Praying the Scriptures
LECTIO DIVINA
Presentation Notes
The Third of Three Presentations on Prayer
Holy Love Lutheran Church, February 2003
Presented at Holy Love Lutheran Church Adult
Forum on 2-16-2003
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Praying the Scriptures
Presentation Notes |
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"As the deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you,
O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God." Psalm 42:1-2 Many of us experience a deep thirst for a meaningful spiritual life. We find ourselves moved by this ordinary, yet extraordinary image of Psalm 42:1-2. I believe a part of what it means to be created in the image of God is that there is a part of us that longs for God and for God only. We can try to plug other things into that special and holy place, things like status, power, achievement, material things, sex, drugs and alcohol, self-reliance, thrill, etc., but they do not really fill up that place and satisfy in a way that brings peace and purpose. So, we can sort of wander aimlessly through life, or plow through life as the case may be, and we feel parched and dry. We long for an affirming relationship with God that can make a substantial difference in everyday life. So we look and long to deepen our spiritual life. There are many approaches and aspects to doing that: worship, Bible study, learning, service to others; all of which are critical to the Christian Life and experience, but even so we still may feel something is missing or lacking. What I desire to share with you today is another way (aspect) to deepen your
spiritual life. It is a way to combine prayer, reflection and scripture. It can
be done by yourself in the quiet of your own home or office. Or it can be done
in a group setting with some loving and trusted brothers and sisters in Christ.
Most of the time when we read the Bible we think of it as a process of study, and it is. We have Bible Study groups that meet here at church who very methodically and thoroughly study, analyze and discuss scripture usually one section, book or letter at a time. Some of you have been involved in these Bible studies. What I want to suggest to you to day is simply another way, another approach,
another method of engaging the scriptures that, as I said, combines prayer,
scripture and reflection. The first kind of study that I just described we might
call just that, a process of study. It is left-brained primarily and it engages
reason, logic, rational thought and judgment. It's the way that most of us
approach Bible study and it is a very sound way of so doing. But it is not the only way to approach the scriptures. The way I will describe for you today we might call a "devotional" way of approaching the Bible. Another name I give it is "Biblical Musing." This approach became a reality for me back in the early 90's when I was going through a severe desert time in my own life. I was senior pastor of a 2000+ congregation. As simply as I can put it I worked and spent myself empty. I was so compelled and obsessed to meet all the needs of all the people all the time that I didn't take time to spiritually nourish and refresh myself. I woke up on a Saturday morning in March of 1992 and the terrifying awareness hit me right between the eyes that I was spiritually empty and emotionally spent. It frightened me that I had nothing left to give to anyone. It felt like if I could have looked inside of my life all I would have seen would have been a black hole, the gravity of which was so strong that I was quickly being consumed by it. I resigned from my post as senior pastor and took the next 6 months to unravel the mystery and puzzle of my life, get in touch with my own pain and seek healing and renewal. It was in that context of counseling and recovery that I discovered this discipline we might call: praying the scriptures, Biblical musing, the devotional process or whatever else you may come up with. Among other things this approach contributed a great deal to my healing and renewal and continues to do so to this day. After I got into it I discovered that what I was doing was really an ancient practice of the church monastics and our contemplative mentors. They had already been doing it for hundreds of years. The word they use to describe it is a bit of a tongue twister called, Lectio Divina. This is a Latin phrase which literally translates, "divine reading." There is room for a great deal of variation in the "Lectio" as it is commonly referred to. If you remember two weeks ago when I talked about the four building blocks of prayer, two of them were 1) praying the scripture; and that prayer takes unique shape in each person. Lectio respects and includes both of those building blocks. I have discovered that conventional Bible study as a process of study,
applying reason, logic and analysis is critical and should be done alongside
Lectio. For me it is not a matter of one and not the other; it is a matter
of both running parallel to one another; augmenting one another; complimenting
one another. I believe they augment and compliment one another, and in the
endeavor of doing both engage one's whole being: left brain, right brain and
whatever other parts of us there are. 1) that God chooses to engage us his children because of God's unconditional love. 2) that God speaks a good word in the process, a word of life to the one who receives it in faith. 3) that God can be encountered in and through the scriptures, the sacred texts. 4) that Lectio is prayer that involves listening, reason, discursive thought and emotion. 5) that Lectio has both an active mode as well as a receptive mode. 6) Lectio connects the living God with your life, where you are right now. There is both a group approach to Lectio as well as an individual approach to Lectio. What I will focus on today is the individual approach that I use, with some comments about the group use of Lectio. Lectio Divina Has Four Stages. (A pencil or pen and paper and journal book is preferable) John 1:35-39 - "The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, 'Look, here is the Lamb of God.' The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, 'What are you looking for?' They said to him. 'Rabbi' (which means "teacher"), 'where are you staying?' He said to them, 'Come and See.'" STAGE 1 Step A) Get comfortable and seek a quiet place away from distractions. A comfortable chair often works. You might want to play some soft background music. I find, for me, that music often enhances the experience as music does stimulate my right brain especially. You may not choose to do that, but try it. Don't assume anything! This is important. By not assuming anything you make yourself open to the possibilities of God. Step B) Place your Bible before you open to the passage you are about to encounter. (More on passages later) Read the passage out loud, slowly and deliberately getting a feel for the overall passage; use this reading to get oriented to the passage as a whole. Be open to any thoughts that come to mind about the passage. Be Open! Nothing is dumb or stupid. Be Open! Step C) Read the passage out loud again, only this time even slower! This is important! This time listen attentively for a word or phrase that especially draws you or appeals to you at this moment. Don't try to figure out why it appeals to you, just pay attention to a word or phrase that appeals to you. Don't try to explain it, defend it or figure out why that word or phrase appealed to you. The key here is to simply receive the word or phrase. When you have your key word or phrase, quietly repeat it over and over again maybe 6 or 8 times in the next minute. Individual - write your word or phrase in your journal Group - Say your word or phrase out loud at the cue of the leader. Please no responses from others. In group setting it is important to create an atmosphere of total acceptance
- no judgments. Example: "Teacher" "Come and See" "What are you looking for?" Just accept it! STAGE 2 Step A) Read the passage again, out loud, very slowly, only this time ask yourself a question, "How is my life touched today?" Responses could take a couple of forms. 1) The first might be our normal left brain way of thinking, "In what way does this passage, key word or phrase interact with the specific matters of my life right now?" Again something may pop up for you, but don't try to defend it, or understand it or analyze it, right now. If something comes then simply accept it. Invite it in; extend it some hospitality. Example: Frank - What are you looking for? "The phrase "What are you looking for?" hit me right between the eyes. I'm in a situation right now that I may be offered a job promotion that means more money and greater security and comfort for my family, but it also will mean I have to travel and be absent form them half of the time." 2) An image may come into your mind, a memory, a smell, a sound! Again, don't try to explain it but accept it and invite it to stay. Example: Anne -Come and See "I see.... A dusty road, very hot and dry, and far in the distance a figure whom somehow I am following." You might answer the original question, "How is my life touched today?" By starting with something like; "I see... I hear... I sense..." It could be anything! It's important to be open to whatever comes. Individual - write down whatever came to your mind Group - share with te group whatever came to mind. No responses please! STAGE 3 Step A) Read the passage again very slowly, only this time consider this question, "Is this passage inviting me to do or be something in the next few days? Is there encouragement or an invitation here? What is this passage calling me to do or be right now?" Individual - write down what you hear or sense and what your thought process was in the process. Group - share with one another Examples: Frank - "I don't have the answer, but I know I'm being encouraged
to discuss this with my family and let them in on the decision. I know that's
risky, but I feel it is what I must do." Anne - "Right now God seems so far away and almost absent in my life. It's hard to follow him because I can barely see him if at all. It's a hot, tiring endeavor to follow and I'm tired." Jim - 'I'm really not sure, other than I have to deal with this and find resolution." STAGE 4 Step A) Pray to God about your encounter of the last few minutes. Use your own words and pray your thoughts and feelings honestly! Remember God loves you unconditionally so give it up to God. In other words pray yourself and do it out loud. Group setting: pray for the person on your right. Read the passage one more time, out loud and then continue on with your day. Individual: If time allows write a summery or short prayer in you journal. You have just prayed the scriptures using an ancient discipline of our Christian ancestors, Lectio Divina. Suggested Scriptures Gospel Texts: Other NT Other OT |