Welcome to a session of Lectio Divina.
Lectio Divina is a Latin term that means divine reading.
Churches,
Colleges and other institutions still use the term lectern for readings of various sorts.
It's widely used as a place to stand and rest books and texts for the speaker.
Lectio Divina arose from an ancient Jewish tradition and was used in the early Christian church as a way of engaging more deeply with God,
Using the Bible as a living word.
Though it was organic and a self-regulated process,
It later became formularised into four steps around the 11th century.
The steps are reading scripture,
Meditating upon it,
Praying about it and then opening the heart and mind to contemplate it.
This form of quiet prayer is more directed at God within us rather than God outside of us.
Quieting the rational brain can awaken perceptive faculties and the right-hand side of the brain.
It is this that can allow intuitive knowledge and deep understandings and insight and sometimes revelations to flow from the Holy Spirit.
It was concern of a real kind that these two forms of prayer were dropped by some of the churches,
Fearing that such openness towards unity with God may attract other things.
The two forms that were dropped were the meditation and the contemplative aspects of Lectio.
Preparation,
Dedication,
A solid value system and prayer are good precursors to Lectio Divina practice together with the mental attitude to stay within communication with God throughout.
Today I'm going to take you through the four steps of meditation,
Meditatio,
Oratio,
Talking to God,
Contemplatio,
Opening to him.
I will pause for a few minutes after each step but remembering that this is a dynamic process,
Can I suggest you use the pause button on your device in between each step so that you can take the time you need before rejoining the guidance.
So let's settle in and get comfortable,
Taking a moment to have a few deep relaxing breaths,
Letting all the talk you've just heard drift away and bring your focus just to the words of Jeremiah 29,
11-13.
I will repeat the reading twice and then we'll have our first pause.
During the reading,
Just listen for a word or phrase that attracts you,
Allowing yourself to be caught as the reading flows past.
For I know the plans I have for you,
Declares the Lord,
Plans to prosper you and not harm you,
Plans to give you hope and a future.
Then you will call on me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
For I know the plans I have for you,
Declares the Lord,
Plans to prosper you and not harm you,
Plans to give you hope and a future.
Then you will call on me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
In this step we meditate on the phrase or word,
Words that caught you.
Keep repeating them.
Don't worry if you get distracted by thinking,
It's what your mind does.
Just let the thoughts go and repeat again and again the word or words that attracted you and ponder them carefully.
Step 3.
Now's the time to speak,
To pray to God about it.
Pray from your heart.
Ask,
Why this word,
Why this phrase?
Is there something that you need to consider or let go of?
Pray for the grace of the Holy Spirit and for insight and understanding.
Step 4.
And now simply be quiet.
Quieten the mind,
Quieten the body.
Let go the inquiry,
Let go the questions,
Let go the prayer.
Let your mind and your heart open to God.
Let his love and his presence surround you,
Be with you.
And as we come to a close,
A prayer of thanks perhaps.
Stretching and moving the body,
Preparing to carry on with the rest of our business at this time.
Thank you for sharing it with me.
