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Contemplative Prayer Practices

Fitness buffs have an inside language. The really serious ones like to use proper anatomy terms, like gluteus maximus instead of bum. They still mean bum but, like most experts, enjoy having some special knowledge others don't have. People who practice contemplative prayer are often no different. Like any other practice, contemplative prayer has its own inside language, which is clear to the initiated but means little to outsiders. Much of the writing on contemplative prayer uses this inside language. Terms like "sacred space"or "heart of silence"or "dark night of the soul"tend to evoke images of medieval monasteries populated by celibate monks, which lack in appeal to 21-century sensibilities.

My own experience has shown me that most Contemplative Prayer Practices (CPP) can be taught without using inside words. Knowing what to do isn't the hard part. Having the tenacity and perseverance to do it regularly is.

Deep Breathing: Every book on CPP I've ever read talks about deep breathing. Interestingly, while this is the most physical aspect of CPP, spiritually it's the most suspect. Truthfully, we all perform deep breathing when we're stressed out; only we call it a sigh and don't do it long enough. Deep breathing is generally the first step of any CPP.

WEBLINK: http://www.authentic-breathing.com/deep_breathing.htm

BEGINNER'S TIP: Breathe in slowly for a count of 4-7, then breathe out slowly, counting the same amount. When this becomes comfortable, hold the breath for an equal count before exhaling.

Lectio Divina: This is a fancy Latin term for "sacred reading"and has also been called "meditation on the Word."Sacred reading is the practice of reading scripture slowly in a spirit of contemplation. The goal isn't exegesis or analysis, but allowing God to speak to us through the word. Christians often refer to the Bible as God's love letter to mankind, and when we take the time to read it as such, we are practicing sacred reading.

WEBLINK: http://www.cellofpeace.com/refl_lectio.htm

BEGINNER'S TIP: Take a short passage and repeat it over and over again aloud. With each repetition, remove extraneous words until you've broken the passage down to one thought. An obvious example is John 14:27, which could easily be broken down to the word "peace."

Ignatian Contemplation: A form of prayer used by Saint Ignatius of Loyola incorporating the imagination. There are a number of different exercises associated with Ignatian contemplation, but there are two I teach frequently. The first is connected to sacred reading, and simply put is visualizing the situation of a Biblical text with you in it. You might imagine yourself as one of the apostles listening to Jesus' teaching, or as one of the Israelites gathering manna. The other, often called Examen, is to utilize imagination and memory by taking an event from your past and meditating on the events; first as they actually happened, then imagining the Spirit of God being present in the memory. The goal of Examen is to use imagination to discern how open we are to the Spirit's leading, and how the Spirit is (or isn't) influencing our actions.

WEBLINK: http://www.sentex.net/~jveltri/Chapter23a.htm

BEGINNER'S TIP: We all played pretend when we were kids; think of Ignatian Contemplation as your Sunday school teacher saying, "let's pretend we're on the shores of Galilee"and it'll likely come easier to you.

Labyrinths: Not a maze, as many assume. The point of a maze is to confuse. The point of a labyrinth is to journey to the center of a spiral pattern traced on the ground and journey back out again. While walking through the pathway in the labyrinth, participants are encouraged to ask God to speak to them in the walking. While many labyrinths are permanently fixed to their location, there are some groups who rent out (and sell) large canvas labyrinths.

WEBLINK: http://www.yfc.co.uk/labyrinth/online.html

BEGINNER'S TIP: Think of a labyrinth as a short prayer walk. Many Christians go for thoughtful prayer walks through their neighborhood. A labyrinth is the stationary bike version of this practice.

Taiz: A contemplative worship service based on the tradition of the Taiz community in France. While there are many variations on these services, it's the atmosphere of worship that defines them. My own faith community refers to this style of service as a "thin place"(more insider language, though) where the veil between God and us becomes very thin. All the elements of a regular worship service can be present, but they're all done in a contemplative fashion.

WEBLINK: http://www.taize.fr

BEGINNER'S TIP: Get The Book of Uncommon Prayer by Steven L. Case, which includes all the resources necessary to put on a variety of contemplative worship services.

Iona: Refers to an ecumenical community based on the island of Iona where Saint Columba founded a monastery. The community that presently lives there is devoted to a contemplative worship approach, but takes CPP to the place where it must go or remain useless. The community at Iona shares a five fold rule that calls them to intentional, accountable community. Detractors of CPP refer to them as occult practices that are anti-Biblical, due to the emphasis on subjective experiences. The answer to this accusation is communities like Iona. CPP, like any other Christian practices, aren't meant to be lived out in isolation, nor in disregard for the world around us. If our contemplation doesn't lead us to advocate for social justice and peace (in essence to share all our "good news"with others), then we may be able to "fathom all mysteries and all knowledge"but will remain nothing without the love of God emerging from our contemplation.

WEBLINK: http://www.iona.org.uk

BEGINNER'S TIP: Get a bunch of people together. Be intentional and accountable and outwardly focused. I guarantee this CPP is the hardest, but also the most rewarding.

Mike Perschon lives in Edmonton, Alberta and works as part-time associate pastor of Holyrood Mennonite Church and part-time freelance writer and speaker at camps, schools, and conventions.