Discovering the Way - Week 3

Series Introduction:

Welcome to Discovering the Way, a video series from Redeemer Anglican Church. When the Jesus Movement first began in the first century, it was initially called, “The Way, or the Path,” because it was clear from the start that following Jesus involved walking with him in the ordinary, everyday moments of life. Throughout the centuries, Christians have engaged in spiritual practices that help keep us walking in the Way of Jesus, and each week we’ll be looking at one of them. And I’m betting, that some of these may surprise you.

Introduction:

Over the last two weeks we have looked at spiritual practices that have been very hands on, very physical. Caring for the Earth and practicing the Sabbath are both very active ways to make space for Jesus to speak to us. This week we’re exploring the other end of the spectrum as we look at quiet, contemplative practices that provide for us a meeting place with the Lord.

In Ephesians, Paul offers a prayer for his readers, that they would know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, which sounds ridiculous. How can we know something that surpasses knowledge? If I can’t wrap my head around something, how can I know it? And yet, we do it all the time.

How do you know the wind? I doubt it’s in meteorological terms. You know it because you feel it on your face. How do you know what snow is like? It’s not by reading about it in a book or studying it from afar, it’s by making a snowball and catching it on your tongue. This type of knowing transcends our intellect; it’s more direct, relational, and experiential. It’s less heady and more hearty. And it is into this type of knowing that our two practices for this week invite us.

Yes that’s right, we’re looking at two practices this week, because they are two sides of the same coin. This week we’re looking at the ancient practices known as lectio divina, and visio divina. Holy Reading, and Holy Seeing. We’re all made differently, and some of us respond to beautiful words and others to beautiful sights. So let’s take a look at what these practices are, and how we can engage them at home.

Lectio Divina

What is it?

Lectio Divina or Holy Reading is a method of reading the Bible that has been practiced for a thousand years. For the first 1500 years of church history a large swath of followers of Jesus were practically illiterate, and those who could read often did not have a Bible readily available, and so the public reading of Scripture at church was often their only time with the Word of God. And so lectio divina offered a way of meditating on Scripture as it was read aloud. A small phrase or memorable verse became bread for the soul throughout the week. This kind of devotional reading isn’t about deep study of the Scriptures, nor is it trying to be an alternative to deep study. Lectio divina approaches Scripture as a meeting place where we encounter the Living God and hear his particular word for us in this particular moment.

How do you do it?

There are many ways to practice this kind of contemplative reading, but I’ll share one with you:

Spend some time quietly preparing your heart to meet with and hear from God. Slow down, relax, breathe deeply, and intentionally release the noise in your mind.

Read a short passage of Scripture slowly and out loud, lingering over the words so that they have time to resonate in your heart and mind. When a word or phrase catches your attention, stop reading and listen for what the Lord may be saying by alerting you to this particular section.

Read the passage again, slowly and out loud. This time, listen for any invitation that God is extending to you in this passage. Explore what the ramifications of this passage may be for you.

Read the passage one last time, slowly and out loud. This time, begin to dialogue with God as you read. There is no right or wrong way to talk to God, the important thing is to speak truthfully about how this text has affected you. What are you feeling? How do you want to resist and pull away? Why is your heart burning with joy or gratitude. Talk to the Lord about these things.

Spend time in quiet contemplation, and allow the passage or word or phrase to sink deeply into your soul. How can you remind yourself of this truth throughout the day? End with a short prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord for meeting with you in his word.

As you can see, this is a very different way of approaching the Bible than what many of us are used to. It’s a challenging and stretching experience that takes practice, but Christians for centuries have experienced amazing transformation from these quiet moments with God. So I encourage you to try it, and to try it more than once. Anything new takes practice, and this is no different.

Visio Divina

So that was lectio divina, holy reading, now let’s talk to all your artists and pursuers of beauty and explore visio divina, or holy seeing.

What is it?

The Psalms are full of declarations that created world points to the beauty and wonder of God. “The heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of his hands, day by day the pour forth speech.” Creation speaks to us constantly, the question is…are we listening?

If lectio divina is a way of listening to God in his word, visio divina is a way of listening to God in his world. It’s a way of praying with our eyes. I know that sounds strange, but there is a reason churches have long been filled with icons, crosses, mosaics, stained glass, and art and statues: these beautiful works invite the viewer to contemplate the beauty of God and to respond in prayer.

Ann Voskamp writes, “All beauty is only reflection. And whether I am conscious of it or not, any created thing of which I am amazed, it is the glimpse of God’s face to which I bow down.” Visio divina is a way of meeting the Lord in created beauty, whether that’s the glory of a sunrise or the wonder of a great work of art.

How do you do it?

So how do you do it? Well it really depends on the occasion, but there are some basic overarching movements of the practice that would work whether you’re at an art exhibit, at the beach, or enjoying your morning coffee on the porch.

Spend some time quietly preparing your heart to meet with and hear from God. Slow down, relax, breathe deeply, and intentionally release the noise in your mind.

Gaze at the image or scene before you with an open heart and mind, and with a desire to see the beauty of God in it.

Take notice of what stirs within you. What responses, what memories, what feelings does it invoke? What truth about the Creator is it proclaiming? What connection does it make with your life? Take you time with this.

Let the image lead you into prayer as you dialogue with God about what you are seeing, feeling, and remembering. Dialogue involves talking and listening - both are important.

Spend time in quiet contemplation, and allow the prayer to sink deeply into your soul. How can you remind yourself of this truth throughout the day? End with a short prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord for meeting with you in his creation.

So there you have it. Two contemplative ways of meeting with God - lectio divina in his word, visio divina is his world. Some of you will be drawn to one, and that’s great. But I encourage you to try both practices more than once this week, because both are unnatural at first, but over time, and with some practice, they just might become a prominent way that the Lord speaks to you as you walk along the Way with Jesus.