The Christian Meditation Group: Gathering in Jesus’ Name and Learning to Listen to God

Since its 1997 founding in our parish, the Christian Meditation Group has grown and changed, but the key elements remain. This group follows the practice of the World Community of Christian Meditation, whose mission is to “communicate and nurture meditation as passed on through the teaching of John Main in the Christian tradition in the spirit of serving the unity of all.”

The group meets at 4 p.m. every Monday via Zoom, except for the first Monday of the month when they meet in the church. The weekly meetings start with a psalm read by one of the members, which is followed by 23 minutes of silent meditation. After spending time in silence, a short reflection from the World Community of Christian Meditation is played. There is time for some discussion, and then the group ends in prayer.

“I answered a blurb in the church bulletin and found meditation to be important to me,” says group leader Fran Rider, who has been meditating for 25 years. “Meditation is not hard, but one must be disciplined and patient in order to continue.”

While meditation might seem like a solitary and private form of prayer, participating in the group is a key part of learning how to meditate.

“We remind each other of the importance of our daily practice, we share in our struggles and our breakthroughs, and we share a special kinship with each other,” Fran says. “As Jesus said, ‘Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in the midst of them.’ In most Christian prayer, we are taught to talk to God — in meditation, we are taught to listen to God.”

Listening in silence is an essential aspect of prayer that often gets overlooked. We live in a world that is busy and loud — the constant hum of activity surrounds us from the moment we wake to the moment we go to bed. It is easy to overlook the necessity of silent meditation, and for many, it can be uncomfortable or difficult to sit in silence. However, it is in the silence that God is able to speak and reveal Himself to us.

“The invitation of meditation is to lose ourselves and to be absorbed in the presence of God,” Fran says.

If you are interested in joining, or if you would like more information, please contact Fran Rider at 916-956-4229 or bilrider2808@sbcglobal.net.