Sunday, January 27, 2013

LECTIO DIVINA...

Sound fancy, but all it means is "Divine reading."  In the highschool class where we are CORE group leaders, we are learning about spiritual disciplines.  I think it's wonderful!  I don't remember ever being exposed to this as a high school kid.  Today we watched this WINTERFEST video and talked about LECTIO DIVINA, and tried to get our group to try it.  The components are READ (several times), REFLECT, RESPOND, AND REST. 

It took me back to last summer and our TREK experience in Colorado.  On the fourth day of our trek, we rested, acclimated, and played around the camp, in preparation for our summit the next day.  It was probably the best day!  Right after breakfast we were sent away for a "while" and not supposed to come back until we were called.  We were not supposed to be near anyone else and only take our Bible study and our daypack.   With no watches, I have no idea how long it was...but I think it was about 3 hours.
That day was a lot of LECTIO DIVINA.  It was an awesome experience.  But I want to confess to you the REAL story.  It was hard.  It was too long (in my immature opinion).  I sat and prayed.  I read.  I answered the questions in our trek booklet.  I sang songs in my head.  I played with sticks (above photo).  I drank all my water.  I cleaned out my daypack.  I organized everything I had.  I deleted some photos taking up space.  I made sure my poop can was sealed up good and tight.  (So maybe you didn't want to know that one).  I laid on the ground and stared up through the pine needles and looked at the sun.  But looking back, that was good.  It showed me how impatient I am and how I need to be still.  Be still and know God.
It's time for some more LECTIO DIVINA.  I don't feel like my 15 minutes right after I wake up is cutting it.  Time to get out of my routine and do something different.  Time to take off the watch and go somewhere besides my cozy kitchen with my tea and computer and go somewhere with my Bible and my daypack.

2 comments:

The 5 Arbuckle's said...

I'm glad you post about some of things you do in your core groups. It gives me more things to ask Will about, if I don't get much out of him the first time I ask.

Unknown said...

Very neat and inspirational. I need to do more of that, too.