Christian meditation is a form of prayer in which a structured attempt is made to get in touch with and deliberately reflect upon the revelations of God. The word meditation comes from the Latin word meditārī, which has a range of meanings including to reflect on, to study and to practice. Christian meditation is the process of deliberately focusing on specific thoughts (such as a bible passage) and reflecting on their meaning in the context of the love of God.
Christian meditation aims to heighten the personal relationship based on the love of God that marks Christian communion. Both in Eastern and Western Christianity meditation is the middle level in a broad three-stage characterization of prayer: it involves more reflection than first level vocal prayer, but is more structured than the multiple layers of contemplative prayer.
Teachings in both the Eastern and Western Christian churches have emphasized the use of Christian meditation as an element in increasing one's knowledge of Christ.
In Aspects of Christian meditation, the Holy See warned of potential incompatibilities in mixing Christian and non-Christian styles of meditation. In 2003, in A Christian reflection on the New Age the Vatican announced that "the Church avoids any concept that is close to those of the New Age".
Read more about Christian Meditation: Context and Structure, Old Testament References, History, Approaches To Meditation
Famous quotes containing the words christian and/or meditation:
“I know this, and I know it from actual experience in the Orient, that the progress of modern Christian civilization has largely depended on the earnest hard work of the Christian missions of every denomination.”
—William Howard Taft (1857–1930)
“And hiving wisdom with each studious year,
In meditation dwelt, with learning wrought,
And shaped his weapon with an edge severe,
Sapping a solemn creed with solemn sneer.”
—George Gordon Noel Byron (1788–1824)