Lectio Divina

 

What is Lectio Divina? 

Lectio Divina means “divine reading” in Latin. It's a meditative way of reading the Bible and entering in to a time of prayer in which we let go of our own agendas and open ourselves to what God is trying to say to us.

 With encouragement from the early Church Fathers, Lectio Divina entered the daily prayer of the early monastic communities (Monasteries) in the 6th century, as a way of communicating with God through Scripture.  Lectio Divina was a practice of monks.

We learned how to enter this ancient form of prayer and meditation in seminary. We spent some time practicing this ancient art and soon realized the power in it.

How do you begin? Well, let’s pick a scripture and I’ll show you. 

I’ll share with you the thoughts that come to mind as I read and meditate on this particular scripture.

When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.

-Isaiah 43:2

I take a moment to meditate and think about this scripture; then I pray for God to speak to me through these words. 

It’s hard to sit in silence at times, but teaching ourselves to come to that kind of quiet and peace takes practice.

I read the scripture out loud, and contemplate it.

Instead of “Amen”, “Thank you” seems more appropriate. I sit with these words, and five of them seem to jump out of the page at me. “I will be with you.”  “I WILL BE WITH YOU”. They pull me in and challenge me.

Do you believe that Patti? Do you find comfort in these words?

The exiled people clung to these words like a life raft. It was these words that gave them the courage to leave their exile and go back home to a place that had been reduced to rubble. Gods story was all they had, yet they clung to it. They wrapped themselves in it and stepped into uncertainty. They were uncertain of what the future held but Gods character was made certain. Isaiah reminded them of Gods covenantal promise and they believed and trusted.

I think about these ancient people. 

God reveals who He is in His words. I focus again on those five words. “I will be with you.”

I do believe him.

My belief doesn’t come in absolute certainty but in a slow strange comfort. Like a child slowly being soothed back to sleep after a difficult dream. (Faith as big as a mustard seed)

“When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.”

Often times I don’t pray specifically. I find myself either lifting up generic prayers that I think will cover a multitude of concerns, or rambling through a list of details that God already knows. 

At times I think we are almost afraid of revealing our deepest fears, and so we hold back. 

I consider what I might be holding back from God in that moment.

I speak aloud to God what I have been carrying in my heart. The prayer is short and concise. He knows the details. 

I realize I’ve been almost holding my breath. I take a slow inhale as I end this simple prayer with “Thank You”.

There’s assumption in these final words; a receipt of goods already delivered. I realize the powerful conviction in them and I search my soul for a moment.

The implication of my “thank you” startles me. 

It implies a completion. The simple ending to my simple prayer holds conviction because it holds more words than I actually spoke. "Thank you.. because I believe you are listening and I believe you are with me"

“Thank you for being with me Lord; I believe you are with us.”

There's comfort in that understanding, and so I sit for a moment or two breathing deeply and thanking God.

That is a short example of Lectio Divina. 

This simple act of devotion is powerful. With practice it can become profound.

Why not give it a try? Pick a scripture, make some space and clear your mind.

You might be surprised how God shows up when given some time and space to be close with you.

-Pastor Patti