Welcome to the Friday Meditation sessions at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection.

FRIDAY ADVENT MEDITATION

For the four weeks of Advent the Friday Meditations will focus on an Advent theme each week. The Meditations start at 5:30pm with silent meditation that focuses on breathing and a calm approach to the meditation theme. After a short break, there is an introduction of the meditation theme followed by forty minutes of silent meditation which is augmented by special music (recorded), soft lighting and candle light. All are invited and may arrive and leave at any time between 5:30 and 7:00pm when the meditation concludes.

These sessions are guided by Steve Graue who has studied and practiced meditation for several years. Steve has a double major in Cultural Anthropology and Sociology from the University of Kansas and a Masters degree in Human Resources from Ottawa University. He is the Human Resources Director for Comanche Construction, Inc. in Olathe. His background in meditation includes several Eastern meditation styles such as Chi Gong healing meditation, Zen, Taoist, Tantric Buddhist and T’ai Chi Chuan. He is currently teaching Chi Gong and T’ai Chi in Olathe for the Olathe Parks and Recreation Department and is teaching a community service T’ai Chi class at Lutheran Church of the Resurrection. Steve also has studied the spiritual aspects of Native American and Central American cultures. Currently he is studying the lives of the Christian saints and the contemplative prayer style of the Desert Fathers which will be used in the spiritual meditations. The meditation sessions will draw on these and other meditation styles.

The meditation sessions will be divided into three parts:

1. The first session will be a twenty minute session on healing meditation that helps to relieve stress and get the body “tuned up.”

2. The second session will start after a short break and will also last twenty minutes. It will be based on a visual theme that will change with each session. For example, a visual theme might be that the person meditating visualizes her or himself sitting quietly on a river bank, watching the river flow.

3. The third twenty minute session will be a spiritual meditation based on a specific theme. Compassion would be a good example for a spiritual theme. Christian contemplative prayer and recorded chant will also be used in this session.

All of the sessions will begin and end with the ringing of the gong or bell. If you come in during one of the sessions, please find a seat and make yourself comfortable. Music will be played as background for some, but not all, of the sessions. Please feel free to leave as you wish.