I’m in the process of experiencing something of what Jesus spoke about in John 15:2 — “… And every branch that is grape-bearing he (God) prunes back so it will bear even more” — The Message. It’s a painful, yet exciting process, and I’m learning a lot. I’ll eventually speak more about it on my new website (see below). But I’m still in the midst of it, so please be patient…

As a result, I’ve started a new teaching website called NeoMysticism.com. This site looks into the way of life the Christian Mystics, and the practices that defined their lives and the fruit they produced. It explores in depth topics like Lectio Divina and Contemplative Prayer. It’s brand new, so don’t expect too much content, but I’ll keep it growing at a frisk pace…

Hopefully, it’s contents will also eventually form the basis of a multimedia e-learning course. We’ll see.

Sadly, for now, the new site will be my only focus, and I won’t be writing much here. Thank you for reading my posts in the past, and hopefully I’ll see you around on the new site. Subscribe there to stay in touch… The Jesus Feed will not disappear, so you’ll still have access to everything posted here. And who knows, one day I might just start actively posting here again. It’s all a mystery…

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.

For the prospect of transformation to a life of love has for us the intimation and attraction of an ultimate truth: it is in the surrender of my false self with its claim of full autonomy, and in letting love become the dynamic central reality of my life, that my true self will be most fully realized. But this means beginning to follow Jesus along a path which must take me in a direction directly opposite to my instinctive self-oriented choices. It is “shifting my center,” away from my self, to self-giving, in love. This is precisely Jesus’ meaning — that I only discover who I am and possess my true identity by “losing myself” for his sake.

This deeply challenged me. What this quote (and of course Jesus Himself in the gospels) implies is that I need to stop worrying and come to him every morning with the question, “Who can I sacrifice my life and time for today in loving service?” Wow!

Ain’t that something… Can it really be that simple and that complex at the same time?

Do yourself a favor and buy Thelma’s book. Lectio Divina is in my opinion a life-altering, spirit-growing practice that connects us to God in an amazing way… And we managed to lose it somewhere along the way.

Imagine this scenario… You want to start playing golf, and knowing that I play golf, you come to me and ask me how to go about this game. I reply, “It’s simple. Just visit your nearest course, walk up to the first tee box, place your ball on the tee, and hit the perfect drive down the middle of the fairway. Then, take your four iron, and hit an approach shot that lands really close to the flag. All that now remains is to tap the ball into the hole for a birdie, and to play the other seventeen holes in a similar fashion.”

Would you think I’m a bit of a nutcase? Obviously. And rightly so. A more appropriate answer would be: “You know, I suggest you start off by getting a couple of lessons just to help you get the basics right. Thereafter, you’ll have to practice hard for six to eight months before attempting to visit the course. Your first visit will be a terrible experience, but just keep at it. Over time, with sufficient ongoing exercise and advice from experienced golfers, your game should improve. But remember… golf is a jealous game. You can’t just leave it for a year and expect to continue on from where you were…”

The above example might seem ridiculous. But isn’t it exactly what we do as Christians? We tell people to obey Jesus and to live like He lived and taught in the gospels, without pointing out that in that life there were definite and intense times of spiritual “exercise” — 40 days of fasting, regular visits to the mountain to pray, diligent study of the scriptures, servanthood, to name but a few.

A careful study of the life of Paul reveals the same thing — fasting, prayer, and solitude were themes in his life.

How exactly do we expect to be as good at living as either Jesus or Paul if we’re not exposed to and diligent in the disciplines they employed to nurture and develop their souls?

Tracking Jesus (launching later this year) will be an online learning experience aimed at helping followers of Jesus get their lives in the right rhythm of discipline to develop (through the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the grace of God) into strong followers of Jesus. Disciples that truly overcome…