Spiritual disciplines are a deliberate tool for what the early church termed the “Mortification” of our flesh. Usually they engage some form of “denial” of something self-oriented in order to “receive” grace.

Many times we read the Word of God and feel a need to traverse content and progress towards an end, but the discipline of Meditation suggests that we instead lean in to something in particular. As one preacher put it, “We do not read the Word to finish- we read the Word to change.”

Christian Meditation does not suggest the emptying of the mind as in oriental religions, but that it be filled with the truth of God’s love and grace of His presence. Focusing on something, not nothing.

Christian Meditation isn’t mental processing to figure something out- it’s dwelling on the truth of God in its apparent beauty. It is a relational practice.

Stillness and Silence go hand in hand often in Spiritual Disciplines Stillness and Silence go hand in hand often in Spiritual Disciplines. Our lives and minds are used to constant busyness, problem solving, and noise, but Jesus gave us the example of withdrawl.

“Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35) “…the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (Luke 5:15-16; see also Mark 1:45)

“Jesus went out to a mountain side to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him.” (Luke 6:12-13. See also Mark 3:13) “Because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, [Jesus] said to [his disciples], ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’ So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.” (Mark 6:31-32)

“After [Jesus] had dismissed [the crowds], he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was [still] there alone.” (Matthew 14:23; see also Mark 6:46) “Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, ‘Who do the crowds say I am?'” (Luke 9:18. See also Mark 8:27)

“Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them.” (Mark 9:2) “One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray.'” (Luke 11:1)

Stillness reminds us that we are meant to work and live out of the Father’s power and presence, not our continued efforts. Silence makes room for God’s Word. It was truly from nothing that God created all things by the Word of His power brought in silence.

Solitude is not just a back doored introvert value, but a practice we see Jesus undertake for the sake of maintaining His focus in His Sonship. We are relational beings and thus give our attention to whoever is knowable in our space. Sometimes that needs to be only God.