Hello friends,
Welcome to the 14th episode of Christian Meditation with Anita Matthias.
Let's begin to detach from the world,
To retreat into the inner sanctuary of the Self,
And to be alone with God and with our breath.
The Seminal Book of Genesis says God made man from dust,
From stardust we now know,
And breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.
We are stardust and the breath of God,
And we can use our breath to slow down and connect with the One who created the stars,
Who calls them each by name,
As the prophet Isaiah writes.
Slow,
Easy breathing is our lifeline to God,
A way to lower our cortisol and adrenaline and raise our happier neurotransmitters,
Serotonin and dopamine.
Let's breathe,
Exhale to the count of five,
Inhale to the count of five.
Again,
The heart of the Christian story is the great exchange.
Jesus came to earth and lived a perfect life,
Perfect in courage,
In outspokenness,
In kindness and wisdom.
He died the excruciating,
Infinitely unjust death of a criminal,
Unlike the Old Testament scapegoat,
Atoned for crimes he did not commit.
And for those who believed in him,
He,
Having borne the cause and effect punishment we earned,
Offers us peace with God,
Joy,
Blessing and healing as we follow him.
Our breath prayers,
Or what Bill Bright calls spiritual breathing,
Are one way we experience this great exchange.
We breathe out our stress,
Breathe in God's deep peace.
We breathe out our agitation,
Breathe in the eternal silence of infinite stars and space.
The practice of breathing prayers slowly changes our neurology,
The biochemistry of our minds,
Slowly changes our personalities and ultimately our lives.
Let's practice some breath prayers.
Exhale to the count of five as you pray,
Lord God,
You see me and you know me.
I breathe out my stress.
Inhale to the count of five as you pray.
I breathe in your peace.
Come,
Holy Spirit.
Exhale to the count of five.
I breathe out my anger and perturbation.
Inhale to the count of five.
I breathe in surrender.
My life is in your hands.
Exhale.
I breathe out my restlessness.
Inhale.
I breathe in gratitude for the goodness of life.
Exhale.
I breathe out my low spirits.
Inhale.
I breathe in the joy of Jesus.
Increase it.
The Spirit helps us speak creative words of energy and life.
In the Gospel of Matthew we read,
Then they brought him,
A demon-possessed man who was blind and mute.
And Jesus healed him,
So he could both talk and see.
All the people were astonished and said,
Could this be the son of David?
Demonic activity robbed the man of sight and speech.
And Jesus,
Whom the Apostle John calls the Word,
Restored speech to him.
In Genesis,
God's first words,
Let there be light,
Create beauty and life.
Satan's deceitful words,
However,
Cause stress and strife.
Our words,
Too,
Can be creative,
Bringing energy,
Inspiration and joy.
Or they can be destructive,
Bringing discouragement,
Defeat and misery.
Word swords which cut down,
Millstones which grind down.
The Apostle James writes,
Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.
The tongue also can set the whole course of one's life on fire.
Fire.
I've seen people lose precious friendships and relationships through angry words and emails.
I have done so myself.
So how do we use our words to bring light,
Energy and life instead of darkness and heaviness?
We must pray for the promise in Ezekiel.
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.
The Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you and you will be changed into a different person.
Samuel promises Saul.
And God changed Saul's heart,
We are told.
Just like that.
The Spirit comes when we are hungry and when we ask for him,
Jesus says.
And he changes our minds,
Emotions and spirit.
For he is,
As the Prophet Isaiah writes,
The spirit of wisdom,
Of understanding and knowledge.
His fruits are love,
Joy,
Peace,
Patience,
Kindness,
Faithfulness and self-control.
A new personality.
We can accelerate our experience of the Spirit through the ancient practice of breath prayers as we go about our errands,
Housework,
Gardening and walks.
Exhale.
Lord,
I confess my anger and faithless stress.
Inhale.
Come,
Holy Spirit of deep peace.
Exhale.
Lord,
I give you my turbulence.
Inhale.
Come,
Holy Spirit of quiet wisdom.
Use simple practices to control your words.
I've started using a count-up timer when I'm feeling critical and naggy in family life.
Waiting seven minutes before I speak,
Which then I often don't.
I now take 24 hours before responding to stressful emails.
The Spirit may graciously please to fill us in response to our prayers faster than we ever imagined.
God blessed Aaron's staff in the Book of Numbers.
It budded,
Blossomed and bore fruit overnight.
Come,
Holy Spirit,
Fire of energy and love.
Change us.
Amen and Amen.
