Praying with Scriptures Lectio Divina Sophia Steibel, M. Christopher White School of Divinity - GWU

Christian Meditation The discipline of spending time with God by: – Listening to his word – Practicing his presence – Considering his ways – Obeying his commandments – Realizing “God is” (‘ehyeh ‘asher ‘ehyeh;Yahweh— Ex.3:13-15)

Meditation and the Bible A very present presence throughout scriptures Examples: – “Their delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law they meditate day and night” (Ps. 1:2 NRSV) – “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you” (Ps. 19:14) – “Reflect on the statues of the Lord, and meditate at all times on his commandments” (Sir 14:20)

Meditation in Scriptures, Cont. Implicit in God’s intimate ways… “They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze…” (Gen.3:8) Gen. 24:63 – the Hebrew word translated as “walk” could also mean “meditate”

Background in Church History St. Benedict’s Rule chapter #48: monks must engage in regular periods of… – Manual work (Labora) – “prayerful reading” (or “divine reading”) OR “prayerful listening” (Ora) – Lectio Divina should happen often – It should happen daily in the life of the believer and also on Sundays, as the whole community gathers

What is Lectio Divina? It is not a technical biblical study, although it may lead to it (or vice-versa) It is not scanning the text for information It is to approach the biblical text with an attitude of: openness, prayerful expectation, being meditative, or, wanting to hear the text speak with an open heart…

“Spiritual reading…” “…is reflective and prayerful. It is concerned not with speed or volume but with depth and receptivity.” (Marjorie Thompson)

The pioneer for the method of Lectio Divina 12 th c. Carthusian monk, Guigo II His argument: one must read or listen slowly (lectio); one thinks about what is being read or heard(meditatio); this process becomes a prayer (oratio); finally, the prayer becomes the gift of enjoying the presence of God (contemplatio).

Steps not set in stone! “Reading without meditation is sterile; meditation without reading is liable to error; prayer without meditation is lukewarm, meditation without prayer is unfruitful, prayer when it is fervent wins contemplation…” Guigo II, The Ladder of Monks and Twelve Meditations (Kalamazoo: Cistercial Publications, 1978), 82, in Christian Spirituality: Themes from the Tradition, by Lawrence S. Cunningham and Keith J. Egan (New York: Paulist Press, 1996), 38.

Purpose To promote a biblically based spirituality To establish a link between a life of service with a deep encounter with the scriptures “If I miss one day, I notice it; if I miss two days, my supervisor notices it; if I miss three days, everybody else…” Brother Edward, Belmont Abbey

Contemporary applications Carlo Martini (Jesuit biblical scholar) – By prayerfully reading scriptures one should have a sense of hope and courage (“consolatio”) – These lead to life choices (“discretio”) – Choices motivate the will (“deliberatio”) – The will carries one to activity (“actio”)

Contemporary applications, Cont. M. Robert Mulholland – One should read the text until it is “fleshed out” in one’s being in the world (or as William H. Shannon indicates, until it is “action”) – “incarnatio” or “actio”

A summary by Cunningham and Egan “…the act of prayerful reading of the word of God has a certain parallel to our participation in the liturgy. It is a privileged and special moment to enter into communion with God by being nourished by his presence, but that moment of nourishment is not the end of the Christian life. Just as we leave the liturgical assembly, so also we must, of necessity, break off from our reading in order to go about the rounds of daily life, living what we have read.” (Christian Spirituality, 39-40)

Before Practicing (Suggestions by M. Thompson) Decide on how long you will work, a place, and a text 30 minutes minimum (better if a whole hour) “Give God the best time of your day, not the dregs” (Thompson, p. 25) Place: inviting to solitude (no interruption) “…be fully available to God” (Thompson, p.25) *Text selection: “lectionary;” whole books; a specific passage (from 5 to 10 verses)

Consider your heart You are not alone (God’s presence) Gratitude “Begging bowl” not “demanding anything” Submission to guidance and light

Practice (Listening) Share a favorite scripture – Share it four times – Slowly – Pause in between each time At the end of the 4 th time, allow listeners to indicate how the “listening” is touching the heart and leading them to action.

Practice (reading) Micah 6:6-8 [Level 1] Listen for the gentle touch of Christ the Word. Listen to a word or phrase that becomes especially meaningful to you. (Read passage two times) I invite you to repeat in your heart a word or phrase that is especially meaningful to you [Level 2] This time we are to recognize where this reading touches our life today. (Read passage one time only) In your heart, complete the sentence, I hear, I see… [Level 3] Now let’s consider what Christ the Word is calling us to do. (Read passage one time on ly) In your heart, elaborate, “From this reading, I believe that God wants me to…today or this week…”

Practice (writing) (example: Ps. 113) Read a Psalm two times and look for key words. Read again and pay attention to the conversation between the Psalmist and God. Read a fourth time and speak to God as if you were this Psalmist. Write a prayer using the key words and meaning of the Psalm. Make the Psalmist’s words your own.

Sources Cunningham, Lawrence S. and Keith J. Egan. Christian Spirituality: Themes from the Tradition.New York: Paulist Press, Thompson, Marjorie J. Soul Feast: An Invitation to the Christian Spiritual Life. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, (Thompson suggests several resources for spiritual reading.) Foster, Richard J., Ed. The Life With God Bible. New York: Harper Bible, 2005.