Hello,
This is Dr.
Shaniqua,
And today I'm going to lead us through a practice of Lectio Divina.
Lectio Divina is a Christian contemplative practice in which we read,
Or in this case,
Listen to,
A short passage of scripture reflecting upon its meaning and its impact upon us.
I like to think of Lectio Divina as a form of meditation in which the anchor is a passage from the Bible.
You can do this practice seated in a chair or on a meditation cushion.
You can close your eyes or keep them open,
Whatever is helpful to you,
And it may be helpful to have a journal nearby.
I am going to guide us through the four phases of Lectio Divina using Luke 10,
25 through 27 as our text,
And I'll be reading from the Common English Bible.
Before we begin,
Let me describe the four phases.
The first phase is Lectio.
We read the passage through twice,
Savoring each word and making a mental note of any words or images that catch our attention.
In the second phase,
Meditatio,
We read the passage again and then silently reflect on what God may be saying to us through the passage.
In the third phase,
Oratio,
We reread the passage,
Listening for what it is calling us to do or how it is calling us to be,
And we respond to this verbally,
Perhaps through journaling or prayer.
And then finally,
In the fourth phase,
Contemplatio,
We read the passage again and then sit in silent contemplation for several minutes.
I'll begin each phase by giving the instructions for that phase and reading the text,
And then there'll be silence after each reading.
And when we have moved through all four phases,
You will hear the bell ring,
Indicating the end of this practice.
So take a few seconds to settle into your posture.
And we will begin.
For this first reading,
I will read the text through twice.
Allow the words to penetrate your being and notice whether there is a word or phrase that catches your attention.
A legal expert stood up to test Jesus.
Teacher,
He said,
What must I do to gain eternal life?
Jesus replied,
What is written in the law?
How do you interpret it?
He responded,
You must love the Lord your God with all your heart,
With all your being,
With all your strength,
And with all your mind and love your neighbor as yourself.
A legal expert stood up to test Jesus.
Teacher,
He said,
What must I do to gain eternal life?
Jesus replied,
What is written in the law?
How do you interpret it?
He responded,
You must love the Lord your God with all your heart,
With all your being,
With all your strength,
And with all your mind,
And love your neighbor as yourself.
What word stands out to you in this reading?
Repeat it to yourself a few times,
Perhaps to the rhythm of your breath.
Now hear the text again.
This time noticing what God may be saying to you through this passage.
A legal expert stood up to test Jesus.
Teacher,
He said,
What must I do to gain eternal life?
Jesus replied,
What is written in the law?
How do you interpret it?
He responded,
You must love the Lord your God with all your heart,
With all your being,
With all your strength,
And with all your mind,
And love your neighbor as yourself.
Take a few moments to reflect on what you hear God saying to you in this passage.
How do you experience the divine?
Now hear the text again.
This time paying attention to what it is calling you to do,
Or who it is calling you to be.
A legal expert stood up to test Jesus.
Teacher,
He said,
What must I do to gain eternal life?
Jesus replied,
What is written in the law?
How do you interpret it?
He responded,
You must love the Lord your God with all your heart,
With all your being,
With all your strength,
And with all your mind,
And love your neighbor as yourself.
Take a couple of minutes now to journal or pray about how you have experienced God in this passage.
Now hear the text once more.
And afterward,
We will sit in silent contemplation for a few minutes.
A legal expert stood up to test Jesus.
Teacher,
He said,
What must I do to gain eternal life?
Jesus replied,
What is written in the law?
How do you interpret it?
He responded,
You must love the Lord your God with all your heart,
With all your being,
With all your strength,
And with all your mind,
And love your neighbor as yourself.
Thank you for practicing with me today.
