Lectio Divina
“Our desire to know more, read more and study more can be another expression of our culture and its inquisitive nature. Knowing God, not knowing more, is the goal.” — Richard Rohr
“The word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it” — Deuteronomy 30:14
Lectio Divina which means “spiritual reading” in latin, is an ancient practice of reading, hearing, and praying the Scriptures. It is a way of approaching the Scriptures for the purpose of finding a personal message from God, for we believe the word of God is living, active and always fresh, and it is God’s desire to speak to us through it.
We are blessed to live in an age when we have ready access to the Scriptures—we are a literate people, we all have a Bible at home, we can download many versions of the Bible on our devices—however the result of this accessibility has been that we can be tempted to read the Bible as informational readers. We tend to read large chunks of the Bible in order to grasp it, wrap our minds around it, and bring it under our control. Engaging the Scripture through the practice of Lectio Divina is a way to slow down and surrender yourself to the sacred word; it is a way of posturing yourself so that the text can grasp you.
Full disclosure, as someone who has been trained to read, interpret, and preach on Scripture, I find the Lectio Divina a hard practice to submit to. I am someone who feels compelled to read large sections of Scripture, rather than dwell with a couple of verses, because it makes me feel like I have accomplished something. I want to read quickly, rather than mediate on a word and allow it to speak to me over time. This formational way of approaching the Scriptures feels too slow and kind of like a waste of time. However, when I do submit to this practice I often find God speaks to me in fresh ways, revealing deeper truths about myself and our relationship. When I cultivate space to slow down and be present to the word, God uses it to encourage and exhort me, expose my rebellion, reveal to me the false narratives I believe about myself and God, correct my mistakes, and train me to live God’s way (2 Tim 3:16 MSG). So while submitting myself to this way of being with the Scriptures has been hard, it is also extremely life giving.
So what are we doing when we engage in the Lectio Divina? Well to start we are letting go of intellectual, studious, or effortful ways of reading Scripture in order to enter into a quiet, unhurried posture where we are receptive to God’s word. We surrender our questions about the text, or our desires to explain and interpret the passage, and instead listen and let God speak to us through it.
This poem from Guido the second, a 12th century Carthusian monk sums up the practice of Lectio Divina beautifully:
Read under the eye of God
until your heart is touched
and leaps into flame
then give yourself up to love.
We read to hear God’s voice, so we read until the Spirit illuminates a word, phrase, or idea and then we sit with it and let it speak to us, resting in God’s loving message to us.
Traditionally the practice of Lectio Divina is made of 5 movements:
Silencio — start with a minute or two of silence. Breathe deeply and acknowledge your willingness to let go of your own agenda and listen to the Spirit of God speaking through the text.
Lectio — Read the verses very slowly, prayerfully, and unhurriedly, either silently or aloud. Read the verses at least twice, but even up to four or more times. Be still and quiet again, allowing yourself to experience the text.
Meditatio — savor the words. Meditate on them. Is there an invitation that God is extending to you through this text? Notice what word, phrase or idea lights up for you. Allow it to become primary for you, staying with it and reflecting on the importance of the word for you, pondering the word in your heart (Luke 2:51).
Oratio — respond, pray. Dialogue with God about the word, phrase or idea. Tell God what is on your heart in response to these words: feelings of comfort, conflict or conviction. Become aware of where you feel invited into a deeper way of being with God through this word, phrase, or idea and respond in thanksgiving, petition, intercession, or even silence, you can write or draw your prayer response.
Contemplatio — contemplate, rest, and wait in the presence of God. While the movement of Oratio was about actively responding to God, Contemplatio is about becoming inactive and simply dwelling with God as his beloved. Allow some time for the word to sink deep into your soul, surrendering yourself to the loving presence of God speaking to you.
Some of the God-given fruit you will experience from engaging in the spiritual practice of Lectio Divina include:
— keeping company with Jesus even if we feel like “I don’t get anything out of it”
— dwelling with a text until it begins to live in you and master you
— respond to God’s word in your heart and spirit, not just with your intellect
— letting Scripture be your guide as you dialogue with God in prayer
As a community we are engaging in the Lectio Divina journal together in 2020. For many of us we will practice Lectio Divina individually, but it is exciting to think that even though we engage in the Scriptures in the privacy of our own homes we are actually engaging them together as a community. God is speaking to each one of us about the same text every day, imagine how God might form us communally through the daily rhythm of this journal! This kind of practice will be enhanced when we participate with others in community, so I encourage you to find one or two other people who you enjoy spending time with and meet together with them a couple of times a month to share how God is speaking to you through the Lectio Divina. Community life will deepen through this shared practice, and I have no doubt it will deepen your experience of God as well.
So I invite you to join me in introducing the Lectio Divina —spiritual reading— into the flow of your days and weeks as you seek to attune your spirit to the presence of God living and moving in you. May you discover more of God’s love and delight for you as you abide in Christ and He in you.
In Him,
Rose
Additional Resources:
Sacred Reading: The Ancient Art of Lectio Divina by Michael Casey