Lectio Divina, or spiritual reading, is an ancient discipline that we (the church) have lost somewhere along the way. We approach the bible with our own agendas in mind, like ‘What can I learn?’, ‘How can I change, or get over this?’, or ‘What is God’s will?’. However, the bible is God’s living Word. We shouldn’t just read it, but allow it to read us. We should approach it on God’s terms and we should allow God to reveal Himself to us and allow his Holy Spirit to work on us through what we read.

How do we do this? Enter Lectio Divina – a practice with it’s culmination in contemplation, where (as Thelma Hall writes) the communication between you and God is sometimes too deep for words.

You start by reading (Lectio) the bible, like one chapter from Matthew preferably as you are making your way through that book. Read the selected part for that day all the way through once. Scripture used to be read orally, so it’s not a bad idea to read some smaller portion that you wish to focus on out loud.

Then select words or phrases that stand out to you and meditate (Meditatio) on them. This is where you apply your intellect. Think over the meaning of these words and how they are applicable to you. Imagine yourself in the scene and the words being spoken to you, or the happenings taking place around you as you watch.

Take your thoughts, reflections, and concerns and share them with God through prayer (Oratio). This could also be a good place to pray along the lines of the Lord’s Prayer from Matthew 6 as Jesus taught.

And then become quiet. Jesus’ words just prior to sharing the Lord’s Prayer applies here: “Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace” (The Message). Being silent before God, and listening is called contemplation (Contemplatio). This is where you try and quiet even your mind and just be before God. He will take the lead here and may even communicate to you through thoughts that you have.

As I said earlier, though, the communication may also be too deep for words. It was an experience that Paul was clearly quite used to: “Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.” — Romans 8:26-28 (The Message).

Usually most people would stop there, but we must remember to act out our insights (Operatio) and live in a way of obedience — not in monasteries, but in the world and on the margins of society. Loving God, and loving others! Operatio also includes sharing your insights with others… so start blogging .

This has been a short introduction. For more detailed teaching, practical guidelines, and some example Lectio Divina sessions, see Tracking Jesus — an online learning experience for followers of Jesus, launching later this year.

The Bible is a holy, living text, but not on it’s own when approached with some agenda in mind. Only when we allow God to work on us through his words. Only when we approach the Bible to learn about God and his revelations on his terms.