Imaginative Prayer

Can you imagine being taught things like this in your church or Christian school? Believe it or not, it's happening every where...

Here is an excerpt from a new book called Contemplative Mysticism: A Powerful Ecumenical Bond, by David Cloud.

VISUALIZATION OR IMAGINATIVE PRAYER

Visualization or imaginative prayer is becoming popular throughout evangelicalism.

Jesuit priest Anthony de Mello calls it “fantasy prayer” and says that many of the Catholic saints practiced it (Sadhana: A Way to God, pp. 79, 82, 93). Francis of Assisi imagined taking Jesus down from the cross; Anthony of Padua imagined holding the baby Jesus in his arms and talking with him; Teresa of Avila imagined herself with Jesus in His agony in the garden.

This type of thing is an integral part of the spiritual exercises of Ignatius of Loyola. The practitioner is instructed to walk into biblical and extra-biblical historical scenes through the imagination and bring the scene to life by applying all five senses, seeing the events, hearing what people are saying, smelling things, and touching things--all within the realm of pure imagination. He is even to put himself into the scene, talking to the people and serving them. Ignatius encourages practitioners, for example, to imagine themselves present at Jesus’ birth and crucifixion….

See here for more:

http://www.wayoflife.org/database/visualization.html


Related:

Contemplative Worship & Prayer
Christian Mysticism: New Age spirituality cloaked in Christian terminology
http://www.geocities.com/christianconcerns/index.contemplative.htm