Lectio Divina
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Lectio Divina: Mysticism of the Text
Lectio Divina: Mysticism of the Text One of the most ancient of spiritual practices is the focused recitation or reading of sacred texts. In the monastic traditions of Christianity, lectio divina (Latin, divine reading) is a method of mindfulness in which God is encountered through the words of Scripture. Composed of four spiritual stages or processes—lectio, meditatio, oratio, and contemplatio—the themes of reading, meditating, praying, and contemplating share a commonality with spiritual exercises found in many of the world’s religions. When words are read slowly and sacramentally, when they are allowed to come inside body and soul, they become food nourishing the spirit. In a Christian context, lectio divina is an ancient discipline of contemplation. Probably first practiced by the desert monks, sacred reading becomes ritualized in St. Benedict’s rule for religious. Originally a way of descending to the level of the heart to find God, lectio divina fosters an attentive listening that is its own form of prayer. One begins by approaching Scripture with reverence, realizing the divine Word in and through words of the text. Christians call upon the Holy Spirit to help them hear what God is saying to them in the practice of reverential reading. With one word or phrase, they listen for the divine speaking through the text for a period of time—ten minutes, a half hour. At the end of the time, a word or phrase is chosen that has spoken to the reader, and it is carried in one’s heart through the day. The period is completed with a closing prayer of thanksgiving, reverence, or awe. -
LECTIO DIVINA Contemplation
As you are meditating, be attentive to what is going on inside your heart and mind. The Holy Spirit will move you interiorly, prompting you to a loving dialogue, to adoration, praise, silent awe, contrition, thanksgiving, petition or intercession. Respond to these promptings as they advance and change. Speak to the Lord honestly and confidently from the heart. If the movement of prayer ends, return to meditation. Prayer moves toward simplicity and on into LECTIO DIVINA contemplation. 4. Contemplation (Lt. contemplatio ) – God may choose to grant the gift of A METHOD OF PERSONAL PRAYER infused prayer where the Holy Spirit prays in your spirit. In contemplation, “God slakes the thirst of your soul and feeds its hunger” (Guigo II the Carthusian, The Ladder of Monks). It is pure gift – not something we can produce by our own efforts. Moments of contemplation can be fleeting or prolonged, subtle or pronounced. They can go and come again, mingling with the flow of words, meditations, and prayers. “Seek in reading One may experience a state of inner harmony “where carnal motions are quieted and the flesh is not at odds with the spirit. The light of God’s presence shines and you will find in meditation . through the soul experientially .” (Lectio Divina , p. 22). This may also be Knock in prayer experienced as an ache of the heart, a deep longing for God, or the soul going out to meet the Lord. Contemplation is a transcendent experience of deep and it will be opened to you in contemplation. ” communion with the Lord, of being loved by God and loving Him in return. -
Lectio Divina
CATECHIST RESOURCE Lectio Divina Lectio Divina Scripture is better than a larger one. A few verses are better than an entire chapter to Lectio Divina, which means “divine reading,” is allow for this kind of reading, and the Scripture an ancient form of praying with Scripture that should be read multiple times. It may be is still practiced by many today. It originated helpful to read out loud, or, if possible, to have with the Desert Fathers of the fourth and fifth someone read to you. It is easier to listen while centuries. The Desert Fathers were some of actually listening. In the lectio step, we should the first monks, Christians who moved into the strive to hear the words of Scripture as if God is wilderness to devote themselves to a simple speaking directly to us — because He is! way of life of work and prayer. Lectio Divina is a slow, thoughtful encounter with the Word of God. One who practices Lectio Divina listens to Meditatio the Word of God spoken in Scripture, considers Meditatio translates as “meditation.” In this how God’s Word applies to his life, responds to second step of Lectio Divina, we are called to God in prayer, and then rests in silence in God’s imitate our Blessed Mother, Mary, who, after presence and allows Him to speak to his heart. the shepherds visited her and her newborn Although simple to do, Lectio Divina can lead to Son, Jesus, “kept all these things, reflecting a rich and moving encounter with God. on them in her heart” (Luke 2:19). -
John 8:12-25 “Jesus: the Light of the World (Part 1)”
John 8:12-25 “Jesus: The Light of the World (Part 1)” Scripture: John 8:12-25 Memory Verse: John 8:12b “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” Lesson Focus: Jesus makes two remarkable statements about Himself at the beginning (Light of the world) and end of this section of Scripture (I AM). We will focus mostly on those two statements, see how they are connected, and challenge the kids to know and believe in not just any Jesus, but the actual Jesus revealed in the Scriptures. Activities and Crafts: Coloring Picture of Guess Who, Word Search of different terms from lesson, Bring It Home Discussion for 3rd – 5th. Craft for 1st & 2nd: Light of the World Craft Starter Activity: Board Games All of the kids have played board games before. To get the lesson started ask the kids what their favorite board games are and why they like them. Consider sharing with them what some of your favorite board games were as a kid or are today if you still like them! Teachers: Consider bringing some of your games from home or pulling out some of the games from the classroom just to enhance the discussion. We will then shift the discussion to the “Guess Who” game which leads us into our study. Q: How many of you have ever played the game “Guess Who” before? Describe to me how that game works. * You win if you are the first to correctly identify the other character! The reason we are talking about this game is because in the last several chapters of John, we have seen the Jewish people, especially the Pharisees (the religious leaders of the day), playing a game with Jesus. -
John 8:12-20 May 2, 2021
IMMANUEL BAPTIST CHURCH SERIES: JOHN (GOSPEL OF TRUTH) LESSON: ON HAVING THE LIGHT OF LIFE JOHN 8:12-20 MAY 2, 2021 MAIN POINT Jesus Christ is the light of the world. Whoever follows Him will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life. JOHN CONTEXT Perhaps it is helpful to point out that we are skipping John 7:53-8:11 in our Sunday school curriculum. In fact, many of your Bible’s might have a footnote or parenthetical mark explaining that John 7:53-8:11 is a disputed passage for its authenticity. We won’t get into the reasons in this section of the lesson, but I have included in the commentary section a brief excerpt from an article by John Piper for reasons why scholars doubt its authenticity. Despite that we are skipping over John 7:53-8:11, John 8:12-20 still fits nicely into the context of the end of John 7. In the chapter, Jesus is in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles or otherwise called, the Feast of Booths. On the final day of the feast, Jesus stood up and declared, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water’” (7:37-38). Jesus’ use of the water analogy is a fitting one because the Feast of Tabernacles celebrated in part the event of Moses striking the rock and water coming forth. Similarly, Jesus in John 8:12 will refer to himself as the light of the world. -
School of Prayer Night 2
School of Prayer Night two Frustrations in Prayer I. Jesus sleeping on the boat "They came and woke him saying, “Master, master, we are perishing!” He awakened, rebuked the wind and the waves, and they subsided and there was a calm. Then he asked them, “Where is your faith?” But they were filled with awe and amazed and said to one another, “Who then is this, who commands even the winds and the sea, and they obey him?”" Luke 8: 24-25 II. Why we struggle "Jesus’ example of fidelity to prayer challenges us to examine the time and effort we devote to our own prayer. While prayer is a gift of God, it is also an art learned through constant practice. Jesus teaches us to pray constantly, but also to bear witness before others of the beauty of prayer, self-surrender and complete openness to God." -Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI “Let nothing disturb you, nothing dismay you. All things are passing, God never changes. Patient endurance attains all things….God alone suffices.” St. Teresa of Avila III. Consolation and Desolation "Spiritual consolation is an experience of being so on fire with God’s love that we feel impelled to praise, love, and serve God and help others as best as we can. Spiritual consolation encourages and facilitates a deep sense of gratitude for God’s faithfulness, mercy, and companionship in our life. In consolation, we feel more alive and connected to others. Spiritual desolation, in contrast, is an experience of the soul in heavy darkness or turmoil. We are assaulted by all sorts of doubts, bombarded by temptations, and mired in self-preoccupations. -
December 2016
ANGLICAN JOURNAL Since 1875 vol. 142 no. 10 december 2016 Welby, Francis vow to strive for social justice André Forget STAFF WRITER While decisions by some Anglican churches to ordain women and allow same-sex marriage have been major hindrances to formal unity between IMAGE: THOOM/SHUTTERSTOCK Anglicans and Roman Catholics, a common declaration issued by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Pope Francis October 5 reaffirmed their commitment to ecumenical work. “While…we ourselves do not see solutions to the obstacles before us, we are undeterred,” the declaration says. “We are confident that dialogue and engagement with one another will deepen our understanding and help us to discern the See related story, mind of Christ for his church.” p. 3. See Anglicans, p. 13 ILLUSTRATION: ALIDA MASSARI IMAGE: SASKIA ROWLEY The task force on the theology of money argues that the current Rejoice economic system is an example of “structural sin.” There’s something special about Advent concerts, which draw Christians and non-Christians alike. See story p. 7 ‘A vision of enough’ André Forget Traumatized as a child, Rwandan Anglican STAFF WRITER On October 18, an Anglican Church of works to heal genocide-scarred youth Canada task force released “On the Theol- Tali Folkins about what the next day would bring, had ogy of Money,” a report calling the faithful STAFF WRITER to be reminded by their parents that it was to embrace a “vision of ‘enough’” when it Emmanuel Gatera was only five when time for bed. IMAGE: SKYBOYSV/SHUTTERSTOCK comes to material wealth. trauma of a kind so familiar to his fellow About an hour later, a mob of more Many Christians in the 21st century Rwandans first began to afflict his young than a hundred people had gathered are torn between their faith, which teaches brain. -
Spirit-Filled Mindfulness Through Lectio Divina
Digital Collections @ Dordt Faculty Work Comprehensive List 5-9-2017 Spirit-Filled Mindfulness Through Lectio Divina Shirley Folkerts Dordt College, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcollections.dordt.edu/faculty_work Part of the Christianity Commons Recommended Citation Folkerts, S. (2017). Spirit-Filled Mindfulness Through Lectio Divina. Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.dordt.edu/faculty_work/709 This Blog Post is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Collections @ Dordt. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Work Comprehensive List by an authorized administrator of Digital Collections @ Dordt. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Spirit-Filled Mindfulness Through Lectio Divina Abstract "Lectio divina is a Latin phrase meaning 'divine reading.' It is a historical, meditative, prayerful method of reading Scripture." Posting about one of the spiritual disciplines from In All Things - an online journal for critical reflection on faith, culture, art, and every ordinary-yet-graced square inch of God’s creation. http://inallthings.org/spirit-filled-mindfulness-through-lectio-divina/ Keywords In All Things, lectionary, Holy Spirit, Bible, meditation Disciplines Christianity Comments In All Things is a publication of the Andreas Center for Reformed Scholarship and Service at Dordt College. This blog post is available at Digital Collections @ Dordt: https://digitalcollections.dordt.edu/faculty_work/709 Spirit-Filled Mindfulness Through Lectio Divina inallthings.org/spirit-filled-mindfulness-through-lectio-divina/ May 9, Shirley Folkerts 2017 “What’s that Bible-reading thing with the weird name?” “Lectio divina?” I reply. “Yes, that’s it!” The name, like the practice, stands out as something different than “normal” Bible-reading. -
Lectio Divina: a Beginner's Guide
Lectio Divina: A Beginner’s Guide BY ELIZABETH MANNEH Lectio Divina (literally divine reading) is a way of becoming immersed in the scriptures very personally. It draws on the way Jews read the Haggadah, a text read during Passover that retells the Exodus story. Haggadah means “telling” and along with being a physical text, the word captures the practice of telling and retelling a story. The Christian form of Lectio Divina was first introduced by St. Gregory of Nyssa (c 330- 395), and also encouraged by St. Benedict of Nursia (c 480-547), the founder of the Benedictine order. It’s a way of developing a closer relationship with God by reflecting prayerfully on His words. In Lectio Divina, the chosen spiritual text is read four times in total, giving an opportunity to think deeply about it and respond thoughtfully. When we practice Lectio Divina, we can imagine we’re actually involved in the events of scripture — for example, hearing God’s words to the Israelites in the desert. It’s an intensely personal experience. Fr. Keating describes the four stages of Lectio Divina as compass points around a circle, with the Holy Spirit moving seamlessly between them. As a beginner, I’ve found it helpful to follow the stages in order. Like learning an instrument, once I’ve learned the basics, I’ll be able to improvise! Here’s how to get started: Prepare I’d suggest 30 minutes to read, reflect, and respond to the Holy Spirit’s promptings in Lectio Divina. To tune in, I like to light a candle, not because it’s necessary, but because the flame and fragrance serve as gentle reminders when collecting my thoughts and calming my mind. -
The Light of the World
I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD DATE WEEK OVERVIEW KEY VERSE August 22 & 23 2 of 7 John 8:12-30 John 8:12 To appreciate the words of Jesus in chapter 8, we must understand the context. In chapter 7 the Jewish people were celebrating one of their week-long feasts, the Feast of Tabernacles. One of the most jubilant feasts, it is filled with both celebration and remembrance, honoring God’s provision and protection for the people of Israel during their 40 years wandering in the wilderness. For seven days of the feast, people live in temporary tent structures as they did in the wilderness during the time of Moses. The Lord Himself was present with the Israelites in the desert, in a tented temple called the Tabernacle. The feast also celebrates His presence as He tabernacles (dwells) with us. 1 The Feast of Tabernacles takes place during the early fall in the harvest season. Harvest was another cause for celebration; honoring the Lord’s provisions through their crops. Though this was a celebratory time for the people, it was a challenging time for Jesus. It was during this festival that the opposition began to grow and intensify towards Him and His ministry. However, this did not distract Jesus from His message. He used several observed rituals as teachable moments to talk about “living water” in chapter 7 and “light” in chapter 8. Continued on page 15 > SETTING THE STAGE LESSON OUTLINE THINGS TO KNOW 1. I Am • The Feast of Tabernacles was also known as the 2. -
The Church Impotent, by Leon J Podles, 6
6 The Foundations of Feminization EN AND WOMEN, as far as we can tell, participated equally in Christianity until about the thirteenth century. If anything, men were more prominent in the Church not Monly in clerical positions, which were restricted to men, but in religious life, which was open to both men and women. Only around the time of Bernard, Dominic, and Francis did gender differences emerge, and these differences can be seen both in demographics and in the quality of spirituality. Because these changes occurred rapidly and only in the Latin church, innate or quasi- innate differences between the sexes cannot by themselves account for the increase in women’s interest in Christian- ity or the decrease in men’s interest. In fact, the medieval feminization of Christianity followed on three movements in the Church which had just begun at the time: the preaching of a new affective spirituality and bridal mysticism by Bernard of Clairvaux;1 a Frauenbewegung, a kind of women’s movement; and Scholasticism, a school of theology. This concurrence of trends caused the Western church to become a difficult place for men. Bernard of Clairvaux and Bridal Mysticism Like the light pouring through the great windows of Chartres, the 02 The Foundations of Feminization 03 brilliance of the High Middle Ages is colored by the personality of Bernard of Clairvaux. Like many great men, Bernard contained multitudes. As a monastic who united prayer and theology, he looked back to the patristic era, especially to Augustine. A monk who renounced the world, he set in motion the Crusades, whose effects are still felt in the geopolitics of Europe and the Middle East. -
The Book of Alternative Services of the Anglican Church of Canada with the Revised Common Lectionary
Alternative Services The Book of Alternative Services of the Anglican Church of Canada with the Revised Common Lectionary Anglican Book Centre Toronto, Canada Copyright © 1985 by the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada ABC Publishing, Anglican Book Centre General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada 80 Hayden Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4Y 3G2 [email protected] www.abcpublishing.com All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher. Acknowledgements and copyrights appear on pages 925-928, which constitute a continuation of the copyright page. In the Proper of the Church Year (p. 262ff) the citations from the Revised Common Lectionary (Consultation on Common Texts, 1992) replace those from the Common Lectionary (1983). Fifteenth Printing with Revisions. Manufactured in Canada. Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data Anglican Church of Canada. The book of alternative services of the Anglican Church of Canada. Authorized by the Thirtieth Session of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada, 1983. Prepared by the Doctrine and Worship Committee of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada. ISBN 978-0-919891-27-2 1. Anglican Church of Canada - Liturgy - Texts. I. Anglican Church of Canada. General Synod. II. Anglican Church of Canada. Doctrine and Worship Committee. III. Title. BX5616. A5 1985