Lectio Divina

 

I just got back from a retreat.

The topic at hand was sermon writing.

While the teacher gave us tidbits of wisdom,

He mostly led us in two exercises of Lectio Divina,

Or divine reading of a text.

He suggested that we engage in this practice

Before we do anything else in sermon preparation.

If we can do this with a community of faith,

Then all the better.

 

Here’s what we did.

 

Step One: Read or listen to the text. What words, phrases, or images immediately jump out to you? Jot those down.

 

Step Two: Read or listen to the text again. What do you notice? What questions do you have? What do you not understand? What moves you or bothers you? Mark up the page (the passages were printed out), and really engage with the text. If in a group setting, then after about six minutes, share your thoughts with a partner and listen as the partner shares with you. Report to the large group one key point that your partner raised.

 

Step Three: Read or listen to the text again. Respond with a poem, song, prayer, or story.  

 

Step Four: Read or listen to the text one last time. Sit in silence as a response. Ask yourself what you’re feeling. Peace, confusion, hope, fear, leading in a certain direction? Jot down your overall feeling, and, if you’re working on a sermon, then jot down a working sermon title.

 

We didn’t open commentaries

(Although we talked about good commentaries to use).

We didn’t reference the original Greek

(Although we talked about how we could).

We didn’t come up with a right or wrong way to interpret the passage.

We simply listened to and read scripture together as a faith community

And watched it come alive.

 

In a time when the Bible is used as an authoritative rule book

From which we find the misguided power to

Point fingers and judge,

Thus creating an us-against-them separation

That was never meant to be exist,

Maybe we should engage in more Divine Reading,

Learning how to dialogue through differences,

And accepting that there is no one right way to interpret

The living, breathing, life-giving

Word of God,

Jesus Christ.

 

Amen.

 

PS. An alternate form of Lectio Divina comes from Africa: 

Step One: Read/listen to text. Silence. What word, phrase, image jumps out at you?

Step Two: Read/listen to text. Silence. Where is this text intersecting your life? What does it say to you today?

Step Three: Read/listen to text. Silence. Where is God leading you after reading this text? How is God speaking?

Step Four: If you’re with a group, pray for the person to your left, based on the answers they gave.

Step Five: Pray “The Lord’s Prayer.”