Praying the Bible

PRAYING THE BIBLE

(A Form of Meditation)

Today is often called Bible Sunday. It takes its name from the Collect for today, the Second Sunday in Advent, which reads:

Blessed Lord,

who caused all Holy Scriptures

to be written for our learning;

help us so to hear them,

to read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them

that, through patience, and the comfort

of your holy word

we may embrace and for ever hold fast

the hope of ever lasting life,

which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ.

I am delighted that this Collect, originally composed by Archbishop Cranmer for the 1549 Prayer Book, has been retained in the Alternative Service Book of 1980.

The Collect reminds us that the HoIy Scriptures are helpful in building up our spiritual life. In public worship, we hear them read and in private prayer we read, learn and inwardly digest them.

The use of Holy Scripture as a means of private prayer is called Meditation.

So tonight, on this Bible Sunday, I thought I might try and introduce a very simple method of meditation which you might find helpful.

First of all, let me say a few things about preparing for Meditation.

If one is new to this type of prayer, it may be easier to start with using one of the parables. After all, they are earthly stories told by Jesus with a heavenly meaning. Jesus used these to capture the imagination, hearts and minds of his hearers and invited them to respond.

It is important that we establish the right kind of environment in which we can hear that 'still small voice of calm' speaking to our innermost being. This means we need a quiet location in which we will not be disturbed. We also need to adopt a physical position which will enable us to be attentive, without being distracted by discomfort.

Next we need to cultivate an attitude of stillness, not only of the body, but also of the heart and mind. Sometimes the taking in of a series of deep breaths can enable one to become relaxed in rhythm with one's breathing.

Now we are ready to open up ourselves to the influence of God the Holy Spirit by asking for direction and guidance in our meditation.

Read the portion of scripture chosen for meditation. Read it at a normal pace the first time. Then re-read it, slowly, allowing each word to be fully savoured and tasted.

Now we are ready to allow these words to become springboards for our prayers.

This method of meditation I am suggesting, can be summed up in four simple sentences:

I give my eyes to Jesus

I give my mind to Jesus

I give my heart to Jesus, and

I give my hands to Jesus.

For the purpose of illustration, we shall use the parable of the Prodigal Son - or the Parable of the Two Brothers - to give it its more correct title.

1. I give my eyes to Jesus

So we close our eyes and try to picture various scenes in the story. There is the Father and the two sons enjoying each others company, maybe, working together in the fields, or sitting down and having a meal together, laughing and joking with each other.

Then there is the scene of the son leaving his father and brother to go and work away from home. We can imagine the son turning round and the father and brother waving him goodbye, and then the younger son puts his arm around his father, takes him indoors and comforts him.

Now there is the scene of the son throwing his money around, attracting loads of friends, enjoying one party after another. Life is fun away from home!

But now the scene changes. The money is beginning to run out; life is not so much fun, and friends always seem to be otherwise occupied.

So the son is deserted. He goes from job to job and finally finishes up clearing out the pig sty. Even the pigs appear to be better fed and housed than he is. In the pig sty he comes to his senses and decides to return home.

Our next scene pictures him approaching the home in a hesitant manner, uncertain of the reception that awaits him. In the distance his father appears, opens wide his arms in welcome. The son begins to run faster and faster and finally falls into his fathers arms, and is enveloped with his love.

Now the scene moves to the welcome home party as the father, proud to have his son back home, summons all their friends to join in the celebrations.

The next scene concerns the other son, coming home after a hard days work in the fields. He hears the noise - the singing and laughter; he too runs towards the house to see what is happening, only to find his brother has returned home, after squandering all his money, while he has been slaving away at home. So he protests at his father's generosity of spirit expressed in forgiveness and acceptance.

Our final scene has the father putting his arm around his son and assuring him that he too is Ioved.

Having pictured the scene - or should I say, a variety of scenes, we move on to the next stage of the prayer.

2. I give my mind to Jesus

Now we begin to think about what we have seen with our eyes. We note that the story about the lost son, is preceded by the story of the lost sheep and the lost coin. Here is St Luke painting a picture of God's concern for those who are lost.

But who is lost? Is it the son who squandered his father's money on riotous living, or is it the self-righteous son who stayed at home and protested at his fathers generosity? Who is suffering most? Who really needs to experience the warm assuring embrace of the father?

If God is represented by the father in the story, is there a limit to his forgiveness? Does it really matter how one lives one's life if forgiveness is so easy and cheap to come by?

What really made the son come to his senses? Was it just the lack of money or was it a sense of loss, or was he just homesick?

So we allow our minds to begin to enter into the story, probing deep at the possible motives at work asking questions and exploring possible answers.

3. I give my heart to Jesus

The heart is the seat of the emotions. So now we give vent to our innermost feelings try to discover how we react to different parts of the story.

Do we find ourselves on the side of the elder or younger son, and why?

How would we feel about returning home - either having wasted our life away, or to discover an undeserved party going on?

Now put yourself in the shoes of the father, - how would you feel about a wayward son returning home?

4. I give my hands to Jesus

We now come to the most practical part of this kind of prayer. It concerns our response. What does all this mean for me?

Maybe I am going to try to be more forgiving and understanding. Maybe I am going to be more willing to accept my faults and failings, knowing that there is a forgiving God. Maybe I am not going to complain when life appears to be unfair.

Having decided what God is seeking to say to you personally through your meditation, it is a good idea to write such insights down on a piece of paper.

Let me just remind you again of the four steps in this form of prayer:

I give my eyes to Jesus

I give my mind to Jesus

I give my heart to Jesus, and

I give my hands to Jesus.

Such a method of prayer seeks to speak to our whole personality, our imagination, our intellect, our emotions and our will. As we open ourselves up, God speaks to us, in the 'still small voice of calm' and we find ourselves in communion with him.