Advent Pt. 2: Lectio Divina

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the reasons I didn’t want to show up for Advent. A day or two later, a friend texted me and said, “How can I be praying for you?”

“I’m not sure what I need prayer for,” I said. “Which probably means I need a lot of prayer! I’m finding it hard to sit still— like the good kind of being still, not the distract yourself with tv kind of still.”

I’ve learned, over the last few years, that when I’m struggling to sit still or be quiet, there’s likely something inside me that I’m trying to avoid — a sadness, a grief, something that I need to let go of. And I’m thankful because this last year of working freelance and reading Sacred Rhythms and making my way into a more practice-based faith has taught me that when we slow down, when we get still and quiet, we make room for ourselves to hear the voice of God. It may not always be audible, it may not always be immediately clear, but as we listen... listen... listen… we learn to discern the sweet and soulful words he’s been speaking to us all along.

This Advent, instead of doing a long, in-depth devotional where someone else gives me a lot of their thoughts and words about a thing they just read, I’m using Lectio Divina once a week to really lean in and get quiet and still with God.

If you’re not familiar with Lectio Divina, don’t worry... I wasn’t either until about a year ago.

Lectio Divina is a traditional monastic practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with God and to increase the knowledge of God's word. The roots of this scriptural practice date back to 3rd century Christianity and is attributed to Origen Adamantius — one of the most prolific writers and theologians of early Christianity.   

As someone who didn’t grow up learning about ancient, liturgical practices, I have found them to be soulfully refreshing. And Aaron Niequist writes in The Eternal Current, we need all aspects of our faith tradition in order to fully experience the life God created us to live (that is a very simplified, not fully accurate summary of his book, so I’d highly recommend reading the entire thing!).

If you’re interested in practicing Lectio Divina this Advent season, I’ve adapted the steps from Ruth Haley Barton’s book and blog.

Consider starting with the prophecy in Isaiah 9:2-6 or Isaiah 11:1-2. Ask God to quiet your mind and calm your heart as you read. And give yourself grace to stumble...these are spiritual practices after all, and practice means you’re not going to get them perfect.

Step 1: Silence. Get still and silent with God. Focus on your breathing — in and out, in and out, in and out. Invite God to lead you through this practice. Consider a breath prayer such as “Speak Lord. I am listening.” or “I’m here Lord. Please Speak.”

Step 2: Read. Turn the the passage you are going to read. It’s recommended that you read no more than seven or eight verses at a time. Read slowly, pausing between words and sentences, and notice what words or phrases stand out to you. If it’s helpful, read the passage again. Sometimes, I write down the word or phrase that stood out to me.

Step 3: Mediate. Hold that word or phrase in your mind and repeat it over and over again. Ask: God, what is it that you are wanting to say to me through these words? What is it in my life right now that needs to hear these words?

Step 4: Consider. Read the passage again and consider that second question: What is it about my life right now that needs to hear these words?

Step 5: Respond. Read the passage again and respond to God. Talk to him about what you sense him saying. If it’s helpful, journal or write your response to God. I often leave another moment of silence after I respond before I move onto the final step.

Step 6: Rest. Read the passage one final time, and release what you’ve heard and how you’ve responded. Don’t try to analyze what you’ve experienced. Let it be and trust that God is doing his work in you.

Amen.