I started this site to see if anyone would listen to the ramblings of a post-modern, post-evangelical, self-identified contemplative Christian. Since beginning this exercise in self-aggrandizement, I’ve found a voice, and I think a few people even read what I write sometimes. More than anything, the anonymity of this medium has allowed me to examine my own relationship with Christ in a new way, and to move deeper and deeper into authentic union with God, Son and Spirit.
I once made a decision to trust Jesus and let Him deliver me from a depraved and wounded existence. The journey that followed, through the Christian life and the Christian church, was in many ways just as messy as the years before it. However, to borrow the title of a book by Franciscan Richard Rohr…’everything belongs’. My struggles within the church, and without it, work together to create the tapestry on which my faith life continues to unfold.
Sam
What is a Contemplative Christian?
Contemplative Christian spirituality is a popular theme in books, literature and media these days. The term “contemplative prayer” can mean any number of things, much like the term “Christian” touches different people in different ways. Merriam-Webster defines contemplation as “concentration on spiritual things as a form of private devotion; a state of mystical awareness of God’s being; an act of considering with attention; the act of regarding steadily.”
These definitions speak to the practice of a contemplative Christian life, but the heart of contemplative prayer is Personal…it is relationship with, devotion to, and adoration of Christ. This journey into relationship with Christ is best shared…let’s walk together for a time…
A note for skeptics
For those of my readers with a skepticism for the contemplative movement in the church today, let me say a few words. There are many voices online and in churches across the nation using fear and fire language in response to the notion of ‘contemplative prayer’. Some argue that proponents of contemplative prayer are allowing eastern religions to corrode the purity of the gospel. Others say contemplatives are embracing a diabolical New Age spirituality cloaked as Christianity, or are otherwise spiritually compromised. There is concern the inerrancy of the Bible, it’s place as the primary means by which Truth is revealed, is being undermined. These are reactions to the words, but reality is another thing. I’ll let others speak for themselves, but here’s where I stand on things:
Truth: Click here for a discussion of the question, “What is Truth?”
The Bible: Much like C.S. Lewis, I see the bible as divinely inspired, even inerrant…in that every word of it is exactly as the sovereign God intended. However, like Lewis, I do not think this means we are to read the bible in black and white…God may very well have intended to leave some mystery to unfold. The Western mind has trouble with this…but we might do well to consider that Jesus Himself would have had an Eastern mind. Jesus spoke in parables, not propositions, and He often reserved His wrath for the religiously “certain” of His time. That said, the “mere” theology represented in Scripture provides a framework, the boundaries, within which true freedom exists for the unbridled expression, contemplation and experience of grace.
If we’re creating God in our image, we’re trying to fit Him into our own paradigm, into an easy to understand, easy to control mold. If we encounter God with true reverence, we’re best prepared to set our egos aside, even to throw out firm-held ideas, for God is no God to be trifled with, controlled or defined by the likes of us.
The Nature of God: See the Nicene Creed. Further and deeper, the theology represented here is essentially Trinitarian, meaning I see the infinite beauty and grace of the relationship between God, Son and Spirit as truly foundational. God is love, and love is manifested in relationship. Love does not exist in a vacuum…it has a giver and a receiver. The infinite, unfathomable giving and receiving of love within the Trinity is the heart of relational prayer. Contemplative prayer is relational prayer, an entering into the relationship of the Trinity in grace…Christ in the Father, I in Christ in the Spirit. It is mystical, and it is also truth…it is what is, it is what we are called to.
The Eastern Influence: I’ve set aside my defensiveness toward Christianity adopting, employing or considering ideas from the culture around it, or from other forms of worship or thought. Religious historians have laid out the many philosophies and movements interacting with and influencing the church throughout its history. The church at any given time, its philosophy and priorities, is invariably a product of its place in history and culture, and also quite often its leadership, for better or worse. This is reality, and yet Christ is the center, the constant, around which all things transitory revolve. There is freedom in recognizing this.
My thoughts on the matter are driven by 1 Thessalonians 5:21: “test everything, and hold fast to that which is true.” Does Buddhism, with its commitment to right living and peace have nothing to teach us? Can we learn nothing from Sufism with its rich tradition of deep worship and non-violence? Does Hinduism’s ancient monotheism, with its many expressions of the attributes of God, have nothing to offer? Can we not find value in the communal worship of Native Americans, rooted so beautifully in earth and life? If my faith is strengthened by any of these traditions, and my prayer and life in Christ is deepened, then I am grateful for that blessing.
My invitation
So, now that we’ve got that cleared up…let’s focus less on what we believe, and more on Who. These are good points of discussion, however…vigorous dialogue is a precious thing.
I’ve become compelled to share my own journey here. I hope in reading you find encouragement and a common experience of grace as you walk down your own path with Christ. I invite you to join the conversation by leaving comments at the bottom of blog entries. Lets walk together for a time…
Thank you for visiting.
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