Why Immersed?
Reading across the Gospel accounts we can piece together some of the stories of the people that feature in them, but there are still huge gaps:
What would it have been like to have heard the original testimonies of the disciples?
How would it have felt to hear the first-hand experiences of the people who were there with Jesus 2000 years ago?
How did John the Baptist feel when Jesus asked to be baptised?
What would it have been like to hear Simon of Cyrene tell the story of Good Friday?
What was the atmosphere like in the upper room after Mary told the disciples that she’d met the risen Jesus?
How did Peter feel when he encountered the risen Jesus for the first time (Luke 24:34)? What did they say to each other? Did Peter ask for forgiveness for his denial of Jesus?
How would you feel if you knew you’d denied knowing Jesus, and then he appeared to you?
What happened in the ten days between the ascension and Pentecost?
Long before the Gospels were written, the followers of Jesus would have been sharing their stories, their experiences and memories of the things that he taught and did. These testimonies would have been key sources used in the construction of the gospels, but because of the need for brevity, much of the detail of these personal testimonies would have been left out.
Ignatian imaginative contemplation is a method of prayer that uses our imagination to immerse ourselves in the story. This helps us to join the dots in the accounts given in the gospels and build a picture of what it was like to be there; engaging all our senses and emotions as we prayerfully become part of the story, helping to recapture the perspective of those who initially shared their testimonies.
Imaginative contemplation can give a new perspective on stories we’ve heard many times before. This isn’t re-writing scripture, it’s a spiritual practice that can help us notice different details, which in turn can prompt new questions, and so open us up to hear God speaking to us afresh.
A few years ago, I completed an Ignatian retreat in daily life, called ‘the 19th annotation’ (on account of the fact that Ignatius included a number of notes, or annotations, to his Spiritual Exercises, and the 19th note was an instruction as to how the exercises could be adapted to be incorporated into the pattern of daily living). This was an incredibly enriching experience, and I’ve continued to regularly pray through scripture in this way.
I hope the reflections on this site will refresh your soul and help you to hear God speaking to you in new ways.
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