Over at New Hope, we’re taking all of Passion Week off from our iLife series. To keep the momentum going here at Consuming Worship.
lectio divina is an ancient practice that has been used by the saints over the ages to help gain illumination through reading and studying Scripture. It literally means “spiritual reading.” This practice is kind of a mix of three of the four inward disciplines we’ve looked at so far (prayer, meditation, study). More than a “quiet time” but less than the more intensive Bible study we talked about last week here and here.
There are four basic parts to lectio divina: reading, thinking, praying, living
- READ: More than just surface reading of Scripture. Full immersion of oneself into the text is called for here. The way Eugene Peterson put it (I’m paraphrasing here), is that you will discover a book that reads you even as you read it.
- THINK: This falls somewhere between meditation and study. More than just letting your mind wander over a few verses or chapters and then trying to figure our what it means. Thinking in the lectio manner is much like savoring a good meal, you go slow and really get all you can.
- PRAY: Again, not just your general, run-of-the-mill prayer. Here, you acknowledge what God is saying to you. Have a conversational prayer with the Lord about what He’s just said to you in His Word.
- LIVE: Let the Word you have read begin to shape life. This is part of what it means to strive to be like Christ. Christ was the “Word made flesh,” and so letting the Word change us makes us more like Him.
When I use the lectio method, I like to study a particular passage of Scripture in multiple translations. I especially like to look at the Scripture in an old version, the King James, partly because that’s what I grew up on, but also so I get the language perspective of the past. I contrast this by choosing a very modern translation, such as the NLT (preferred) or the NIV (though I’m not really a big fan).
In addition, I also like to choose a very literal translation, such as NASB or ESV and contrast the passage with a paraphrase such as The Message.
As with my posting on Bible study last week, Bible Gateway’s “passage lookup” feature (with the ability to look up multiple versions at once) is great for the lectio method.
As a for instance, start in the lectio method with Psalm 100. Read it in multiple versions, either all at once, or in multiple sittings over time. As you read, take your time and really strive to place yourself “in” the text. Take pointed time to think about the text and it’s implications. Here are some starter questions you might ask yourself?
- What does this Psalm say about God Himself?
- What does this Psalm say about me?
- What does this Psalm say about our relationship with one another (you and God)?
- What other Scriptures come to mind as I read this Psalm?
- What part of this Psalm makes me want to “stop and stay awhile?”
- Are there any new perspectives I’ve gained as a result of meditating on this Psalm?
- What would be the focus of my prayer in relation to this Psalm?
- How can I let this Psalm shape my life as I continue on from here?
There’s no rule saying you have to do all these readings in one sitting, nor your thinking/meditation all at one time. The same is true for your prayer time in reflection to the Scripture. (Notice the word reflection contains the word lectio.) You will likely choose to pray at onset and ending of each sitting, and numerous times throughout your day as the Lord brings thoughts to mind.
The important part to all this is the LIVE part. If all we’ve done at the end of using this method is to have gained more knowledge, then we’ve pretty much wasted our time. If the Word does not engrave itself on your heart and mind in such a way that it is impossible to not change, then our “spiritual reading” has been incomplete and ineffective.
For more on lectio divina, let me suggest the following:
A great article on using lectio divina in a small group setting by Adele Calhoun, author of The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook.
Praise Habit, by David Crowder: A great introduction to the lectio divina by the band man himself. Grab this one not only for insight, but also for quirky goodness.
Lectio Divina, by M. Basil Pennington.
Sacred Reading: The Ancient Art of Lectio Divina, by Michael Casey.
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