Richard Johnston is the founder of Christian Mindfulness, Mindful Church and Revive Us Again Ministries. He is a member of Kingdom Legacy Leaders Network, a Missionary Associate of Globe UK, a member of the UK EA and the author of several books on Christian mindfulness - see here. He has completed the UK Mindfulness Association Practitioner Certificate and Mindfulness Association Foundation Course. He has a Living Life to the Full CBT Practitioner Certificate with Five Areas and also the Certificate in Christian Counselling with Vital Connexions. He has a BA (Honours) degree specializing in Marketing and Economics. If you would like to financially support the ministry and work of Christian Mindfulness, Mindful Church & Revive Us Again Ministries then see here for options.
Christian Mindfulness was founded by myself, Richard H H Johnston but born out of over 20 years of mindfulness, meditation and contemplative practice. The unique services I provide offer Christian Mindfulness, Christian Contemplation and Christian Meditation materials in several formats -
I became a Christian in September 1989 at 18 years of age. I was lying on my bed one Saturday afternoon and had been reading the gospel of John. I wasn't even sure that there was a God so I prayed, 'Okay God if you're there then please come and take away this emptiness and sadness inside my heart'. I immediately felt a sudden surge of power and joy go through my body. It was like divine electricity. I began to cry with astonishment. I could not deny that in that moment God had answered my prayer and met with me in a powerful and supernatural way. I was shocked, overjoyed and amazed all at the same time. That was the turning point for me. That was the moment I believed in Jesus for the first time.
Over the years I have preached in almost all of the main church denominations and value the variety of perspectives and traditions expressed by the broader church family. I passionately believe in the value and importance of the Bible and preaching to convey the truth of the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Christian Mindfulness has featured in Christianity Magazine, BBC Radio Scotland (see here), Premier Christian Radio, the Church of England Newspaper, Mind & Soul website and Turning the Page (New Zealand). I have spoken at the UK Association of Christian Counsellors Biannual Conference and New Wine Scotland (CLAN Gathering). I currently host online Zoom Courses and organise online conferences speaking on Christian Mindfulness, Christian Contemplation and Christian Meditation. To contact me directly regarding courses or speaking engagements please click here.
Mindfulness – A Christian Perspective
I was introduced to mindfulness in mid 2013 while working for Professor Chris Williams of Glasgow University. Contemplative and meditative practices have long been part of my daily life. By nature I am a more reflective and meditative type. While I would never say meditation comes easy it has certainly been a passion of mine for over 20 years. As a young single man I had a summer shed in my back garden in Aberdeen. For hours I would sit in silence waiting, abiding and dwelling in the Presence. The peace and stillness of coming to God in silence is often like a soothing balm to the soul, shifting our focus away from turmoil and unhelpful rumination. I gradually turned towards God’s promise and invitation to find a place of rest in Him (Ps. 62). This practice of centring down and gathering ourselves together into a place of focus is central to what many are now describing as mindfulness.
The growth in secular research in the field of mindfulness is now increasing exponentially. It may not be a panacea but mindfulness and meditation are now recommended treatments by the UK National Institute for Clinical Excellence for Low Mood, Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Pain Management, Resilience Training and several other areas. Many major corporations agree and are implementing mindfulness training programmes – including Apple and Google. A secular approach to mindfulness avoids any reference to religion per se but still enjoys many of the physical and mental health related benefits. Through cultivating awareness of body and breath scientific research has shown that it is possible to literally re-
For centuries Christians have explored Prayer, Meditation and Contemplative Practices. I love Christian theology and the study of God and have read thousands of books. But there comes a point when simply thinking about God in a logical way is not enough. On this point the Bible offers much supporting narrative and is full of stories of epiphany and encounter. Christian Prayer, Meditation and Contemplation provide us with a ‘means of grace’, a way of engaging heart to Heart. We have such a rich heritage in this area which has been neglected by large swathes of the church. We have been too afraid of using the M word for fear that we will somehow automatically open ourselves to a form of spirituality that is out of sync with a biblical approach. But what if it was possible to be thoroughly biblical and at the same time tap into a rich mine of spiritual gold through prayer, meditation and mindfulness?
One of the first stumbling blocks for Christians to overcome in relation to mindfulness practices is the issue of self-
Sacrificial giving of self should not be about offering ourselves on the altar of the churches expediency. But we have had so little clear teaching on how to relate well to self. There can often be an underlying double-
Mindfulness teachings identify the “inner critic” as a primary contributor to unnecessary suffering. By observing our initial self-
Richard H. H. Johnston, Director of Christian Mindfulness