recently rediscovered christianity, can you recommend some mystical practices?

Question

Some advice on prayer on prayer/meditation methods. From any tradition: Catholic, Orthodox, Quaker, etc.

I disagree, Jesus and Paul were both mystics, and the Bible itself is an inherently mystical text. If you try to tear mysticism from the heart of faith, all you are left with is legalism and formalism.

Some amazing answers so far! :-)

Answer 1

I have found the writings of Thomas Merton helpful in this regard.

Answer 2

There is nothing mystical at all about the Bible, it's actually very easy to understand, depending of course on your motive for reading it.

I would suggest that you read a passage of scripture and then meditate on what you've just read. Perhaps you could start with Matthew chapters 5 - 7, which of course contains the Model Prayer (6:5-15), or maybe 1Corinthians 13, where Paul explains what Christian love truly is. Romans 8 will tell you of the kind of relationship that is possible with God for those who truly believe, but whatever portion of God's Word you read can be beneficial to you if you approach your study in the right way - that of someone who genuinely wants to learn about God, his ways and his requirements of those who wish to know him.

Answer 3

I understand what you mean, it is just that there are several meanings to the word.

mys·ti·cism (mĭs'tĭ-sĭz'əm)
n.
Immediate consciousness of the transcendent or ultimate reality or God.
The experience of such communion as described by mystics.
A belief in the existence of realities beyond perceptual or intellectual apprehension that are central to being and directly accessible by subjective experience.
Vague, groundless speculation.

By the first definition:
The works of the Holy Spirit are miystic
The Prophecies are mystic
The Book of Reverlations is mystic

To learn and study and meditate in God's mystical things, it is necessary to study the Bible based on historical parallelism.
Understanding that everything cycles from spiritual realm to physical realm. like : day=light=understanding=open minded
while night=darkness=confusion=obfuscated

One of the best practices I do is not to rest value to things, and then rest value to things. As when my son brakes something, I value his chilhood over the broken item, no matter how much it costed.

I sit, and observe many things, and people, and analyse their actions in regard to what is positive. As those nationalists who say with pride: I am an American, I am an Arab, then come join the beggar on the streets.

I have heard men say: I hate negr**s and the they check out the black girl who passes by.

As I wonder myself so many times why in Spain they carry wooden virgins, then place them up and fell to the knees before them.

Or, Why is a woman moved to flirt with me when her boyfriend is the biggest ganster on the block. I say : Evil is just trying to get me kill yeah alright.

But the best practice that I apply is that of admitting when another person has a better idea, or when that person is right and I am wrong, and I have the courage to say "I am wrong".

Answer 4

I would not agree that Christianity has mysticism in it, substitute that word for 'sprituality.' Prayer is nothing more than talking to God, there is no mystery about it. Meditation, in the Bible, is simply thinking about the Word of God, not some mystical experience.

Answer 5

Mysticism suggests that something is "hidden". Which of course it isn't, it is all in the bible and open for ALL to discover. Praying is simply a case of going into a quite room and speaking to God like a child would to a parent. There are not rituals in Christianity... if you want to pray with a chicken on you head or some other crazy practice try one of the cults like JWs or mormons.
My advice is study the word of God and do it for yourself. Find out His charactor and communicate with Him in a normal way.

Answer 6

Those Friends (Quakers) who practice silent waiting worship don't espouse any particular method, but I can tell you a little about general practices and what works for me.

The idea is that we are waiting on the Lord. We believe that divine revelation didn't end with the Book of Revelations, and that it's an ongoing, daily occurance for anyone open to it. We place great emphasis on discerning the difference between divinely-inspired messages and our own ego-driven thoughts. We do not meditate in the same sense as other mystical religions -- we listen.

We worship privately, of course, but also corporately (in a group), if possible given our location. We believe corporate worship is very important because we need each other's ministry: none of us singly is gifted with complete understanding, we may not be willing or able to hear the Spirit for ourselves at a given time, etc.

We meet in a place without distractions (so far as possible) -- plain, quiet, reasonably comfortable -- and we open ourselves to God's word. Usually, it takes us some time to "settle" -- to clear our minds of our daily concerns and enter into a calm, open state. For me, that's usually about 15 or 20 minutes. I often think about people I want to pray for (hold in the Light), situations that are beyond me, and that sort of thing. Sometimes over the course of meeting those thoughts lead to personal insights, sometimes to being given an answer from outside of me, sometimes to nothing at all. But as we settle, we become able to listen for "that still, small voice", we attempt to discern the difference between our thoughts and spirit-led ministry, and we stand and speak if and only if we are sure that that is what we're meant to do with a message we have received. Sometimes meeting is totally silent, but that can still be very powerful. It doesn't mean nothing is happening; it only means none of us have been led to share.

Worship on my own is similar, but I tend to be more distractible and end sooner. I find that reading scripture (just a little bit of it usually) helps me settle more easily.

I hope that at least some of this is helpful to you.

Answer 7

What naomi and yo yo reported. Christianity emerged out of Essene Judaism (a sort of mystical Judaism). The historicity of the biblical Jesus is in question between cutting-edge-day scholars yet tracts from Talmadic and Jewish apocryphal components recommend that a Christian-like heresy grew to become into brewing interior Judaism in perchance the 1st century BCE. Christian lore, perception, and philosophy grew to become into distinctive interior the 1st and 2nd centuries and existed alongside with Hermeticism and NeoPlatonism alongside with somewhat some mystical secret cults, and cultural polytheistic religions. Many 1st Christians theory they have been residing interior the tip situations and had to regulate their existence and perception structures while the tip-situations did not ensue (study the artwork of the student Elaine Pagels). Early "followers of the Nazarene" even have been theory to be delinquent human beings in touch in magia and the worship of a magoi (a sorcerer--a guy or woman who completed miracles and magical feats like healing human beings and stuff. Romans additionally theory it extraordinary and suspicious that Christians used a crucifix--an emblem of torturous dying--as a brand). This grew to become into between the excuses why early Christians have been rounded up and tortured and killed by potential of the Roman government (the Romans did the comparable factor to followers of Dionysian cults and others. Their purpose grew to become into that for the period of beating down unusual cults they have been savng and conserving the order of the universe) ultimately, as reported, a team of human beings have been given collectively to come again to a decision what Christianity may be and marginalized and persecuted all human beings else. while the Roman government, desperate that it grew to become into expedient to pander to the burgeoning Christian inhabitants and make Christianity the State faith, Christianity have been given better narrowed and standardized.

Answer 8

Jesus, GOD, and The Holy Spirit are first and foremost pragmatists. They do nothing just to show off, prove something or impress people. Start with improving your most important interpersonal relationships, especially the one between yourself and The Holy Spirit. Everything must start with loving GOD, then our neighbor as ourselves. Learning to ask better questions will bring big rewards, more than meditation or chanting.

Answer 9

Christianity is not mysticism;but if your serious,read the Bible and apply what it teaches to your life

Feel free to email me if you wanna talk.

Answer 10

say a novena with a rosary and concentrate on the mysteries like sorrow mercy charity etc. I'll just stick with my meditation .