Weekly Musing - Marti

From John Crowder’s sessions at the Rethinking God With Tacos Family Reunion, September 24-26, 2026, regarding his upcoming book on contemplation, “The Silence of the Word – Contemplation and the Mystery of Incarnation”

Prayer vs Contemplation vs Meditation:

Prayer is not transactional. What if praying without ceasing is offering our life up as a ceaseless prayer, as a fragrant aroma to God? What if we begin to unlearn prayer as we now see it? Prayer is not a transaction. What if prayer is letting go, resting, untethering, with no methodology? What if prayer is sitting in silence and finding a deeper form of Presence. What if we stop looking for the experience of a lifetime and begin living a lifetime of experience?

How might this be possible?

In a world of information overload, where noise, thoughts, – ours and others – images, choices, and temptations are bombarding us constantly – can we just stop? Is the solution to draw away and spend time in contemplation?

What, then, is contemplation? Contemplation is not the same as meditation. Meditation is thinking about, concentrating on something or someone, a person, a song, a scripture verse. Contemplation is wordless, imageless prayer. Contemplation is not thinking about God. Contemplation is leaving our God-thoughts behind – not by trying to force these thoughts out, that is impossible—it’s a release from thoughts; it’s waking up to our union with Christ. It’s sitting in silence and finding rest from our thoughts and waking up to our union with Christ. Everything, and that includes you and me, is in Christ and finds completion in Christ. Everything… Jesus Christ is the union of God and humanity. Jesus Christ is our relationship with God.

Colossians 1:15-20 (The Mirror Bible)

In Him the image and likeness of God is made visible in human form in order that everyone may recognize their true origin in Him. He is the firstborn of every creature. Everything that is, begins in Him; whether in the heavenly realm or upon the earth, visible or invisible, He is the original blueprint of every order of justice and every level of authority, be it kingdoms or governments, principalities or jurisdictions; the original form of all things were founded by Him and created for Him. He is the initiator of all things, therefore everything finds its relevance and its true pattern only in Him. The ekklesia [church] is the visible expression of which Jesus is the head. He is the principle rank of authority who leads the triumphant procession of our new birth out of the region of the dead. His pre-eminent rank is beyond threat. God is fully at home in Him. Jesus exhibits God’s happy delight to be human. He initiated the reconciliation of all things to Himself. Through the blood of the cross God restored the original harmony. His reign of peace now extends to every visible thing upon the earth as well as the invisible things which are in the heavenly realm.

Contemplation is not a new 40-day “gimmick” to our breakthrough! It is release, losing oneself in God. Perfect prayer is not achieved by perfect words, but by spontaneity. He already gets us! Contemplation is more of a letting go; not seeking a revelation. Contemplation is not technique; it is relationship, discovering an older unity, original unity, being what we already are. It has a transformative aspect. Transformative is not transactional.

I Corinthians 1:30-31 (The Mirror Bible)

Of God’s doing are we in Christ. He is both the genesis and genius of our wisdom; a wisdom that reveals how righteous, sanctified and redeemed we already are in Him. He is our claim to fame. (Emphasis is mine.)

Thomas Merton said regarding the false self: “As I find God, I find myself. Left to myself, it’s impossible. It can’t be done alone, it can only be done with the help of God and God alone.”

Try it, sitting in silence and letting God and God alone reveal what is already true about you in Him. Don’t be afraid of the silence. Allow the silence to put away the clutter of the noise and find yourself in Him where you’ve always been.