LECTIO DIVINA Simply put is "reading the Bible". It is a prayerful meditation on the text of the Bible and other writings that embody the faith of the Church. The term Lectio Divina originally referred to the reading of the scriptures during the liturgy. As literacy and the availability of books increased, the context of this reading became less communal and more personal. In learning to read the Bible, we find out there are different ways to read it, according to the purpose. We might read it for knowledge, and in so doing we’ll take an analytical approach. If we are doing devotional reading, we will look for it to inform us, and we’ll want to apply what we learn. Bishop Kallistos Ware points out that the Bible is one entire story, with one main theme: the history and redemption of God’s people. He instructs us how to approach that story. He tells us to remember four points as we take up Scripture in the time-honored Orthodox way: We should read it 1- obediently; 2- ecclesially; 3- Christologically; and 4- personally. To elaborate on each point: (1)We read and are ready to obey. “Since God Himself is speaking to us in the Bible, our response is rightly one of obedience, of receptivity, and listening. As we read, we wait on the Spirit.” And, if passages become stale to our ears, we need to clear out our minds and listen anew for a fresh perspective. (2)Read it with the help of the church. The Church helps us understand Scripture, as we have millennial of scholarship and faithful ones to inform us. Think patristically and remember to read the New Testament in light of the Old and the Old with the New in mind. (3)Read it looking for the Savior. The entire Bible is about Christ, from Genesis to Revelation. Look for the different ways Christ is foreshadowed or evident. It is one story, revealed as an acorn in Genesis, progressively growing into an oak tree in Revelation. (Geerhardus Vos) (4)Read it for yourself personally. “We are to ask not just ‘What does it mean?’ but ‘What does it mean to me?’ Scripture is a personal dialogue between the Savior and myself - Christ speaking to me, and me answering.” Ware explains that God has a dialogue with each person in the Bible, and it is an individual treatment of various categories of the human condition. Nothing is new under the sun; these experiences also relate to us. Thus, God can connect with us in a very personal way too through his word. And Bishop Ware reminds that God is infinite and his word is living. We cannot reach the bottom of the depths of the riches of Scripture. “Yet always we shall feel that in our Biblical exploration we are only at the very beginning. We are like someone launching out in a tiny boat across a limitless ocean.” When we use the Lectio Divina method we are seeking something else from God’s Word: we are meditating and digesting Scripture, and desiring it to enter our bloodstream and transform us. Bishop Ware’s instructions are overarching principles and can be readily applied as we practice lectio divina. This includes lectio, meditation, oratio and contemplation and serves the purpose of allowing Scripture to speak to us directly as we chew on it meditatively. We may read it out loud to involve our auditory senses. We must be honest in acknowledging who we are, who we have become, and be willing to trust Christ to make us more like him. As Christopher Hall says on page 148: “As you learn to trust me [Christ], you must learn to distrust yourself.” Jesus Christ wants to give us himself as we give ourselves up. Hall reminds us that we are not leaving analysis behind; we are still aware of exegetical analysis and historical and cultural considerations of the text. But now we go a step further to be fed spiritually. “We have set the table and prepared the meal. In meditation we enjoy the feast.” (Hall, 152) As Dr. Martha lectures, we learn that this type of Scripture reading is to be a life-long pattern, and is not just for information; it should bring us to our knees. “We will be challenged, comforted and changed” as we sit at the feet of Scripture. “When we pray, it is we who speak with God. When we read Scripture, God speaks with us.” Some interesting ideas about Lectio Divina from the lecture: it’s the foundation of all monastic prayer and of our Anglican tradition we can put aside the analytical / critical / grammatical / historical methods … …as we listen for the voice of God to us in this moment listen as the needy student sitting at the feet of Scripture believe in God’s real presence According to Michael Casey, OCSO as quoted in the beginning, lectio divina is “the prayerful meditation on the text of the Bible and of other writings that embody the faith of the Church.” Each of the four steps does not have to be done each time, nor must they be sequential. The important point is to be changed by the practice; therefore a distraction-free environment is essential. We want to approach this practice with reverence, regularity, and a willingness to be reformed. All of this should bring joy and delight to us, as we make contact with our Lord during our focused time on his word. In lectio Divina, I am reminded that of all the ways God could have brought us salvation, he chose to do it with the WORD. John 1.1 & 14: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” It was language, a word, that took on flesh, became human and our Savior. It is also a word, Christ’s name, that will cause everyone to bow down. Philippians 2.9-11: “Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” The spoken word of God is so powerful. When I hear Scripture read aloud, I often hear new things that I had not noticed even after multiple silent readings. So, as I practice lectio divina alone, and will continue what I do - read out loud several times, even using the different languages I know (Igbo, and English, fair knowledge of Hebrew, Greek and Latin).
Posted on: Sun, 07 Jul 2013 01:34:24 +0000
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