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In Advent 2021, a group of five parishioners began to meet weekly to learn about Christian meditation. The main resource is the World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM.org). The group now has thirteen members led by Chuck Erion. We meet in the boardroom (via the Douna Room) on Fridays at 9:30 am. We meditate in silence for 25 minutes, and then listen to a brief reflection from Fr John Main or Fr Laurence Freeman, the leaders of WCCM. The group has become a focus of mutual support and prayer requests, and a nurturing ground for new and existing lay ministries. 

So, why meditate? Each member of our group might have a different answer but I think we agree that we value a twice-daily time of silence to centre and experience God in a more direct way, leaving our overloaded thoughts behind, however briefly.

Here's a passage from one of Laurence Freeman's books, explaining meditation in light of Jesus' instructions on how to pray. 

Then Jesus tells us when you pray, set your mind upon God’s Kingdom before everything else and everything else will come to you in due course. Prioritise. Most people feel, especially today, that their minds are a scramble. They are confused about what our priorities are. They are confused about the order and harmony of our lives, and the predictability of our lives. Everything is turned upside down, inside out. And the teaching here is to restore the mind to its natural quality of attention: ‘Set your mind on God’s Kingdom before everything else.’ That is what meditation is. And then after the meditation, things will look a little bit more harmonious. A little bit more in order because you have re-prioritised, at least to some degree, your view of the world and you know what the centre and the main priority is. 

Please contact Chuck at erion.chuck@gmail.com if you're interested to learn more.