Lectio Divina
I Corinthians 11:28–31
“Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment.”
The other day I was reading about an ancient Christian practice of meditation and “centering prayer” called Lectio Divina, which is “Latin for "divine reading," "spiritual reading," or "holy reading" and represents a method of prayer and scriptural reading intended to promote communion with God and provide special spiritual insight. The principles of lectio divina were expressed around the year 220 and later practiced by Catholic monks, especially the monastic rules of Sts. Pachomius, Augustine, Basil, and Benedict.” Meditation is a good way to both tap into the power of God for refuelling our physical energies and gaining a good perspective. Meditation is biblical as long as it is biblical, if you get what I mean. King David said “I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways (Psa 119:15).” Any practice, any tradition, like the Apostle Paul discusses the LORD’s Supper in today’s verse must be enveloped in discernment of Christ (~v. 29). It’s all about Jesus, it’s all about God. We meditate to gain better knowledge of God which is the purpose of our lives, knowledge of His character, of His precepts and understanding His ways, comprehending Christlikeness. Pope Benedict XVI in 2005, said, “I would like in particular to recall and recommend the ancient tradition of lectio divina: the diligent reading of Sacred Scripture accompanied by prayer brings about that intimate dialogue in which the person reading hears God who is speaking, and in praying, responds to Him with trusting openness of heart.” We, of more pentecostal, “Spirit-filled” persuasion are open to this call, we’ve been doing it long before Pope Benedict recommended it to our Catholic friends, it can certainly be rewarding as long as it is grounded in a natural understanding of the Text and its context. Orthodoxy says that God will not speak a word that contradicts His written Word, the Scriptures, so there is a built-in safeguard to prevent misinterpretation. There will be many times when we are to delight in God’s words and enjoy just reflecting on His Word is a great way to experience Him Himself, and listen for God in a “still, small voice” (I Kings 19:12), and perhaps a rhema word or two, and not for the sake of some vague euphoric (and practically energising) experience we derive from the practice. Gotquestions.org (our more stridently grounded, non-charismatic, brothers and sisters in Christ) reminds that “the Old and New Testaments are words from God to be studied, meditated upon, prayed over, and memorized for the knowledge and objective meaning they contain and the authority from God they carry, and not for the mystical experience or feeling of personal power and inner peace they may stimulate. Sound knowledge comes first; then the lasting kind of experience and peace comes as a byproduct of knowing and communing with God rightly.” We do not disagree. With anything especially spiritual activity, we proceed only when God is present, literally, as Moses in the wilderness, “then Moses said to God, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here (Exod 33:15).”
“Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep. But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment.”
The other day I was reading about an ancient Christian practice of meditation and “centering prayer” called Lectio Divina, which is “Latin for "divine reading," "spiritual reading," or "holy reading" and represents a method of prayer and scriptural reading intended to promote communion with God and provide special spiritual insight. The principles of lectio divina were expressed around the year 220 and later practiced by Catholic monks, especially the monastic rules of Sts. Pachomius, Augustine, Basil, and Benedict.” Meditation is a good way to both tap into the power of God for refuelling our physical energies and gaining a good perspective. Meditation is biblical as long as it is biblical, if you get what I mean. King David said “I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways (Psa 119:15).” Any practice, any tradition, like the Apostle Paul discusses the LORD’s Supper in today’s verse must be enveloped in discernment of Christ (~v. 29). It’s all about Jesus, it’s all about God. We meditate to gain better knowledge of God which is the purpose of our lives, knowledge of His character, of His precepts and understanding His ways, comprehending Christlikeness. Pope Benedict XVI in 2005, said, “I would like in particular to recall and recommend the ancient tradition of lectio divina: the diligent reading of Sacred Scripture accompanied by prayer brings about that intimate dialogue in which the person reading hears God who is speaking, and in praying, responds to Him with trusting openness of heart.” We, of more pentecostal, “Spirit-filled” persuasion are open to this call, we’ve been doing it long before Pope Benedict recommended it to our Catholic friends, it can certainly be rewarding as long as it is grounded in a natural understanding of the Text and its context. Orthodoxy says that God will not speak a word that contradicts His written Word, the Scriptures, so there is a built-in safeguard to prevent misinterpretation. There will be many times when we are to delight in God’s words and enjoy just reflecting on His Word is a great way to experience Him Himself, and listen for God in a “still, small voice” (I Kings 19:12), and perhaps a rhema word or two, and not for the sake of some vague euphoric (and practically energising) experience we derive from the practice. Gotquestions.org (our more stridently grounded, non-charismatic, brothers and sisters in Christ) reminds that “the Old and New Testaments are words from God to be studied, meditated upon, prayed over, and memorized for the knowledge and objective meaning they contain and the authority from God they carry, and not for the mystical experience or feeling of personal power and inner peace they may stimulate. Sound knowledge comes first; then the lasting kind of experience and peace comes as a byproduct of knowing and communing with God rightly.” We do not disagree. With anything especially spiritual activity, we proceed only when God is present, literally, as Moses in the wilderness, “then Moses said to God, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here (Exod 33:15).”
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