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placing yourself at the scene
Place yourself in the scene of one of these Bible passages. Choose a person to ‘be' in this scene.
Using your imagination and your senses, listen to what is said by those in the scene, smell the air, touch the dust on the ground, study the faces of those around you. Try to gauge and sense what's going on here from all possible angles. Maybe you've chosen to be one of the following:
    
Mary Joseph The Shepherds The Wise Men Herod
Try and experience the emotions of the scene. What is your character feeling, thinking, saying and behaving like? Think about the environment they are in. Is it indoors or outside, hot or cold, day or night. What might they might be doing before, during and after the scene? Imagine:
* You've just been told you are pregnant, yet you are still a virgin. How would you feel?
* An Angel [an Angel!!!] appears to tell you about your fiancee being pregnant. How do you react?
* It's just another night for you and your shepherd mates. You're just sitting there counting sheep, when suddenly the whole sky is full of angels singing! Do you feel like running?
* You like your star-gazing and as usual, you're watching, waiting and studying to see when the prophecy will be fulfilled. Suddenly, you notice this star on the horizon. You check your charts, you contact your friends. Could this be it...could it? Could this be the star that marks the beginning?
* Your friends pay you a visit but the news they bring unsettles you. You don't let on, but something definitely needs to be done about this child. You don't want him growing up and challenging your throne. This is the worst kind of news you could have received. Something needs to be done and fast!
Helpful Character Points:
Here's some helpful points to get you started on your chosen character[s]. These are some of the reactions either listed in the Bible passage or likely human responses to what they encounter:
Mary: A TEENAGER, TOLD SHE IS PREGNANT, COMPLETELY SHOCKED, CONFUSED, YET JOYFUL
Joseph: HONEST, RESPECTFUL GUY, LOVES HIS FIANCEE, NOW TOTALLY CONFUSED. WHAT WILL PEOPLE THINK OF HIM? WHAT WILL PEOPLE DO TO MARY? SHOULD I MARRY HER? DO I BELIEVE HER?
Shepherds: STUNNED AND EXCITED, WHAT DOES IT MEAN? AFRAID YET CURIOUS?
Wisemen: RICH MEN, RULERS, USED TO ROYALTY BUT SEARCHING, LONGING, WONDERING, WAITING
TO SEE WHAT THIS KING IS TO BE LIKE AND WHERE HE WILL BE BORN.
Herod: YOU'RE THE KING, BUT YOU'RE INCREDIBLY INSECURE AND PRONE TO JEALOUSY. YOU HEAR THE NEWS ABOUT THIS NEW KING? DOES HE POSE A THREAT TO YOUR THRONE. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? SHOULD YOU TRY AND KILL HIM BEFORE HE GROWS UP?
Now What? How Do You Continue The Meditation? Some Tips...
- Don't try to reason or work it out, but simply allow yourself to touch God’s Word with your senses and your heart.
- Give yourself time, get to know the person you have chosen to ‘be’ and if it helps, close your eyes.
- Try ‘being’ different people from the story, walk in their shoes and see things from their perspective. Does this help you see, feel, or think anything different about the story? What's God saying to you?
- Write down how you felt and ask yourself if this meditation has given you a better understanding of the story.
What About You...'Who Do You Say I Am?'
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