| A PEARL OF GREAT PRICE Laurence Freeman, OSB |
| Again the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls; when he finds one of great value he goes and sells everything he owns and buys it. (Matthew 13:45) |
There is nothing simpler than meditation. There are no difficult theories to master or techniques to excel in. Only simple fidelity is needed – and fidelity to simplicity. But as anyone who has tried it knows, being simple isn’t easy. We need all the support and inspiration we can get to persevere in what is a simple but demanding discipline. This is where the group meditation comes in. It is a spiritual phenomenon and a source of great hope, especially in our unpeaceful and fear-ridden time, that small groups of people in more than 60 countries around the world meet weekly simply to meditate together. They gather in all sorts of places, from homes to churches to prisons, hospitals and places work, to share the practice that connects them, in silence, simplicity and stillness, to the ultimate source of life and peace. After meditating together they return to life charged with that energy of faith that comes from being in the presence of the One who promised to be with those who were open to him. In one sense, of course, the meditation group is nothing new, but in another it is the most contemporary expression of and answer to the tremendous spiritual hunger that so characterizes our time. It is not surprising then that The World Community for Christian Meditation has become in these last 25 years a global spiritual family with a deep common experience and much wisdom to share about sharing the gift of meditation. You may have to step out on your own to start a group, but you will never be alone or without resources to help and encourage you. But who exactly starts and leads meditation groups? Ordinary people, who need no extraordinary talent, only the faith to begin and the support of those who have gone before. So this little book offers encouragement and practical ideas about how one might not only begin a group, but sustain and nurture it along the way. And it suggests that such work is of utmost importance. Our world sorely needs the silent infrastructure of contemplation woven into its institutions and frenetic schedules. It needs the healing and transforming power that only the spirit can set free in us and among us. I am grateful to many in our community who have helped in preparing this book – especially Carla Cooper, former chair of our Guiding Board, Susan Spence, co- ordinator of the international Centre and Joe Doerfer, the former Director of Medio Media.
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| A PEARL OF GREAT PRICE |
| SHARING THE GIFT OF CHRISTIAN MEDITATION BY STARTING A GROUP |
| THE WORLD COMMUNITY FOR CHRISTIAN MEDITATION |