|
Scripture
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.
(I Timothy 1.7, NLT)
Commentary
Continuing the writing from the last two days on Meditative Calm, today we look at some external obstacles to a consistent practice of meditation and contemplative prayer. Likewise, we will consider antidotes to these obstacles.
1. Lack of Peer Support. Peer support, including family and friends and persons in the religious community, as well as other practitioners, can provide much moral support to one engaging any new spiritual practice. Without such support, then, a person, to meditate consistently, will have to be more self-motivated to do her daily practice. However, the lack of support, from a systems perspective, might be a passive move by others to keep the practitioner from engaging a practice that might not seem to fit with past “familial” patterns. Not to give support can be, at times, an indirect attempt to sabotage the person trying to engage in spiritual practice. An example might be a spouse or parent who does not understand the usefulness of the practice and, possibly, thinks that time could be better spent doing something “more worthwhile.”
2. Disapproval from peers. This is linked to the first external obstacle, but is a distinct one, likewise. Disapproval means that others do not feel the practice is fitting. For example, a Christian community might think that meditation is not a “Christian” practice. Another source of discouragement could be a family system that feels a mother, for example, is not being a “good mom” or “good wife” by giving herself time to meditate and enjoy solitude and silence. With this obstacle, as with the first, finding support and approval can be helpful, especially when the practice becomes difficult and doubts arise about the value of spending time in meditation and solitude.
3. Cultural prioritization on utilitarian values. Our culture places priority on doing, on efficiency, and on production. The worth of a person is associated with action. Persons ask, when they meet someone, “What do you do?” Parents, especially mothers, are valued by what they do for the children. Employers consume persons who, in turn, allow themselves to be consumed in order to be consumers. Often religious groups are no less the addict to doing, with its consumerism and pragmatism. These churches esteem persons based on values that do not give adequate support to the being aspects of the spiritual journey. Sadly, one of the loneliest places many persons devoted to the inner practices of spirituality may find is a Christian congregation. And, even more, few pastoral and denominational leaders, to whom laity look to for guidance, may demonstrate marked commitment to the inner life. Likewise, persons among the clergy may find little understanding among the vast majority of clergy who have shaped their ministries and lives to the active life alone, in contrast to a balanced life of inner and outer spiritual practice.
4. Challenges to belief system. Generally, to do intensive inner Work will challenge and transform a belief system, for such inner Work transforms consciousness. Consciousness is, practically, the emotional-cognitive sieve by which we see the world. Therefore, one doing inner Work will need to be prepared to see everything differently. This change will not undo, likely, what one believes; however, the process will involve seeing what one believes in a whole new light. This can be very difficult for anyone who holds her faith dearly and even harder when there is not a communal system to support the change. Most persons in religion are in preconventional to conventional religion, which, frankly, can be sincerely rather immature. To move into a postconventional expression of faith means being in the vast minority. I cannot overstate the challenge this can be for a sincere believer in the Mystery, as she lives among those who live at less subtle levels of insight and awareness.
5. Lack of self-discipline. As a teacher of meditation I never accept this statement: “I don’t have time.” That is an excuse, pure and simple. We have twenty-four hours a day, and we eat, sleep, and do other things, the things we place priority on and choose to do, so, a person need not give the excuse of lack of time. There is no lack of time. Mothers and dads and students and … have proven that anyone who wants to can find up to at least two twenty to thirty minutes daily for meditative prayer. If I do not mediate, I do not meditate because I lack the self-discipline. However, this lack of commitment to the practice can be an avoidance mechanism, as one is internally cognizant of the inner and outer changes such practice will call for in her life.
None of the external challenges need discourage anyone from doing daily meditation. And, there are antidotes to apply. I offer some such suggestions, though there are others.
1. Have a Spiritual Director, or Spiritual Friend. A place to learn more about spiritual direction and locate a Spiritual Friend is http://sdiworld.org. Spiritual Director International includes thousands of members from varied religious traditions, though most are from the Christian faith. Likewise, for Spiritual Directors, see www.flumcspiritualformation.org , a site of the Spiritual Formation Team of the Florida Conference, The United Methodist Church.
2. Do meditation at least once weekly with a group. If you cannot locate such a group in your area, start one.
3. Read daily spiritual readings, including, writers who inspire you to keep with your meditation. Among such authors are Thomas Merton, John Main, and Thomas Keating. Likewise, some of the classical writings from persons like St. John of the Cross, Julian of Norwich, and St. Teresa of Avila encourage much in daily spiritual discipline. Read writers that do not as much inform as inspire. Reading certain authors can assist in keeping your commitment to meditation and trust in its process alive and vibrant.
4. Set aside a set time and place for your meditation. Expect others to honor it, at least by not intruding or disrupting you. If you have to get off away from your home to get the quiet, then, do so.
5. Give yourself permission to care for yourself. Meditation is a prime way to nurture yourself and stay healthier physically and spiritually. Do not wait for anyone else to give you permission to do meditation, daily.
6. Never use the excuse of lack of time. Be honest about this matter of time. Some days there will be interruptions of schedule. However, with careful planning and resolve, you can enjoy a consistent and daily meditation practice. You need a Spiritual Director, partly, to help you be honest about any excuses regarding time. Likewise, the Director can assist in helping you discern when lack of time is an avoidance of going more deeply in your relationship with Mystery.
7. Pray to the Holy Mystery to give you the spirit of “power, love, and self-discipline,” to enable you to engage your spiritual life with pure and lively motivation and for your growth in faith, hope, and love, as well as for more heartfelt, compassionate goodwill toward others.
Spiritual Exercise
1. Purchase and read Jack Kornfield, After the Ecstasy the Laundry: How the Heart Grow Wise on the Spiritual Path. New York: Bantam Books, 2000. This is the best, readable, and practical book I have found on the spiritual journey, including the role of meditation and spiritual discipline within it. The book is written with numerous testimonies from persons of different spiritual paths and is inclusive in nature. The author demonstrates how spiritual discipline fits into the life of “ordinary persons,” not just persons who are ascetics, monastics, or persons in religious vocations.
2. If you do not have a Spiritual Director, begin now to find one.
3. Consider what you read (i.e., books, magazines, periodicals ...) and watch on television, asking yourself, “Is this encouraging me to grow more deeply in love with Mystery?”
4. Choose a set time or times to meditate daily, along with a place to meditate. If other persons need to be notified of these times, meet with them and tell them of your plan. Inform them of what you need them to do to honor this time you need for meditation, prayer, and solitude. Then, frankly, ask them of their intent to honor this time.
5. Explore the website of the World Community of Christian Meditation, www.wccm.org . Contrast the method of Christian Meditation with Centering Prayer, as seen at www.centeringprayer.com . Which do you seem to prefer?
|
