When we speak of mindfulness in Christianity, it entails the discipline of being fully aware of our experience living in the present moment. Mindfulness helps us realize how much our minds focus on living in the past or the future. We spend little of our time living in the awareness of the present moment.
To live mindfully as a Christian, Richard Rohr describes it as living in the naked now. It exists as the “naken now” because the future hasn’t happened yet, and the past is already over. Therefore, the present, or as I call it, the Eternal Now of God, is the only real-time that exists.
The struggle is our minds can be in several different places at the same time. When I begin to pray, I find myself thinking about where I’m going to eat for dinner. A few seconds later, I’m wondering why I recall a meal I had a couple of weeks ago. I am then trying to remember who ate with me. I return to praying and reflect on what got me going down that bunny trail. That is the reality of our life. As we go about life, our thoughts continually distract us from what is going on in the present moment.
Our minds are thinking machines, but there is a vast difference between being aware of and thinking a thought. That is where mindfulness can help us to be mindful and aware of Christ in the middle of our distracting thoughts.
The practice of Mindful Christianity is a state of spiritual awareness of what is – what is happening right now in my life. (Keeping Mindful Christianity Simple) It is the discipline in the moment of being fully present to our total experience in life as a Christian. As in all meditation, Mindful Christianity is a way to promote and encourage the awareness of God’s presence in the detail of life. It is a way of developing a deeper relationship with and recognizing God’s love and reality in our lives.
It is a way of taking our critical thoughts and judgments about people and ourselves and putting them in the light of God’s grace, mercy, and love. It is a way of sitting back away from yourself to look and to observe your thoughts in the light of God’s word and presence. It is the process that lets the character and nature of Christ transform our hearts with the hope we will live in unity with God and humanity. When we speak of mindfulness in Christianity, it is to live fully in the moment mindful of Christ. (What is Mindful Christianity)
Scripture:
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 NIV
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