"On His law he meditates day and night"

Long ago, in the '70s I think, I remember reading a book about "How to Meditate Without Leaving the World." In a time when there was intense interest in meditation - encouraged by John Lennon among others - it contrasted the meditative traditions of eastern religion with that of Christianity. Apparently saying "Ooom" and emptying the mind is still in vogue and, moreover, among Christians. Albert Mohler on "The Empty Promise of Meditation"

Should Christians practice meditation? An increasing number of Christians are trying or using Eastern meditation techniques in an effort to direct their spiritual lives. It is no longer shocking to see churches offering yoga and meditation classes, nor to hear some Christians talking about their walks in a labyrinth, time spent in meditation, or experiments with the latest borrowing from the East. ....

The Bible does speak positively about meditation. In the Psalms, David sings of meditating on the Law of God day and night. The biblical concept of meditation is not without reference to thought and content. To the contrary, it is about thinking that is directed by the Word of God - scripturally saturated thought.

This is almost the exact opposite of Eastern meditation, which sets the emptying of the mind as its goal. The Eastern concept of emptying the mind is just not anything close to the biblical vision of filling the mind with the Word of God. ....

Without question, we should meditate upon the Word of God. This should be a part of our regular and constant spiritual discipline. But, this kind of meditation does not lead to an empty mind, nor to the sense of an empty mind, but to a mind constantly more directed by Scripture. .... [more]

The Empty Promise of Meditation