An Invitation to Savor Scripture

 

Today, I am inviting you to take part in a process called lectio divina.   Lectio divina (or "divine reading") helps us personally encounter the Living God by taking the time to slow down and savor scripture. You will proceed through a series of steps in which you read or listen to the same passage 4 times.  Each time you read the passage, you will be asked to respond to it in a slightly different way.

Before we begin, take a moment to prepare yourself.  Make sure you are in a calm place.  Try to quiet your heart and mind.  You may want to light a candle or do something else that reminds you of God's presence.  Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you through the passage you are about to read.  

Because some people are better are better able to focus on what they read and others on what they hear, I have included both a written version and a chanted version of our Bible passage.  Please choose the method of encountering God's Word that works best for you.  Just try to be consistent.

Scripture

 Psalm 20

¹   The LORD answer you in the day of trouble!
          The name of the God of Jacob protect you!
²   May he send you help from the sanctuary,
          and give you support from Zion.
³   May he remember all your offerings,
          and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices.   Selah

⁴   May he grant your heart’s desire
          and fulfill all your plans.
⁵   May we shout for joy over your victory,
          and in the name of our God set up our banners.
     May the LORD fulfill all your petitions.

⁶   Now I know that the LORD will help his anointed;
          he will answer him from his holy heaven
          with mighty victories by his right hand.
⁷   Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses,
          but our pride is in the name of the LORD our God.
⁸   They will collapse and fall,
          but we shall rise and stand upright.

⁹   Give victory to the king, O LORD;
          answer us when we call.    (NRSV)

 

Reading 1:  Lectio (Listen)

Read the entire passage slowly and prayerfully.  As you do so, listen for the word that God has prepared to you.  When you get to the end, pause for a few moments and let the scripture sink into your heart and mind.

Reading 2: Meditatio (Ponder)

 As you read through the passage a second time, pause each time a word or phrase catches your attention.  Rest with that word.  Repeat it to yourself so that your heart can ponder it.  What does it mean to you?  What thoughts, hopes, memories, or desires does it bring up?  When you reach the end of the passage, sit in silence for a moment.   Then create a sentence that describes what you hear God saying to you.

Reading 3:  Oratio (Pray)

As you read through the passage a third time, as yourself how God is calling to respond.  What might the Holy Spirit be inviting you to let go of?  What do you feel God asking you to take on or do?  When you reach the end, have an honest and loving conversation with God through prayer.  What do you want to say to God in response to what the scripture has said to you?

 Reading 4:  Contemplatio (Rest in God's Spirit)

 Read the passage a final time.  As you do so, be still and rest in God's presence.  Realize that in the deep, profound, relationship you share with God, words are unnecessary.  You are being embraced by the Holy One, who knows the deepest longings of your heart.  Welcome God into your soul and understand that you are being spiritually transformed not through your own doing but because God is moving and working within you.

Closing

As you prepare to go back into your day, close with the Lord's Prayer.  May this time of inward contemplation draw you closer to God and renew your spirit.  Finally, may you be inspired to act upon this time of transformation and do what is pleasing to God.