Joyce Huggett’s Take on Meditation

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Thursday, March 2, 2017

Joyce Huggett’s Take on Meditation

If you ask ten different people what their definition of meditation is, I suspect you will get ten different answers. Joyce Huggett has a definite definition. An awesome answer, that is.

Joyce Huggett certainly is well known for her books and other writings on prayer and meditation. In today’s reading, at first she describes what Christian meditation is not. It does not involve yoga, Eastern meditation or transcendental meditation.

I love yoga. I do it because of the marvelous stretching and strengthening abilities my body has been able to develop. Yes, certain of my yoga teachers do mention things like “the third eye,” and “chakras.” However, they do not insist that anyone in their classes follow the Eastern ways and spiritual practices that some people also insist are part and parcel of yoga.

In fact, my whole body now welcomes yoga. My mind slows when I practice. My body, joints and muscles are improving in their working together, more and more. And, if urged to observe any practice that is foreign to my understanding and belief, I simply, quietly thank God for my God-given powerful body, mind and spirit. All these parts of my Self/self now work together much better than before I started to practice yoga.

But, I digress. I really wanted to talk about what Joyce Huggett says about meditation. After giving several examples from Psalm 119—which has every verse describing an action taken with the Word of God, or Scripture, or God’s Laws, or Statutes, or Precepts, or Commandments—she talks about the verb “meditate,” as used in these verses. The verb can also mean “’to muse,’ ‘to ponder,’ ‘to reflect,’ ‘to consider.’ In other words, Christian meditation involves, not emptiness, but fullness.” [1]

Yes, we consider God’s Word, in all its fullness, and as we “encounter the Living Word, Jesus himself.” [2] Psalm 119 serves as a marvelous example for us to dig deeply into both God’s Word and well as into God’s heart.

Lord, help me to seek after You, Your heart, and Your paths. Please, Lord. In Your mercy, hear all of our prayers.

@chaplaineliza

 

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my companion blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.  #PursuePEACE. My Facebook page, Pursuing Peace – Thanks! And, read my sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er.

Joyce Huggett’s Take on Meditation #matterofprayer

[1] Spiritual Classics, edited by Richard J. Foster and Emilie Griffin. (San Francisco, California: HarperSanFrancisco, 2000), 11.

[2] Ibid.

In Which We Pray for School Children

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Monday, August 22, 2016

In Which We Pray for School Children

Labor Day is almost here. Autumn quickly approaches. Children and young people are returning to school, including my child. (Returning to college, that is. Tomorrow.)

The return to school can have great emotional impact on parents or children. (Although sometimes, not so much.)

At my church last week, we prayed for the children and grandchildren of the congregation as they started school. So much preparation goes into that process. The purchase of school supplies, school clothes and shoes, calculators, sports equipment, books. All kinds of preparation.

Parents, grandparents, congregation members, other caring and concerned adults—all of us can help children and young people as they return to school, too. We can pray for them.

Pray for these students to have excitement and encouragement. Pray for focus and discipline. Pray for learning and fun, for yearning and discovery. Pray that all students may continue to strive, to play, to enjoy, and to learn.

Pray for the families the students come from. (Both for the wonderful families as well as the difficult places and hurtful experiences the students may deal with.) Pray for teachers, coaches, tutors, aides, and all those who nurture and care for the students each and every day. Pray for them to have patience and persistence, caring and compassion. Pray for all who work with these children and young people, so that all may be safe and secure.

Dear God, in Your mercy, hear all of our prayers.

@chaplaineliza

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my sister blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.  #PursuePEACE. My Facebook page, Pursuing Peace – Thanks! And, read my sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er

PEACE: Freedom and Equality

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Sunday, May 29, 2016

PEACE: Freedom and Equality

This is the next in a series of posts from Gemini Jr. High School in Niles. (Again, a big thank you to Mr. Rich Groeling, Gemini’s principal!)

Among the students who participated, I had two young people make their personal definitions of peace. However—neither of them left their names on the backs of their sheets of paper. I am sad about this! Still, I am presenting them here, knowing that they were and are meaningful to many, not only to these two young people.

The first definition: “Peace is freedom and equality.”

Whoa. Succinct, yet this definition says a mouthful. Yes, peace often is accompanied by freedom and equality. In the Hebrew scriptures, we can see how Moses spoke to the nation about the freedom that God grants. The spiritual redemption provided is invaluable, as is deliverance. Equality is an additional layer, layered on top. No one is more equal than any other. Each of us—each human being is unique, valuable, and different from each other person in the whole world. And, each one’s gifts are valued as much as the other. Color, creed, culture, ethnicity. Everyone matters. Unique, valuable, special.

The second definition can be challenging, and politically charged. I want to present it as the student wrote it. Simply, and in a heartfelt way.

The second definition: “Peace is freeing Palestine.”

Simply put, this definition shows a longing for freedom, just as much as the first definition did. And, not freedom in some abstract sense, but instead freedom to come and go, to work and to live their lives without fear. Without unequal distribution of power and control.

I can think of many other countries occupied by other regimes: the powerful states of Egypt, Greece, Rome. The Holy Roman Empire, the Muslim Caliphate, the British  Empire, various other controlling states.  Dear God, have mercy upon all those who suffer and have died with little or no aid or assistance. Wonderful opportunity to #PursuePEACE.

@chaplaineliza

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my sister blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.   @chaplaineliza  And, read my sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er

PEACE is Accepting Yourself, and Equality

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Thursday, April 21, 2016

PEACE is Accepting Yourself, and Equality

Today I come to the end of the personal definitions from St. Viator’s High School in Arlington Heights. I am sad that I have reached the last of those personal points of view. It was so good, so refreshing to talk with so many young people and find out what they truly thought about PEACE.

That was the most interesting part. I would ask them, engage their minds. And, I could see so many young people thinking hard. Dipping down into the well of ideas, and bringing one (in some cases, two) up and out. Sharing the definitions on pieces of paper, and verbally. Some even going on at some length, with considerable eloquence. So exciting!

Finally, I would like to sincerely thank Father Corey Brost, the President of St. Viator’s High School, for his kind invitation to come and talk with the young people during their lunch periods. I truly appreciated it. I hope the young people were helped by my being there, too.

Now, to the last two definitions. First, Mike’s personal definition: “PEACE is equality.”

I asked him to explain. He said, “You can’t get peace until everyone feels part of things. If people don’t feel part of things, there can be conflict. Conflict all over.”

Mike, you spoke such truth. Alienation is such a part of conflict. Separation is a huge part of conflict, too. If people are constantly isolated and divided into separate little cubicles (real or virtual), conflict and even war are looming on the stormy horizon. (Scary thought.)

Last, Christine’s personal definition: “PEACE is something that comes with accepting yourself and others.”

Intrigued, I asked her to explain further. She said, “Not being afraid to express yourself helps me to be peaceful inside. Since I have inner peace, I can spread it to others.”

Peace. Spreading peace to others. What a wonderful idea, Christine. May we all strive to do so.

Dear Lord, help each of us to strive to spread peace to someone else. Thank You for this opportunity to talk with so many others, and to search out ideas, personal definitions of PEACE. Lord, in Your mercy, hear all of our prayers.

@chaplaineliza

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my sister blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.   @chaplaineliza  And, read my sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er