Imagine
that you have been allowed the privilege of walking with the Eleven out
of Jerusalem to the Mount of Ascension
Stay behind them as you leave the noise of the city and the stifling
heat behind.
Feel the warm dust creeping through your sandals.
What can you see...?
What can you hear...?
What can you smell...?
Take time to picture the whole scene as vividly as possible.
Become an integral part of it.
How do you feel?
Look at your companions, the Eleven Disciples.
What sort of people are they?
How are they dressed?
What are they talking about?
Is there anything you'd like to ask them... or say to them?
Now you are nearing the place where Jesus promised to meet you....
How does it feel to about to meet Him?
And now - there he is - standing in front of you.
How does it feel to meet the risen Lord?
What do you want to do as you meet Him?
Take a good look at Jesus -
at
those hands still bearing the wounds of love
at those hands hovering over you to bless you |
What do you want to
say to Jesus?
Watch carefully - He is leaving you now - being lifted out of
sight. Soon He will be hidden by the cloud of God's presence.
Is there anything you want to DO?
Anything you want to say?
Look at the two men dressed in white?
How does it feel to be in their presence?
Drink in their message: THIS SAME JESUS WILL BE BACK!
Say that over and
over to yourself.
How do you want to respond?
Stay silently on the mountain top for a few minutes.
Allow God to speak to you.
Be caught up in the wonder of the moment.
The others are going back to Jerusalem now.
Go with them!
Is anyone saying anything?
How do them seem to feel?
How do YOU feel?
See the city come into sight again.
Notice the dome of the Temple.
Hear the sounds
| see
the sights |
|
|
smell
the smells...................of the City |
Go into the
Temple with the others.
Try to drink in what you have seen and heard.
Thank God for it...
Campbell McAlpine says of meditation....
"Meditation is the devotional practice of pondering the words of a
verse or verses of scripture, with a receptive heart, allowing the Holy
Spirit to take the written Word and apply it as the living Word to the
inner being. Someone has described meditation as the 'digestive
faculty of the soul'. Meditation is inwardly receiving the
Word of God, illustrated by eating or feeding. God spoke to
Ezekiel and emphasised this truth. 'But you, son of mine'
listen to what I say, open your mouth and EAT what I give you'
(Ezk.2:8).
As you read, take a pencil and pad. As a sentence or verse comes
bouncing out at you...write it down and think about it. See what
it has to say to you...for we are sitting with a friend...OUR LORD...and
letting Him speak to us. We listen. We respond from our
heart. We enjoy it to the full before we move on. There is
no hurry. We are sitting with our friend. We let him
speak. We really listen. Reading a certain passage in the
Song of Solomon I remember the times He has brought me to his Banqueting
House and over me has been his Banner of Love. BROUGHT ME!
Sometimes struggling with some sin, sometimes suffering from almost
overwhelming sadness, always with such love He has done the
carrying. All I have to do is relax and allow Him to do as He
will. With that I am content.
I begin to see the Banquet...the table...carefully and lovingly laid
out. I smell the fruit - see the colours, handle them, savour them
in anticipation and I see it has been so lovingly prepared...and I am
His Special Guest. I see myself and my heart cries out...'Why
me?' I shouldn't be here....but I was and I left the table
forgiven and so sure of His Love, His cleansing and His renewal.
Such was the feast and such IS the feast."
This form of meditation...we are doing more than just pondering...just
reading. We are doing as Mary did. We are entering into the
reality as Mary did.
Sitting at the feet of Jesus.
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