What is meditation?

The following content is an excerpt from Celebration of Discipline by Richard J. Foster (pp. 17-18, 24-25).

Christian meditation, very simply, is the ability to hear God's voice and obey his word. It is that simple. I wish I could make it more complicated for those who like things difficult. It involves no hidden mysteries, no secret mantras, no mental gymnastics, no esoteric fights into the cosmic consciousness. The truth of the matter is that the great God of the universe, the Creator of all things, desires our fellowship. In the Garden of Eden Adam and Eve talked with God and God talked with them-- they were in communion. Then came the Fall, and in an important sense there was a rupture of the sense of perpetual communion, for Adam and Eve hid from God. But God continued to reach out to his rebellious children, and in stories of persons such as Cain, Abel, Noah, and Abraham we see God speaking and acting, teaching and guiding.

What we see over and over again is God's people learning to live on the basis of hearing God's voice and obeying His word. This, in brief, forms the biblical foundation for meditation, and the wonderful news is that Jesus has not stopped acting or speaking.

Human beings seem to have a perpetual tendency to have somebody else talk to God for them. We are content to have the message second-hand... Such an approach saves us from the need to change, for to be in the presence of God is to change. We do not need to observe Western culture very closely to realize that it is captivated by the religion of the mediator.

That is why meditation is so threatening to us. It boldly calls us to enter into the living presence of God for ourselves. It tells us that God is speaking in the continuous present and wants to address us. Jesus and the New Testament writers clearly state that this is not just for religious professionals-- the priests-- but for everyone.

How do we receive the desire to hear his voice? "The desire is a gift of grace. Anyone who imagines he can simply begin meditating without praying for the desire and grace to do so, will soon give up. But the desire to meditate, and the grace to begin meditating, should be taken as an implicit promise of further graces."

Seeking and receiving that gift of grace is the only thing that will keep moving us forward on the inward journey. And as Albert the Great says, "The contemplation of the saints is fired by the love of the one contemplated: that is, God."

By taking the Draw Near initiative, we encourage you to read further material on how to prepare to meditate, forms of meditation, and its misconceptions by referring to Chapter 2 Foster's Celebration of Discipline. You can buy his book at a local bookstore or online.

And so it begins

Welcome to the first week of Draw Near! We hope you are as stoked as we are for this chapter-wide initiative to engage in fellowship with our Abba Father by making the effort to draw near to Him.

So you've watched a video of stirring testimonials about the significance of spending time God. You've joined the Facebook event. And now you've got this booklet that is chock full of awesome direction in scripture and prayer. What's next?

Giving you step-by-step instructions on how to spend time with the Lord would be silly. Spending time with Him means just that-- you spend time together and hang out with Him. However, there is something to be said about how to prepare yourself to draw near to Him. After committing to a specific time in your day to draw near, try finding a particular location where you can be quiet, focused, and free from distractions. Seek out a place where you will not be interrupted and where you feel comfortable. Bill Hybels, author of Too Busy Not to Pray, claims that there is importance in meeting with God in a special and personal atmosphere. When you feel focused and at ease in an environment, it will encourage you to look forward to your meeting and talk to Him and read His word freely!

As a result of taking the Draw Near initiative, we want to give you an opportunity to have a place to draw near to God in a special environment. To kick-off the exciting first week, we invite you to come and spend time with Him in reserved Draw Near quiet rooms on Taylor 4th Floor from 8am-10am every morning. Come take time out of your morning hustle and bustle and let yourself still your mind and heart before God in this undistracted and relaxed atmosphere right on campus. There will be coffee provided, as well as Draw Near Leaders who will be available if you have any questions or would like to receive guidance or prayer.

 Ready? Its time to draw near with great anticipation for what God will do as a result of your effort. Come with expectant hearts for the transformation that will occur as He moves!

Draw Near. Now that's whats up.

This Sunday, April 1, will mark Day One of Draw Near at JMU. So, what's the big deal about this whole idea? Well, lemme tell ya. Draw Near is a 30-day initiative put forward by JMU InterVarsity Christian Fellowship to unite as a chapter in spending intentional time with the Lord every day for the entire month of April. In other words, JMU IV is rallying for the members of our chapter to come together in a personal effort to have what is commonly known as 'quiet time' with the Lord daily. We hope that every single individual that commits to the Draw Near initiative is able to gain a greater understanding of what it means to fellowship with God in a personal relationship with Him by proactively pursuing time with Him.

I mean, can you imagine that? What if you, along with all 500+ members of JMU IV, spent time with the Lord everyday? How would it change your relationship with God? How would it change your small group and the rest of our chapter? How could it transform the influence of faith on JMU 's campus?

As the entire chapter comes together to aspire for this vision, please feel free to use the Draw Near booklet that has been distributed at Large Group on Friday nights. Follow along with us as we discover what the Lord is revealing to us about His Word, prayer, fellowship, and witnessing through this guide.

This blog, www.drawnearjmu.blogspot.com, will be an additional resource for you during the 30 days of Draw Near. Keep checking back for more supplemental material, updates on chapter-wide events throughout April, prayer steps, and more!

Last but not least, don’t forget to come to the DRAW NEAR KICKOFF WEEK in Taylor on Monday- Friday, April 2-6 from 8am-10am! There will be quiet rooms available in Taylor for people to take advantage of a place on campus to spend time with the Lord in a still, relaxed and undisturbed atmosphere. For those of you who may need that extra kick in the bright and early AM, there will be coffee provided. Draw Near Leaders are also available to talk or pray with anyone who may be uncertain of how to go about their time of personal solitude with God.

Get pumped about Draw Near. We’ll see you on Monday!

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” James 4:8


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