If you’re looking to establish a new daily mediation practice or reenergize your current practice, you might look for ways to connect more deeply with yourself and the Creator. “What do I ‘do’ in my quiet time?” you might ask.

Guided meditation is creative tool you might consider. It’s an imaginative process that allows you to become a participant as you read or listen to a short scripture or reflection.

Using one of the Gospel stories for example, you might put yourself in the scene and imagine you’re one of the people in the tale as it unfolds. This type of guided meditation allows you to experience the story with greater depth and empathy.  

Here’s a scripture from a scene in the Last Supper you might meditate upon:

“And then the one whom Jesus loved dearly, rested his head on Jesus’ shoulder.”

Notice there are at least three people in the scene:

• Jesus; 
• the one whom Jesus loved dearly—the Beloved; and
• a bystander or the other disciples.

Read the above scripture passage two or three times as you sink into the invitations below. If you’d like, you can listen to the audio version on You Tube.

Guided Meditation:

• Find a quiet place to sit. 
• Close your eyes. 
• Relax your shoulders, your face, your hands.
• Take three deep breaths. 
• Imagine you’re one person in the scene—the Beloved, a disciple-bystander, or Jesus.
• Who are you in the scene?
• What does the room look like?
• What do you smell?
• What do you see?
• Notice the Beloved and Jesus reclining next to each other. 
• What are they wearing?
• What’s the color of their eyes, the color of their hair?
• What do you experience when the Beloved rests his head on Jesus’ shoulder?
• Can you feel the touch of their skin?
• Can you hear their hearts beat?
• What emotions stir in you?
• What do you feel?
• Are any words exchanged?

• Perhaps the Beloved says, “No, you can’t go let them put you to death. You’ve done nothing wrong. It’s not fair. You’ve given so much of yourself over these past three years. Let’s run and escape.” 

Jesus might whisper, “Shhh. It’s okay. Of course, it isn’t fair. I don’t fully understand either, but I hear the quiet voice of my Father telling me this is the way it has to be, how my life needs to unfold. He’s asked me to reveal his unconditional love through the painful death I’ll undergo. I don’t want to do it. I’m not sure I’m man enough. But my Divine Father will give me the courage I need.”

Jesus stares into the Beloved eyes.  “Can I ask you one thing?”

“What, anything?” the Beloved responds.

“Can you be there?”

“Where?

“At the foot of the cross. And when I gaze into your eyes, can you believe in the depths of your soul how much I love you?”

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Sit for several minutes and savor what you experienced. Let your imagination wander as you sink deeper into the on-going love affair between God and you.



—brian j plachta
 brianplachta.net