Contemplative Spirituality / Lectio Divina = Transcendantal Meditation?

[Rich Schmidt]

OK, here's the context for the question...

On another thread, George Wallace mentioned in passing the pre-General Assembly Spiritual Formation Retreat being co-sponsored by NTS and NNU. (Here's the NCNnews.com announcement of the event.) He said:

The Seminary’s sponsorship in conjunction with NNU of a Pre-General Assembly Transcendental Mediation retreat has only confirmed this belief for me.

I questioned his calling it a "transcendental meditation" retreat:

Which reminds me... what on earth gave you the idea that the pre-General Assembly Spiritual Formation retreat being co-sponsored by NTS and NNU is a "transcendental meditation" retreat?! I'm an NTS grad, and Dr. Weigelt (one of the planners of the retreat) taught while I was there. I suspect that "transcendental meditation" is a gross mischaracterization of what is planned

And his reply was as follows (minus some links that were lost in the copy/paste, original post here):

This will certainly be a digression but... How far is Contemplative Spirituality (CS)/Centering Prayer (CP) from Lectio Divina? How far is Lectio Divina from TM? My answer - about as far as KC KS is from KC MO maybe less.

Contemplative Prayer does not have you contemplate anything, actually the opposite it encourages an emptying of the mind. (Does that bother anybody else besides me?!)

Brian Flynn who was heavily into TM became a Christian and was then appalled as he saw his church embrace CS/CP. To him this was virtually the same as the occult practices that absorbed his pre-Christian life. He wrote a book about his experiences called Running Against the Wind. He has a ministry called One Truth Ministries

I see no examples of nor warrants for these practices in scripture they really have an Eastern and Ancient Monastic heritage (Desert Fathers, St. John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila...) Here is a CS/CP proponents (not too brief) brief description and history.

Basically IMO the words Christian and Mystic do not belong in the same sentence. And while the term Spiritual Formation can and has been used in a legitimate sense (Contrast what is studied in Olivet's undergrad course in Spiritual Formation with NNU's online graduate SF course) more often than not the terms Spiritual Formation and Spiritual Disciplines are used almost synonymously with CS/CP. (If you can prove to me that TM and CP are not virtually the same I'd be interested but we should probably start a new post.)

IMO a representative of the real difference between TM & CP is, one uses the word : "Nam myoho renge kyo" for a mantra while the other uses the word "Jesus".

Professor Doug Hardy is a member of Spiritual Directors International which is an organization for Spiritual Directors of many false religions oops... I mean many Faith Traditions; really how closely should Christians align themselves with things of these traditions?

Does Christianity really belong grouped together with Kabbalah and Sufism?

These views do not stem from my Reformed leanings at all. My views on this significantly predate any Calvinist affinity I have developed.

This email was formulated without the use of Kunalini power or Chakras

People on my list of those who have lost their way are:

Brian Manning
Thomas Merton
Henri Nouwen
Richard Foster
Dallas Williard
Tony Jones
& Others...

and of course McLaren

So.... What do you all think? Are these practices (centering prayer, lectio divina) just a repackaged version of transcendental meditation? Is NTS foolish for having Dr. Doug Hardy on their faculty? To the extent that we support or participate in these practices, are we, too, "losing our way?"

By the way, here's what Dough Hardy has to say about Christian spiritual direction. The quote is from the Spiritual Directors International website that George links to:

Spiritual direction is the facilitation of one’s spiritual formation through a covenanted relationship with another, formalized in regular meetings for inquiry, conversation, and reflection around one’s personal experience. The spiritual director is one who, by virtue of personal holiness and spiritual maturity, helps the directee to pay attention to the presence and work of God in her or his life. Within the Wesleyan/Methodist theological tradition of Christianity, holiness of heart and life is the goal with an interconnected system of spiritual direction for all as the means toward that end. The sharing of stories in small accountability groups or through public testimony, and the linking of personal devotional practices with service among the poor are emphasized as means of grace. (Rev. Douglas Hardy, PhD, Church of the Nazarene, Kansas City, Missouri, USA)

I'll dive in and share my opinion soon enough, but this initial post is already WAY too long...

[Rich Schmidt]

George, I read the first few pages of the resource you linked to ("Here is a CS/CP proponents (not too brief) brief description and history.") by Rod Whitacre. If anyone else is interested, since I killed the link in my copy/paste process, it's here: Contemplative Prayer: A Brief Introduction.

George, just in the first couple pages, Whitacre's description of contemplative prayer differs dramatically from yours. You said, "Contemplative Prayer does not have you contemplate anything, actually the opposite it encourages an emptying of the mind. (Does that bother anybody else besides me?!)" Whitacre describes what happens at their regular contemplative prayer meetings:

We gather to discuss and practice forms of prayer that are characterized by silence. We begin with discussion of such prayer and then move to prayer itself. A brief prayer is offered to help us collect our thoughts and turn to the Lord, then a brief passage of Scripture is read. This reading of Scripture puts our silence in the context of God’s Word. After the reading we are silent for about 20 minutes, and then we pray the Lord’s Prayer. After the session is over people sometimes remain for a few minutes for further reflection and discussion.

During the time of silence the individuals who have gathered together are practicing
various forms of non-vocal prayer. For some it is a time of meditation on a text from the Scriptures, either the one just read or another. They may visualize a scene and then dialogue with the Lord regarding its details. Or they may take a word or phrase from Scripture and repeat it, reflecting on its meaning before the Lord and discussing it with Him. Others use a simpler form of meditation, perhaps focusing on one of the Lord’s attributes, rejoicing that He is Savior, or Shepherd, or Light, or some other similar truth. Those who use more specifically contemplative forms of prayer simply seek to be attentive to the Presence of the Lord and receptive to Him. Rather than speaking to God or listening to Him through meditative reflection, for them this period of prayer is for contact with God on a level deeper than the mind. They use the mind to be still before the Lord and wait upon Him in their heart.

Most of his document is focused on the latter form of prayer, in which people are not emptying their minds, but are focusing on being attentive to God's Presence. That includes stepping back from distracting thoughts, but it is not the same as simply "emptying the mind." In fact, later in the document, on page 11, under the heading "Dangers in contemplative forms of prayer," he specifically warns against simply emptying the mind: "Another form of danger occurs if we let our mind go blank, rather than focusing on the Lord. Such a condition can open us to demonic suggestion." In that section, he reiterates that our focus is on God as revealed in Jesus Christ, and that these contemplative prayers need to remain closely connected to meditation on the Scriptures, etc.

So... it sounds to me like you have a distorted view of what is meant by Christian contemplative prayer. Not to mention lectio divina, which is centered on reading, listening to, and meditating upon Scripture.

[George Wallace]

OK, here's the context for the question...

On another thread, George Wallace mentioned in passing the pre-General Assembly Spiritual Formation Retreat being co-sponsored by NTS and NNU. (Here's the NCNnews.com announcement of the event.) He said:

I questioned his calling it a "transcendental meditation" retreat:
And his reply was as follows (minus some links that were lost in the copy/paste, original post here):


So.... What do you all think?

Okay, we can disscuss it but let’s make sure it doesn’t turn into a Tweetle Beatle battle, because you know when Tweetle Beatles battle with paddles in a puddle and the puddle’s in a bottle it’s called a Tweetle Beatle, bottle, puddle, battle… and we wouldn’t want that!

Sorry, I have a two year old and I have be re-discovering the genius of Suess.

[Wilson L. Deaton]

As it happens, I preached on this topic just this past Sunday! What interesting timing...

My message was suggesting that, "Meditative Prayer," should be one facet of our spiritual lives. My content was based on the work of Richard Foster (whom some people consider to have "lost his way").

Part of my message was to make the specific point that this is different from TM. I compared the two, and regardless of what others may have said or taught, my interpretion of Foster is that the two are very different. The two points of comparison I made:

• TM is about emptying the mind while meditative prayer is about filling/focusing the mind on the things of God.
• TM is about losing self-identity and merging with the cosmos (escapism) while meditative prayer is about transforming the self and connecting/applying truth to the real world rather than escaping.

My powerpoint presentation included two photo role models:

• A cow chewing its cud (ruminating). I made the application that we should ruminate on God's word. That is, "rework" it in our minds so as to fully assimilate it.
• A woman with Bible open on her lap but her head and eyes turned upward. I talked about the idea that text isn't the goal but rather where the text takes us (to God)

In the final analysis I believe that while there may be some practitioner/advocates who go to extremes by pushing meditative prayer toward TM, that would be a gross misrepresentation of mainstream Christian advocates of meditative prayer. Therefore, I believe that most of the criticism or fear of mediative prayer is based on misunderstanding of what it is really about. When practiced in the way people like Foster encourage, it can be a great addition to one's spiritual practices.

I have no doubts that whatever NTS and others have planned for pre-GA, it won't be a digression into Eastern mysticism.

Wilson

[Dennis Bratcher]

In the final analysis I believe that while there may be some practitioner/advocates who go to extremes by pushing meditative prayer toward TM, that would be a gross misrepresentation of mainstream Christian advocates of meditative prayer. Therefore, I believe that most of the criticism or fear of mediative prayer is based on misunderstanding of what it is really about. When practiced in the way people like Foster encourage, it can be a great addition to one's spiritual practices.

I have no doubts that whatever NTS and others have planned for pre-GA, it won't be a digression into Eastern mysticism.

Yes, I think that most of the criticisms that I have read related to contemplative spirituality or meditative prayer (which are often linked by critics with the "heretical" emergent church), are based in fear and misunderstanding. It is easy to be reactive against anything new without either understanding the value of what is new or realizing that what is old may be much more distorted or even perverted that what is suggested as "new" (that is often really a recovery of something that has been lost). That is precisely the problem that Jesus experienced.

Coincidently, this weekend we visited a Benedictine monastery and shared noon prayers with the sisters. One of them teaches and leads contemplative spirituality based on the "Rules of St. Ignatius" (of Loyala, 16th century). The prayers were meditative prayer with long periods of silence for reflection and contemplation. It was certainly not about emptying the mind, but about mutually communicating with God.

Whether or not one agrees with The Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius, it cannot be claimed that it is something new or associated with eastern mysticism. And it was around a long time before any version of TM, which was not introduced to the West until the late 1950s and caught on in the hippy era of the 1960s. Many Methodist churches, and several Nazarene churches that I know about, are using an adapted version of Ignatius' Spiritual Exercises in the Heart Paths program as a vehicle for spiritual formation.

Perhaps this approach to spirituality is feared because it does not pander to the emotionalism or proclamation prayers that have tended to dominate recent evangelicalism.

Grace and Peace,

Dennis B.

[Hans Deventer]

Perhaps this approach to spirituality is feared because it does not pander to the emotionalism or proclamation prayers that have tended to dominate recent evangelicalism.

Dennis, no matter if the Church universal has done it for ages, if it's not "how we are used to doing things around here", some people will always resist.

[Dale Cozby]

Rich here are things I read in the document you linked.

Rather than speaking to God or listening to Him through meditative reflection, for them this period of prayer is for
contact with God on a level deeper than the mind..... the term“contemplative prayer” refers to a profound union with God on a level which few people ever experience

Deeper level? You mean like Joseph Smith or Mohammad did with angelic visitations while meditating?
OK, OK... let's not pass judgment yet...

although people who attend our Contemplative Prayer Group
are free to practice forms of prayer in which their minds are active if they so desire,

"Although" and "free to practice" seems to mean that using your mind isn't what this prayer group is about. It also seems to infer that using your mind is a shallow way to pray and that if you want to go "deeper" with God you need to do it this other way. Maybe that's just me being overly-sensitive.

the prayer of silence is an invitation for Him to enter, and to
say and do what He wants, specifically on the level of the heart.....Rather than speaking to God or listening to Him through meditative reflection....this period of prayer is for contact with God on a level deeper than the mind.

Uh...who is "Him" a again? If we weren't talking to God nor listening to Him either how are we gonna know who is sneaking up on us?.

The heart is the very center of our being, deeper than our thinking self and our feeling self, but incorporating these faculties. So in a prayer of silence we step back from our thoughts and feelings and onto the level of simple awareness

Wow, this is sooooo like TM. uh...I mean CP.

In order to pray in this way some people use a particular word which embodies for them the intention of attending to the Presence.....the focus word should have no meaning in itself

In other words a mantra. from Wiki on TM technique: "The sound that is given has no meaning assigned to it and is utilized as a thought in the meditation process."

through such (contemplative)prayer we not only become whole and
integrated ourselves but also make contact in new ways with God and the world, including both the visible world and the invisible spiritual world.

from the "official" TM website: At the most settled state of awareness, the mind transcends all mental activity to experience the simplest form of awareness, Transcendental Consciousness.

The first of these approaches has been represented in recent times by the writings of Fr. John Main and Fr. Thomas Keating, among others. While Fr. Main was serving in the British Colonial Service in Malaya, he was taught to pray by a Hindu monk.

Hmm...so he learned to pray like this from a Hindu monk. OK.

So in review of what i have learned today from the TM website and the paper you linked.

CP is practiced for 20 minutes a day
TM is practiced for 20 minutes a day

CP has you to step away from your thoughts and quiet your body.
TM has you to step away from your thoughts and quiet your body.

CP is about not thinking, not speaking and not listening to God, but focusing on a word, image or sensation so you can "connect with God on a deeper level".
TM is about clearing your head of all thoughts and focusing inward "to contact your inner reservoir of creativity, energy and intelligence"

CP uses a focus word that has no meaning in itself but "solely as a reminder of God’s Presence"
TM is about focusing on the mantra( word, image or sensation given you by your guide) so you can, what the Maharishi calls, "experience the source of the thought"

So like every other topic in this forum....
I guess we can all decide if this is from God or not, if it is a dangerous flirtation with the evils condemned in the scriptures or a practice praised by them. If it be from God who can stop it? If it be from some other source it will be revealed for what it is in time.
My only concern is how many people will be led astray in the meantime if it be not from God and we do nothing to "test the spirits" of it.

[George Wallace]

Hmm...so he learned to pray like this from a Hindu monk. OK.

So in review of what i have learned today from the TM website and the paper you linked.

CP is practiced for 20 minutes a day
TM is practiced for 20 minutes a day

CP has you to step away from your thoughts and quiet your body.
TM has you to step away from your thoughts and quiet your body.

CP is about not thinking, not speaking and not listening to God, but focusing on a word, image or sensation so you can "connect with God on a deeper level".
TM is about clearing your head of all thoughts and focusing inward "to contact your inner reservoir of creativity, energy and intelligence"

CP uses a focus word that has no meaning in itself but "solely as a reminder of God’s Presence"
TM is about focusing on the mantra( word, image or sensation given you by your guide) so you can, what the Maharishi calls, "experience the source of the thought"

Dale and I, at least appear, to agree on something??!!! People in Hades must be shopping for parkas

ROL-LOL

Who'd a thunk it!?

So like every other topic in this forum....
I guess we can all decide if this is from God or not, if it is a dangerous flirtation with the evils condemned in the scriptures or a practice praised by them. If it be from God who can stop it? If it be from some other source it will be revealed for what it is in time.
My only concern is how many people will be led astray in the meantime if it be not from God and we do nothing to "test the spirits" of it.

Excellent analysis!

[George Wallace]

So.... What do you all think? Are these practices (centering prayer, lectio divina) just a repackaged version of transcendental meditation? Is NTS foolish for having Dr. Doug Hardy on their faculty? To the extent that we support or participate in these practices, are we, too, "losing our way?"

WARNING WARNING LONG MEANDERING POST AHEAD!

This is your post, but I will readily concede defeat in the Naznet arena of ideas. I don’t want to generalize too much, I really do respect other’s opinions and I know that there is a large spectrum represented here.

If it isn’t obvious already I consider myself conservative. I’ll look at Hans for an example. Sometimes it seems to me that he and I are marching shoulder to shoulder into the battle. Other times it seems that we are on opposite sides in the war. Our exchanges are almost always edifying for me.

But, as far as the Naznet Theology forum is concerned it is my contention that conservative voices are somewhat or even significantly under represented. (I know, big generalization and it really comes down to your own personal definition of conservative, but…).

When I joined Naznet just over a year ago it had 800 + members and about 340 active members, as of today there are 1041 members and 305 active members. Of those 305, how many are “members or regular attenders’ in the Theology forum? I would say a very liberal guestimate would be maybe 45 (Probably less - maybe more). Of this # whatever it may be, there seems to be a large chunk who are practicing or open to CS, CP, SF. There also seems to be a significant # who are accepting or open to Open Theism (I’m still reading the links you gave me). And there seems to be a great # of McLaren fans.

I contend that this is a skewed representation of Nazarenes as a whole. Do I have any hard data? No, not really.

What I have is 22 years as a Nazarene and a prior 2 years as a Free Methodist, coupled with 22 years of Active duty in the USMC. This means I have been an attender, member, SS Teacher, SS or Church board member in 6 different churches over that time (8 if you count the Free Methodists). I am not saying this out of some been-there-done-that arrogance, for to be sure, there are some Pastors and Professors and others on Naznet who have had 5 years here, 8 years there, 10 year there… I am just saying that I am basing my opinions on what I expect to be a more varied exposure than most.

I see that there is still a significant portion of the 65 year old + crowd who ‘don’t dance don’t chew, and don’t date girls who do.’ Meaning you will still find many older Nazarenes who don’t approve of dancing, won’t allow a deck of playing cards in their homes, and wouldn’t be caught dead in a movie theater. Some won’t wear jewelry including wedding bands, some won’t own TVs. To be sure, this is a dwindling crowd.

Really though, my contention is that most Nazarenes don’t even have these CS, CP –SF or Emergence issues on their RADAR.

My wife is our church secretary, last year KC put out a survey. Maybe since you are a Pastor Rich you might have been part of the survey. After the data was collected they sent out a link to the results. (She has since deleted the link. So if anyone knows where I can find this survey in the cyber world I’d appreciate it.) She printed it out for me. I don’t remember a lot of the questions, but to my recollection it had a large # of very short questions on it. I don’t know if this was a true scientific or statistical sampling. I do remember that the results for each question were based upon the answers of approximately 300 lay persons and 300 pastors.

My point, I feel, is supported by one answer that I remember vividly. Of the approximately 300 laity surveyed 94% had never heard of Brian McLaren. Of the pastor’s surveyed 69% had no clue as to who he was.

Whether my presumptions or contentions are correct or not; I am pretty sure that I will be out gunned in this thread. Even as I concede, I like you, think the discussion has merit. If my views influence even one person who may be contemplating the Contemplative to at least approach the process with a healthy skepticism instead of wild abandon then getting skewered will be worth it.

Since you brought up the authors on my list, to the best of our ability, I hope as the thread develops we can focus on the CS, CP –SF applicability Jones’, McLaren and others and not the Emergence factor. (You already hit me, and rightly so, once for that)

Can we agree that if a person is involved in CS, CP-SF they can have zero Emerging tendencies, but if a person/author is known for being Emerging/Emergent then there is a pretty good chance they are involved in CS, CP-SF?

[Dennis Bratcher]

George, I really don't want to debate this issue. Just a simple honest question.

What specifically is in place in your congregation to help people mature in their faith and their spiritual life? I'm not talking about generalities, church services, or Sunday School, but specific avenues or practices, something that might come close to Wesley's Class Meetings (or its modern form in Covenant Discipleship Groups) or Phoebe Palmer's Tuesday Meeting for the Promotion of Holiness.

Grace and peace,

Dennis B.