3.Discussion notes

‘Starter for Ten’ Question – to introduce the holy habit and get everyone talking

• What image does ‘contemplative and meditative prayer’ bring to your mind?

Looking at the Bible – to see what God says about this holy habit

• Read Psalm 19 in the Bible.

• What do we see the writer of the Psalm speaking about and meditating upon in this Psalm? What would it say if you were to write a Psalm like this?

• Focus on the last verse where the writer prays that the meditations of his heart would be pleasing to God. What are some of the things that we can get distracted by and meditate upon, and what can we learn from this Psalm?

Discussion Questions – to dig a bit deeper into the holy habit

• Duncan talked about the tension for people who are ‘do-ers’ when it comes to pausing for meditative and contemplative prayer. Why do you think it’s so important that we first be with Jesus, and how have you seen this benefit the ‘doing’ in your own life?

• Practicing this habit involves beginning with meditation (focusing on me and God), before moving to contemplation (focusing on God and me) and finally communion (focusing on God). What challenges do you find with this practice and how might you overcome them?

Getting Practical – to put the holy habit into practice in our lives

• Take a few minutes to practice this as a community. Choose a phrase such as ‘Be still and know that I am God’ in order to focus on God and to allow yourself to become aware of His presence.

• Commit to one another how you might practice meditative and contemplative prayer this week.

In the Midst of Meditation 

One of my favourite scenes in all of Scripture is a bit obscure. It comes from Genesis 24. Abraham, at this point, had left his family in Haran a long time ago and now dwells in the land of Canaan. He is old and very concerned about his son Isaac not having a wife from among the people who live around them. Isaac, the son of the promise (Genesis 17:19) is now of age to be married and Abraham sends his servant to Haran to find him a wife. 

The servant dutifully does as he is told and, with much prayer and providence, meets a woman called Rebekah. After some time, the servant brought Rebekah back to the promised land to meet her husband, the promised son. Then follows a winsome scene; Genesis 24:63-64, “[Isaac] went out to the field one evening to meditate, and as he looked up, he saw camels approaching. Rebekah also looked up and saw Isaac.” 

I love this because it is a beautiful picture of a chosen son meeting his chosen bride, which is a foreshadowing, a taste of our future reality upon reunion with Christ. And yet I also love it because of the little reminder that Isaac was meditating at the time.  Maybe you missed that little detail - in the midst of Isaac’s mindfulness, God brings about fulfilment. 

This is not the only mention of mediation in the Bible; the Psalms are full of reminders to meditate on the Law. I am also reminded of the famous exhortation to Joshua in Joshua 1:8, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, 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.” 

God’s people have always been marked by mindful meditation upon the truths and realities of life with God.

Meditation as devotion

Maybe you have never really considered mediation as a practice or a discipline. There is a rich Christian history of meditation, not as the emptying of mind and self as we might see in Eastern religions but as the filling of our being with the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit as we seek God. Tim Keller puts it this way, “Meditation is prayer — full reflection on what God has just told you in His word. It is neither study nor prayer, exactly, but a combination.” Meditation in the scriptures and in practice then is not just Eastern, Western, or beholden to man’s tradition - it is a method of devotion.  

Centring Prayers

Especially as we consider the times we are living in now, various forms of God honouring prayer and meditation are useful tools to help centre us back on God. Centring prayer is one such discipline of resting in the Father’s love for you, receiving his love, and being mindful of him. You can practice centring prayer by sitting quietly, maybe setting a timer on your phone, and giving your mind rest. Choose a word or phrase like, “Peace”, “Christ”, or “Grace” to anchor your thoughts and then rest in God, receiving His love. 

For me personally, as someone who can be a tad restless, busy, almost frantic at times, centring prayer is a salve and, to be honest, really difficult! I suspect it may be the same for some of you which is even more reason to give it a try. By resting and centring our hearts in Christ we can, as Isaac did thousands of years ago, rest in the great gift of grace and be reminded of our status as sons and daughters of promise.

We’d encourage you to watch the video together online, discuss the questions, and read the blog post in order to go deeper.

It might look something like this:

• 7:30pm: Saying hi and catching up

• 7:45pm: Watch the teaching video

• 8:00pm: ‘Starter for Ten’ question

• 8:10pm: Look up the Bible passage and discuss

• 8:30pm: Discussion questions

• 8:45pm: Practice the holy habit and/or make plans for how you can do that this week

• 9:00pm: Say your goodbyes – see you next week!

• Don’t forget to begin by debriefing next week!

We know that every group is different, so feel free to do this in a way that works for you.

Not part of a community but want to join the journey? We’d love to hear from you and help you be part of the family! Email Charlotte on charlotte.henard@wellsheffield.com.

If you’re a community leader and have questions or need technological help, get in touch and we’ll see what we can do!

6. Previous weeks