Lectio Divina by Sheila Johnson

 I feel very privileged to currently be a member of Amy Boucher Pye's launch group for her book on prayer - 7 Ways to Pray. The book can be ordered at a reduced price through the  Big Church Read

 

Amy in a prayerful setting

What on earth is Lectio Divina, you may ask? I wondered too. It is Latin for 'sacred reading'. Basically, it is taking a passage of scripture and reading through it slowly, chewing over the words and their meaning and allowing God to speak to us through them. 

I lead a local Lydia prayer group and we call this Bible meditation. Of course, the more we dwell on a passage, the more opportunity we give for God to speak to us. I have always found that reciting a passage over and over again until you learn it is a helpful practice too. 

According to Amy, the early monasteries were often called 'communities of mumblers' as the monks silently mouthed the words on which they meditated. 

The 4 steps we can use in following this practice are -:

1. Reading through the passage.
2. Reflecting on the passage.
3. Responding to what God is saying to you through the passage.
4. Resting in the passage and enjoying God's presence.

I have found this practice of meditation and learning really helpful, particularly on a recent trip abroad in difficult family circumstances. The passage I chose is Lamentations, verses 24-25. Despite what you might think, not all of this book is full of gloom but these particular verses are full of hope as they look to the future -:

"I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.'

The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;"

These verses not only can give us strength and help in any difficult circumstances we may face but also give us hope as writers. 

There is a very personal shaped portion of God in each of us, in our writing. God can give us hope and guidance in our future and in the way ahead in our writing and in our lives. I find these words very consoling at this time. I have just received my certificate for my university writing course and now I'm wondering what the next step in my writing is, the way ahead but this passage makes it clear that we will find this out as we wait on God and seek him.

Sheila Johnson lives in Cheltenham and is a qualified journalist who has written for a number of publications both local and national. She has also written two books under her pen name Sheila Donald, Alpha Male and Waireka. Her website can be found at www.journojohnson.com