Hello friends and welcome to this Lectio Divina on Psalm 11.
And as we prepare I invite you to come to stillness.
Gently draw your attention to the breath,
The rhythm of air in and out of the lungs.
If you're sitting in a chair,
Connect your feet to the ground.
Feel yourself supported and held.
Know that here is where you need to be right now.
That you can let go of the day so far and of what's to come.
And simply receive the grace to be present in this moment.
Allow your attention to drift down into the body away from the noise,
The to-do lists,
The demands of the head and there to receive and connect with stillness.
Remember that you are seen and loved and known by the Beloved.
That God's love is for you and with you and enveloping you.
Spend a few moments receiving that love and being held within it.
So as we come to Psalm 11,
On this first reading I invite you to welcome the words as a gentle rain falling over you.
Just let them come without attaching to any in particular.
In the Beloved do I make my retreat.
How can you say to me,
Flee like a bird to the mountains?
For lo,
The unloving bend the bow,
Fitting their arrow to the string.
They aim to destroy what is good.
If the foundations of goodness are undermined,
What will remain?
The Beloved dwells in the Holy Temple,
The sacred altar within our hearts,
Loving and testing each one of us.
Divine love offers both the good and the unloving opportunities to grow,
To become whole,
Enduring with love those who choose the way of darkness.
Those who walk in the ego's illusions will live with fear and doubt.
Ignorance will be their guide for our Creator is just,
Gifting us with free will.
Those who walk in the light will behold the Beloved's face in everyone they meet.
On this second reading I invite you to notice any words or phrases that stand out to you.
In the Beloved do I make my retreat.
How can you say to me,
Flee like a bird to the mountains?
For lo,
The unloving bend the bow,
Fitting their arrow to the string.
They aim to destroy what is good.
If the foundations of goodness are undermined,
What will remain?
The Beloved dwells in the Holy Temple,
The sacred altar within our hearts,
Loving and testing each one of us.
Divine love offers both the good and the unloving opportunities to grow,
To become whole,
Enduring with love those who choose the way of darkness.
Those who walk in the ego's illusions will live with fear and doubt.
Ignorance will be their guide for our Creator is just,
Gifting us with free will.
Those who walk in the light will behold the Beloved's face in everyone they meet.
And on this third and final reading I invite you to connect more deeply with the words or phrases that stood out to you.
How are they making you feel?
Are they inviting anything to you?
Are they offering something that you need at this time?
Are they causing a discomfort?
Be aware of what you notice as you welcome those words and phrases to connect more deeply with your heart.
In the Beloved do I make my retreat.
How can you say to me,
Flee like a bird to the mountains?
For lo,
The unloving bends the bow,
Fitting their arrow to the string.
They aim to destroy what is good.
If the foundations of goodness are undermined,
What will remain?
The Beloved dwells in the Holy Temple,
The sacred altar within our hearts,
Loving and testing each one of us.
Divine love offers both the good and the unloving opportunities to grow,
To become whole.
Enduring with love those who choose the way of darkness.
Those who walk in the ego's illusions will live with fear and doubt.
Ignorance will be their guide,
For our Creator is just,
Gifting us with free will.
Those who walk in the light will behold the Beloved's face in everyone they meet.
Please do linger with these words and phrases.
Stay a while if you can.
And perhaps you want to spend some time with pen and paper,
Journaling your response.
May you be blessed today.
May you know yourself loved,
Seen and embraced by your Beloved.
May you receive the gift of peace and grace.
Amen.
