Meditations of the Heart (1953) by Howard Thurman

Published on Updated on Baptist, Contemplative Prayer

Meditations of the Heart is a collection of 54 essays by Professor Howard Thurman. A great spiritual leader, he offers hope and endurance for all people.

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Introduction

Howard Thurman

Part I. The Inward Sea

  1. An Island of Peace within One’s Soul
  2. Silence is a Door to God
  3. In Quiet One Discovers the Will of God
  4. Relief in Voicing One’s Feelings
  5. The God of Life is the God of Religion
  6. “Be Still and Cool in the Mind”
  7. The Pattern of Prayer
  8. A Lull in the Rhythm of Doing
  9. How Good to Center Down!

Part III. Life is Alive

  1. There is Order in Life
  2. Unity is in God
  3. Shall I be Good?
  4. Life Abounds
  5. By their Fruits
  6. The Glad Surprise

 

INTRODUCTION

 

We are studying this great work in our Systematic Theology project. On this page, we are sharing specific insights that stood out to us.

This page is a work in progress.

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HOWARD THURMAN

November 18, 1899 – April 10, 1981

Howard Washington Thurman was an American theologian, mystic, and civil rights leader.

His life and career and influence are thoroughly impressive. For more, we suggest you read his page at Wikipedia.

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PART I. THE INWARD SEA

 

Number 1. An Island of Peace within One’s Soul

Pages 17 to 18a

Thurman writes:

There are many tasks in which he is engaged that are not meaningful to him even though they are important in secondary ways.

We reflect:

  • How much of our time is spent on things that are of secondary importance?
  • Is it possible to change our lives so we will spend more of out time on things of primary importance?

Thurman writes:

The only hope for surcease, the only possibility of stability for the person, is to establish an Island of Peace within one’s own soul.

We reflect:

  • Do you have an Island of Peace within your own soul?

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Number 2. Silence is a Door to God

Pages 18b to 19

Thurman writes:

Every period of prayer should provide for an experience of self-examination in the presence of God.

We reflect:

  • Do you have a regular period of prayer?

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Number 3. In Quiet One Discovers the Will of God

Pages 20 to 21a

We reflect:

  • Are you able to have a regular time of quiet before God?

Thurman writes:

The simple assumption is, that God is in each one of us, a part of our very life structure, and we are in Him.

We reflect:

  • Is God within you?

Thurman writes:

Often, the will of God becomes apparent in the central concern of our spirits, which leads us to act or function in accordance with its urgency.

We reflect:

  • Does the will of God become apparent to you?

Thurman writes:

Often, only one step at the time becomes clear.

We reflect:

  • To some people, the will of God is revealed in segments.

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Number 4. Relief in Voicing One’s Feelings

Pages 21b to 22

Thurman writes:

Man was a feeling creature long before he was a thinking creature. The mind is younger than the body and younger than the emotions.

We reflect:

  • Are you comfortable with your emotions?

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Number 5. The God of Life is the God of Religion

Page 23

Thurman writes:

All events in life take place, somehow, within the divine context.

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Number 6. “Be Still and Cool in the Mind”

Pages 24 to 25a

Thurman writes:

the quietness that a man can carry around inside of him.

We reflect:

  • Ours is an era of anger and shouting. Are you able to carry quietness inside yourself?

Thurman writes:

It is a central stillness of spirit that is so vital that it can tame the wildness out of almost any tempest.

We reflect:

  • Are you able to tame your inner tempests?

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Number 7. The Pattern of Prayer

Pages 25b to 26

Thurman writes:

Prayer at its best is revealed when a man enjoys God and prays out of sheer love of Him.

We reflect:

  • Do you enjoy God?

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Number 8. A Lull in the Rhythm of Doing

Pages 27 to 28a

Thurman writes:

There is no argument needed for the necessity of taking time out for being alone, for withdrawal, for being quiet without and still within.

We reflect:

  • Do you take time out each day for being still within?

Thurman writes:

One has to get used to the stillness even before it has been achieved.

We reflect:

  • Many people get this backwards. They think they must first achieve stillness, and then get use to it.

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Number 9. How Good to Center Down!

Pages 28b to 29

Thurman writes:

How good it is to center down! To sit quietly and see one’s self pass by!

We reflect:

  • At this point we stop being centered on our own ego.

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PART III. LIFE IS ALIVE

 

Number 1. There is Order in Life

Page 101 to 102

Thurman writes:

We do not like responsibility. It is much simpler to live as if there were no responsibility for our conscious deeds, as if our unconscious deeds are without moral significance.

We reflect:

  • In our day, many Christians behave as if the only thing that matters is that they dominate the culture. They are living as consequentialists instead of as Christians.

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Number 2. Unity is in God

Page 102 to 104

Thurman writes:

The crux of the issue is not merely the fact of wickedness and injustice in life but the supervitality which they always seem to possess.

We reflect:

  • Even in our day, the forces of evil seem to have a supervitality.

Thurman writes:

When the behavior of the wicked is observed, the intensity of loyalty demanded is indeed stricking.

We reflect:

  • Even in our day, wicked people demand complete loyalty from their minions.

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Number 3. Shall I be Good?

Page 104 to 105

Thurman writes:

Men must finally come to the place in their maturity which makes them do the good thing because it is good.

We reflect:

  • Many Christians behave in way they perceive to be moral. But why? Because they believe good behavior will be rewarded. In other words, their reasons for their morality are self-centered.

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Number 4. Life Abounds

Page 105 to 106

Thurman writes:

Every moment is a divine encounter, every facet is an exposure to the boundless energies by which life is sustained and our spirits made whole.

We reflect:

  • If Christians lived their lives that way, it would change the world!

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Number 5. By their Fruits

Page 107 to 108

Thurman writes:

The important thing about the good life is not that it is useful, that it is expedient, that it is practical, or the like. These are important, but the supreme thing about the good life is that it is Good – Good in and of itself.

We reflect:

  • Many Christians live as though the Good Life means financial abundance or material possessions.
  • What is the Good Life – for you?
  • Can homeless people be living the Good Life?

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Number 6. The Glad Surprise

Page 108 to 110

Thurman writes:

But the glad surprise is something different from all of these. It carries with it the element of elation, of life, of something over and beyond the surprise itself.

We reflect:

  • That is how we see our exploration of the Bible and Theology. It is an adventure. It is filled with glad surprises. It is a journey into endless wonder!

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For our translation of Meditations of the Heart by Howard Thurman, we are relying on the edition published by Harper in 1953. It can be read for free online at Internet Archive.

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.