Conversations about religious disciplines and Christian formation rightly middle on the dual poles of prayer and the reading of Scripture. All too typically, although, we consider these as two distinct practices. We are inclined to see Scripture as offering the mental content material for our Christian life, whereas prayer deepens our relationship with God.
The Christian custom, nevertheless, factors us in direction of a shocking perception concerning the relationship between Scripture and prayer. In accordance with the traditional apply of lectio divina (Latin, “divine studying”), the phrases of Scripture turns into the means by which we ascend to come across the everlasting Phrase himself. Put one other means, within the phrases of Eugene Peterson, “Lectio divina is a means of studying the Scriptures that’s congruent with the way in which the Scriptures serve the Christian neighborhood as a witness to God’s revelation of himself to us.”
The origins of lectio divina
The exact origins of lectio divina are unclear, however from the start “practices meant to form studying into residing” will be discovered all through the writings of the church fathers. I might level to figures resembling Origen, Gregory of Nyssa, John Cassian, and Benedict of Nursia as notably related on this context. Probably the most well-known and influential formulation of lectio divina, although, is present in a twelfth-century treatise by a Carthusian monk, Guigo II. To not be confused with the Star Wars characters Greedo or Grogu, Guigo II in his The Ladder of Monks in contrast lectio divina to a ladder. Its 4 steps, the monk explains, are just like the 4 rungs of a ladder that, very similar to Jacob’s ladder (Gen 28:12), ascends up into heaven, up in direction of God himself. As Guigo II writes, “Studying, meditation, prayer, and contemplation—these make a ladder for monks by which they’re lifted from earth to heaven. It has few rungs, but its size is immense and great, for its decrease finish rests upon the earth, however its prime pierces the clouds and seeks heavenly secrets and techniques.”
The 4 steps of lectio divina
As historically recognized, the 4 steps of lectio divina are
- studying (lectio)
- meditation (meditatio)
- prayer (oratio)
- contemplation (contemplatio)
As we talk about every step in flip, we might want to not solely outline the step but in addition take into account how every connects to the premodern type of biblical exegesis often called the fourfold sense of Scripture, as it’s important for understanding the interior logic of lectio divina. For every step, furthermore, we might want to pay cautious consideration to the sensible methods wherein we will go about practising that facet of lectio divina as a religious train.
Step 1: studying (lectio)
We start, then, with the primary rung, step one of lectio divina: the studying, or lectio. The target is solely to know the fundamental which means of the phrases of Scripture. As in contrast with later steps, we’re right here solely contemplating the historic or literal sense of the biblical textual content. In different phrases, the main focus right here is on the “plain which means” of the textual content, the sense conveyed by the phrases of Scripture and found by exegesis.
This primary step of lectio is characterised by a disposition of cautious focus on the phrases of the biblical textual content. It’s troublesome to do that in an age of distraction and quick consideration spans. We’re so used to our minds leaping from thought to thought, our eyes flickering from pixel to pixel, that it may be onerous to sit down nonetheless with a textual content and focus on it absolutely.
Nonetheless, we have to get up and provides our full consideration not simply to the phrases on the web page however to the God who needs to talk to us by them. However how? Handbooks on lectio divina inform us that earlier than we start, we should first discover a quiet place the place we is not going to be distracted. We might do properly to start with a short while of silence in order that we will be absolutely attentive. We’re aiming, in different phrases, for what theologian Hans Boersma calls “the enjoyment of a vertical orientation towards the eternity of God.”
This being completed, we will proceed to lectio correct. Historically this has meant that we must always learn the passage repeatedly, with quick pauses between every studying. Studying it 4 occasions is an efficient place to start out. The extra we repeat the phrases, the extra they change into inscribed upon our souls. Even higher is when we’ve got come to memorize the Scriptures, and we more and more uncover that God’s phrase is being written upon our hearts. This brings us, then, to the second step of lectio divina.
Step 2: meditation (meditatio)
The form of intensive studying described within the earlier step would possibly sound rather a lot like what we sometimes imply by “meditating” on Scripture. This second step of lectio divina, nevertheless, goals at one thing extra slim: that we meditate on Scripture to search out Christ within the biblical textual content. In accordance with the medieval fourfold sense of Scripture, the typological sense leads us to contemplate how all of Scripture points towards Christ and the religious realities that he brings (e.g., the church and her sacraments). Thus in meditatio, we start to maneuver past the outward, literal sense of the textual content to “chew on” its inward, religious sense.
This may sound a bit tutorial, however we must always recall that lectio divina is essentially a religious train. Thus, going about this second step might look one thing like this: having learn the passage in query a number of occasions (lectio), we then meditate on a small portion of it (maybe even only a single phrase or phrase that stands out to us), fixing it in our reminiscence. Then, transferring into meditatio, we take into account the way it features inside the context of the entire Bible and the way it reveals Christ to us. In different phrases, we take into account the verbal associations or religious connections that emerge from a theological interpretation of the Bible.
Maybe an illustration could make this extra clear. For instance, as we meditate on the story of the flood within the Outdated Testomony, we’re to see in our minds how Christ likewise brings us from dying to life by the waters of baptism (cf. 1 Pet 3:20–21). The flood serves as a type of Christian baptism, serving to illuminate our understanding of the sacrament and pointing us to the paranormal realities of our union with Christ (cf. Rom 6:1–11).
Within the case of doing lectio divina with a Gospel passage, this step will be amplified by the usage of the Ignatian strategy of Gospel contemplation. On this case, we will “chew on” the textual content by imagining ourselves within the Gospel narrative, within the presence of the characters, taking within the sights, sounds, and smells throughout us. Maybe you undertake the angle of one of many characters. How do you reply to what Christ is saying or doing? What feelings is he stirring up in you? On this means, we make the tales of Scripture our personal, “inwardly digesting” the phrases of the Bible in our hearts as we advance to prayer (oratio) and contemplation (contemplatio).
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Step 3: prayer (oratio)
On this third step of lectio divina, we flip to extra direct prayer to God. On this step, we enable the Scriptures to interpret us and converse into our lives. It needs to be clear, then, how this connects to the ethical sense of Scripture: If the purpose of the ethical sense is to hunt ethical steering from the biblical textual content, prayerful consideration of how we measure as much as (certainly, fall wanting) the ethical calls for of Scripture draw us to compunction, to have sorrow over our sins.
Certainly, on this step we proceed from a posture of humility and consciousness of our sins and failings. We additionally, on account of God’s grace, ask for that which he has promised to us, however even that is grounded within the prior posture. Writers on lectio divina have historically used the time period “compunction” to explain how we’re to be pierced, or punctured, as we mourn over our sins (cf. Acts 2:37).
This sorrow over our sins is, in fact, deeply countercultural in our world of expressive individualism and nonjudgmentalism. So why do that? Compunction results in pleasure and comfort. Once we confess and repent of our sins, we’re to obtain the consolation, pleasure, and gladness that God offers us in forgiveness. In different phrases, this step prepares us for the thriller of contemplation within the closing step of lectio divina.
On this step, then, we ask the Holy Spirit to interpret our lives in gentle of the biblical textual content. We enter into the messy, typically uncomfortable strategy of self-examination. We straight tackle God, confessing the place we’ve got fallen quick, whether or not in thought, phrase, or deed. Maybe we conclude this step with a standard prayer of confession, resembling one found in the Book of Common Prayer. This entire, we ask for and obtain God’s grace, turning our hearts to finish our ascent up the ladder.
Step 4: contemplation (contemplatio)
The fourth and closing step of lectio divina is contemplation. By this, we search to silence our personal voices and as an alternative merely relaxation in and expertise the love of God. This corresponds with the ultimate component of the fourfold sense of Scripture, the anagogical sense, which focuses on how the textual content factors to the final issues and our everlasting hope. So this step of lectio divina once more coheres with the interior logic of premodern exegesis.
Historically, the last word telos, or “finish,” of humanity is to behold or ponder God (the beatific imaginative and prescient). This step invitations us right into a preview of eternity. As Boersma writes, “To style sweetness in and thru the apply of lectio divina is to style the sweetness (or love) of God himself. It’s to be united to God.” Our sinfulness, pride, and despair are all pushed out by the love of God.
We’re, then, very similar to the Israelites earlier than Mt. Sinai. Now we have purified ourselves of sin within the third step, and now we’re able to ascend the mountain and behold God. To make use of the classical language of the Triple Method of the Christian life, purification and illumination now give technique to union with God.
Virtually, this step is essentially the most troublesome to articulate given its transcendent goal. However we maybe greatest start partaking this step by providing thanksgiving for what God has completed, is doing, and can do in our lives and in our world. This additional prepares our hearts for the work of the Holy Spirit in enabling us to “change into partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet 1:4). That’s to say, with contemplation the emphasis shifts to a silent stillness earlier than God; in any case, as Boersma writes, “the love of God is just too nice to seize adequately in phrases.”
Develop with lectio divina
In lectio divina, God’s written phrase turns into the means by which we ascend to the everlasting Phrase, Jesus Christ. As we have interaction on this course of, we belief that, with the Lord’s assist, we’re being remodeled into the fullness of the sorts of women and men that God intends for us to be.
After all, articulating such a lofty objective could make the apply of lectio divina appear out of attain or just for “specialists.” However right here we’ve got to belief that we religious novices can, due to the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit, profit from even our most hesitant, tentative makes an attempt to wish Scripture on this means. Nonetheless, apprenticing ourselves to this “college” of prayer will, over time, reap important religious dividends.
Past studying extra about this technique of prayerfully studying Scripture, take into account having a pastor or religious director skilled on this technique be your “coach” or mentor as you apply lectio divina. Alternatively, discover others in your church or household with whom you’ll be able to apply lectio divina collectively and share your experiences. In any occasion, exactly as a result of God intends for spiritual formation to occur inside a neighborhood, within the context of the Physique of Christ, our engagement with the traditional apply of lectio divina will undoubtedly profit from inviting others into this course of.
In a time of atomization and disconnectedness, let lectio divina be a method by which we develop nearer to God and to 1 one other.
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