Advent 2023—Lectio Divina part 2

This Advent, I am going to look at the practice of Lectio Divina, mostly because it is my favorite form of prayer and meditation. Lectio Divina means “Divine Reading” in Latin. It is a systematic way of reading the Bible dating back to the early centuries of the Christian church.

Lectio Divina has four parts:

1. Reading: Read the passage slowly and carefully.
2. Meditation: Think deeply about the text.
3. Prayer: Have a loving conversation with God.
4. Contemplation: Rest in God’s presence.

Instructions on how to start a Lectio Divina often come like this, which is by Archbisop of York, Stephen Cottrell, written in 2013 when he was Bishop of Chelmsford:

Make sure you are sitting comfortably.
Breathe slowly and deeply.
Ask God to speak to you through the passage that you are about to read.

That’s a great start for folks who already know their way around prayer, but let’s go back to the basics, shall we? Before we can get all meditative with a specific Bible verse, we have got to have a verse to meditate on. So the first step is choosing a passage. It’s not just about picking any old random passage. The experts say it’s better to work your way through a whole book of the Bible or follow a lectionary. By doing that, you won’t be stuck with just the verses you like. Another cool way is to pick a theme, like the “I am” passages in John’s Gospel. So there you have it: Time to pick your passage and get meditating!

Next choice is where and when to meditate. Find somewhere you can spend time with God, so turn off notifications on your phone and turn the computer off. Those WhatsApp messages can wait. Meditation isn’t Bible study; we are asking God to speak to us personally and directly. I study the Bible with my computer on; there are good commentaries and sermons to look at what people have said. But Lectio Divina is strictly done with the computer off. It’s just me and God with a Bible, and not a study Bible either.

How you sit is important to some people. They recommend sitting on a hard-backed chair with your feet firmly on the ground. I’m more comfortable with some fidget room, but I have found that if it’s too comfortable I may fall asleep. If it’s not comfortable enough I get distracted by discomfort. If you can meditate lying on your bed, then go for it: Whatever rocks your boat. These days I don’t get upset if I fall asleep; what is better tan falling asleep in the presence of God? My favorite positions are in an armchair or sitting on a bed with my feet up. When we had small children, the only place I could find without distraction was to run a hot bath and get in it. I still meditate in the bath from time to time as it was a good habit to get into.

And don’t forget a notebook and pen.

That’s it! You’ve got a sweet spot to chill and something deep to ponder. Let’s start it: Check out the next post.