"Meditation," says Foster, "has always stood as a classical and central part of Christian devotion, a crucial preparation for and adjunct to the work of prayer."He bemoans the fact that Christianity in the west appears to have abdicated the field to Eastern religions such as Buddhism, Zen, Yoga etc. I think that, since Foster is an American Protestant evangelical, he is particularly aware of the absence of meditation. It is often viewed with suspicion within that particular Christian subculture. Has anyone read This Present Darkness by Peretti? If I recall correctly, Peretti assumes that meditation is a tool of the demonic. If my memory serves me well, and Peretti is not in the minority, then Foster is indeed swimming against the current.
He begins his exploration with a few Biblical references to the practice (Gen. 24:63; Ps. 63:6; Ps 119:148; Ps. 1:2; Ps. 119:78; Rev. 1:10). Perhaps to defend himself from the Peretti-esq Western Protestant Christians he begins to suggest that Eastern meditation practices (a vast and general category) differ from Christian practices. "Eastern meditation is an attempt to empty the mind; Christian meditation is an attempt to empty the mind to fill it. These two ideas are radically different." Eastern meditation is primarily about detachment. Christian meditation's result is attachment. We may detach ourselves from the "confusion all around us in order to have richer attachment to God and to other human beings." Therefore, any detachment is only an initial step in the discipline of meditation. The peace that meditation beings leads us to a greater liberty so that we may move to be closer to God and to one another, to begin to oppose social evils and oppression. He quotes Morton Kelsey:
What we do with our lives outwardly, how well we care for others, is as much a part of meditation as what we do in the quietness and turning inward. In fact, Christian meditation that does not make a difference in the quality of one's outer life is short-circuited. It may flare for a while, but unless it results in finding richer and more loving relationships with other human beings or in changing conditions in the world that cause human suffering, the chances are that an individual's prayer activity will fizzle out.Foster then goes on to engage the idea that meditation is purely psychological. The Christian, he suggests, understands that the universe is more than physical. If it is only physical, the meditation is simply a way to "obtain a consistent alpha brain-wave pattern." But if you believe that there is a creator whom desires to be in relationship with us, then you will find that "[meditation] is communication between the Lover and the one beloved."
Christian meditation is founded on desire and grace. The desire of the Christian is to be closer to her Creator. Meditation is founded upon the desire of the Creator for the salvation of created. Our desire for God is met with God's grace. In this way our discipline is transformed into a spiritual gift, a grace-filled encounter with the divine that leads us to more loving relationship with God for the creation at large.
Foster continues with some practical suggestions to begin the discipline. We need to make time for it. Thus we must explore "holy leisure" (otium sanctum). This may be, for some, a dramatic shift in lifestyle.
We need to discover a physical posture that serves us. Sitting with legs crossed may or may not help us relax. This will depend upon the individual. Even the Bible suggests that there are several possible postures from lying prostrate to standing with hands and head lifted. "Regardless of how it is done, the aim is to center the attention of the body, the emotions, the mind, and the spirit upon 'the glory of God in the face of Christ' (2 Cor. 4:6)."
Meditation takes imagination. Using the imagination to engage images and icons, or to create pictures in our mind, to walk through "fields of grace," or to explore stories are all recommended meditative practices. Also the imagination will assist us in interpreting and engaging our dreams. Foster suggests that the rational west has forgotten the art of faithful dream analysis. Foster says that God can inform us through our dreams. We need only ask God to speak to us that way. We should begin a practice of recording our dreams as we waken and then bring that written material into our times of meditation. We may discover insights and patterns emerging.
As a possibly useful aside, this may be a beneficial exercise for congregations or any commnuity. One can share their dreams within the community and discover that others are dreaming within the same or related themes. The Holy Spirit may be speaking within the dreams of several people within the same community. This type of "dream matrix" can be a helpful tool for communal discernment.
Foster then gives specific exercises:
1. "re-collect:"simply mkae time to be quiet and breathe. One should end these times of contemplation with some form of thanksgiving to God.2. Meditate on some acpect of the created order for 5 - 10 minutes.
3. Meditate upon scripture. Whether a psalm or a parable, engage your imagination to encounter the scripture. Sometimes a single word will bring great insight.
4. Guided meditation: Picture yourslef walking and talking with God. Bring your concerns and worries. Bring your joys and excitement. Be as specific in your imagination as you can about your surroundings. Try to enter into your imagination as much as possible. In this way we may seek God's presence.
5. Meditate upon current events. You can bring articles or something along that line to your meditation time. Foster warns that the particula opinions or slants may not be the most objective sources, but finding God in the events of the present day is a beneficial practice.