we learned that meditation is a form of prayer originating among the earliest Christians that has been practiced throughout the ages. Eva Hegmann presented the wheel as a metaphor for prayer: moving forward, as prayer moves us closer to God, the wheel’s spokes represent different types of prayer—all good when done with a sincere heart. The hub in the still centre represents the prayer of Christ, in silent communion with the Father.
In Week 2, Francie D’Annunzio painted a delightful picture of John Main as a caring, down to earth man who enjoyed playing pranks, but who took prayer very seriously. We learned aspects of his life as a diplomat, lawyer, monk and founder of the Christian meditation movement. He discovered the roots of Christian meditation from as far as the 4th century among the desert fathers and mothers in Egypt, whom we know about from the writings of John Cassian.
Christian meditation is simple but not easy. Ron Dicks spoke in Week 3 of the challenge to stop focusing on ourselves, to say the mantra and be still with the Christ spirit which lies within—to come to the practice of meditation without expectations or demands. Ron shared how his experience of leaving self behind in meditation had helped him in connecting with those he ministered to in his past role as a social worker. After meditating at first on his own, Don Myrick came to understand that meditating with others is crucial to this path. In Week 4, he gave us these tips for integrating meditation into daily life:
Here is what some participants said:
Question: “The speakers all seem to be so gentle. Does Christian meditation make people more gentle?” Answer: “Well… gentleness along with peace, joy and love are the fruits of meditation, which manifest themselves in God’s time.”
“This series came at a really good time for me I have been exploring ‘mindfulness’ and different forms of spiritual enrichment.”
“It was more community focused than I had expected. While I can’t meditate for you and you can’t meditate for me, this is not a lonely journey, as there is a big supportive community out there.”
Elise Mennie and Jennifer Payne