Meditation for Christians

Weekly meditation group

welcomes both newcomers to meditation and those who have a regular practice and desire to gather once a week with other meditators.  Meditation is an ancient form of contemplative prayer that seeks God in the silence and stillness beyond word or thought.  Central to the Christian experience and deeply rooted in the Gospel and in St. Paul, it was taught by St. John Cassian and the 4^th century Desert Mothers and Fathers.  Benedictine monk John Main (1926-1982) revived this practice and there are now over 1500 meditation groups in more than 60 countries around the world.  For more information on Christian meditation, visit the World Community for Christian Meditation, www.wccm.org.

The group meets each Thursday evening from 7:30-8:30 in the conference room at St. Mark’s Urban Life Center, 1031 Franklin St. (enter on the lowest level south entrance off of Franklin St.).  There is no charge or fee for joining or attending the group, and persons of all faith traditions (or no faith traditions) are welcomed.

Weekly group format:

• Gathering and Introduction/Music

• Reading/Audio presentation

• The Instruction (see below)*

• The Meditation:  20-30 minutes

• Brief discussion/Questions/Sharing

* The Instruction:  Sit down. Sit still and upright. Close your eyes lightly. Sit relaxed but alert. Silently, interiorly, begin to say a single word. We recommend the prayer-phrase "Maranatha." Recite it as four syllables of equal length. Listen to it as you say it, gently, but continuously. Do not think or imagine anything—spiritual or otherwise. Thoughts and images will likely come, but let them pass. Just keep returning your attention—with humility and simplicity—to saying your word in faith, from the beginning to the end of your meditation.  Meditate twenty to thirty minutes each morning and evening.

      --from The World Community for Christian Meditation; www.wccm.org