Here in Part 4 of The Need for Creed we are going to examine a piece of good practice for disciples, but one that can so easily lead into dangerous territory for the unwary. (Parts one, two and three here.) Indeed, it intrigues me that many churches currently promote the practice of meditation. This takes me back to a time when my children were in their early teens and, within the context of a church youth group, were encouraged to light a candle and meditate, emptying themselves of everything. I remember my son coming home, and I had just spoken to him about this a matter of weeks before, indignantly telling me about it and saying, “but you and Dwight Pryor say that when we meditate, we should do so on the Word of God”.

A whispering

There are texts such as Joshua 1:8 and Psalm 1:1-3 where we read about meditation. The word meditate comes from the Hebrew root, ‘hagah’. I find this fascinating, the basic meaning of ‘hagah’ is to utter or mutter a low sound. ‘Hagah’ is used of a dove and the sound that it makes in Isaiah 59:11: “We all growl like bears; we moan and moan like doves; we hope for justice, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far from us.” This phrase “moan sadly like doves” comes from this Hebrew word for ‘hagah’ or meditation. In using it in this context we see ‘hagah’ speaking of a low sound, a muttering, a whispering, meditation.

Interestingly, Isaiah also uses it to describe the sound of a lion who is resting over its prey, its meal. Have you ever seen those wildlife programmes where you hear the lions? They sound almost like a cat purring. Actually, I have had the privilege of walking with lions and I have heard that sound. Funnily enough, my wife accuses me of doing something similar! This is the sound of ‘hagah’ the source of the first of two major Hebrew words for meditation.
Psalm 19:14 describes meditation like this: “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.” There is parallelism between “words of my mouth” and “meditation of my heart” in this psalm. Meditation and the mouth go together; that is important. We see this if we go back to our earlier reading of Joshua 1:8 where we see the same parallel: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night.”“This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night.” Joshua 1:8 (Image by Ulrike Mai on Pixabay) See also Psalm 1:1-3: “Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners; and hath not sat in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the way of the Lord: and in his law will he exercise himself day and night; And he shall be like a tree planted by the waterside that will bring forth his fruit in due season”. (KJV)

Why are we told this? Joshua 1:8 tells us, “So that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (I understand the prosperity here, when related to us, to be of an internal nature encompassing wholeness and wellbeing with success coming through good management of the resources that God puts in our stewardship.)

What does all this mean to us and our review of the established creeds? I suggest three things:

Meditate on God and his truth

First unlike Eastern practices, Hebraic, or Biblical, meditation has content, namely God’s words, his works and God himself, as demonstrated in Psalm 63:5-8: “My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you upon my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.” This is the Hebrew view of meditation; you reflect on God himself and speak of him. You can be singing to him, speaking to him, bringing your attention on him. As Psalm 77:12, says: “I will meditate on all your works.” This focus on God stands in iconic opposition to the Buddhist practice of emptying the mind, quieting the body and removing all content. One metaphor typically used is to still the pond of your soul so there are no ripples in order to perceive your true identity. That kind of meditation doesn't bring clarity or peace, it only brings confusion.

Meditation is not about the mindless, meaningless repetition of a word or mantra – it is speaking to God, speaking of God. It is telling the truth about and of God. It is about declaring who he is and what he has done.

The word of God wants to bring clarity as to who we are based upon whose we are. We are not to turn in but rather turn out. To turn within is to look only upon our brokenness. Like looking at fractured mirrors, our soul is cracked, broken, and bent. If we try to still everything and examine the soul, we simply get reflections of brokenness, confusion, and false images.

This is why I also suggest that meditating upon the creeds is a good practice. We are meditating upon the truths of Him who made us and called us – truths which sum up much of who God is and what he has done.

Meditate out loud

Secondly, Hebraic, or Biblical meditation, has intentional sound. Meditation is not about the mindless, meaningless repetition of a word or mantra – it is speaking to God, speaking of God. It is telling the truth about and of God. It is about declaring who he is and what he has done.

In our modern world we also need to be reminded that Scripture was originally intended to be spoken. Reading silently is a relatively modern phenomenon in the history of human civilisation. The Bible has such narrative power when it is spoken aloud. Actually, some of the Psalms are acrostics. Each verse corresponding to one of the letters of the Hebrew alphabet. This is to aid memorisation so we can recall and recite God's Word. One of the things that will greatly benefit us in the transforming of our mind, in the formation of our Christian spirituality, would be to read the Psalms and the Scripture aloud. Even if we are by ourselves. We can read in a quiet voice, as quiet as a murmuring, but when our mouth speaks, then our ears hear, and our heart is informed in a way that is more than just reading in our head.

We can read in a quiet voice, as quiet as a murmuring, but when our mouth speaks, then our ears hear, and our heart is informed in a way that is more than just reading in our head.

‘Hagah’ points us to the verbalising of our thoughts before God. To the articulation in some focused and fervent way, thoughts of worship, of wonder, of praise. It can occur anywhere at any time. As Psalm 16:8 puts it: “I have set the LORD continually before me; He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.”

Frequent meditation on Scripture

John Cassian, (365 - 435AD), through whom the writings of the Desert Fathers became known throughout Western Europe in the Benedictine tradition, also wrote about meditating on Scripture, and that the result of devoting oneself constantly to sacred reading was that “continuous meditation seeps itself into the soul, and, as it were, shapes it to its image”.

An example of this sort of prayer has come down to us in the liturgy: “Oh God make speed to save me, O Lord make haste to help me” (Psalm 70:1)

Cassian wrote about using this verse as a prayer, with reference to Deuteronomy 6:7-9: “This you should write on the threshold and door of your mouth, this you should place on the walls of your house and in the recesses of your heart, that it may be your constant prayer. Our prayer for rescue in bad times and its protection against pride in good times should be founded on this verse. Think upon it as you sleep, as you eat.”

Tell out, my soul

The creeds demonstrate in a very real way that what we say is so important! Jesus himself says in Luke 6:45: “Out of the abundance of your heart, your mouth will speak.”

So, let us meditate on the truths of God, his goodness, his wonderful works, his word, from Scripture and also from the creeds. Let us speak them out, and let them seep into our souls.