Spiritual Practice of the Week:  Lectio Divina

The Practice of Lectio Divina combines speaking and silence. It is a practice of prayerful, meditative reading of scripture that has been used by the church for hundreds of years. Monastic communities began the practice as a way to bring connection with God.
The practice of Lectio Divina involves, you listen listening deeply to the words of scripture, and to paying attention to the spontaneous thoughts that come as the still small voice, and then sharing how the scripture has affected your impressions. Your sharing may bring up insights for someone else when Lectio Divina is done as a communal practice.
Below are two ways to engage Lectio Divina, or holy reading, into a time of practicing God.

Lectio Divina Group Practice  Choose a scripture that you wish to study. Have youth sit comfortably in a circle. Light a candle to focus the practice. Explain that you will be reading the scripture through three times. Ask youth to simply listen to the first reading. Pause for a few moments.
Read the scripture again, asking youth to listen for any word or words that attract them, or raise questions for them. Following the second reading, have those who so wish share the word that they connected with.
Read the scripture for a third time, asking youth to consider how this scripture relates to their life, their joys or troubles, work, school, friends and family. Following the third reading, allow youth to share how the scripture connected to their own life, if they wish to do so. Allow them to share but not comment or have conversation around what is shared. End with a time of silence and rest in the presence of God.

Lectio Divina Personal Practice  Choose a scripture that you wish to examine more deeply through the process of listening for God’s voice. Find a place of quiet for yourself where you won’t be distracted or interrupted. Light a candle to help you centre and remember the light of Christ is with you.
Read the passage through once, slowly and clearly, letting some words resonate and some slide away. Read the passage again, and make notes on the words that stand out and seem to be speaking to you. Say the words you have written down to yourself, pondering them and letting them sink into your being. Read the passage for the third time, noticing what the words or phrases are challenging, stirring, or comforting.
Move on to communicating with God about the things this reading has brought forth in you. You might do this silently, aloud, out loud, in your thoughts, in writing, or through moving your body. When you have finished this active prayer, simply rest in the presence of the reading and in God. You may focus on the candle. Listen to what Spirit may be saying to you during this practice.

Suggested scripture readings:
Mark 1:16-20   Jesus calls the fishermen
Luke 8:4-8,11-15   The Good Seed
Psalm 23   The Lord is my Shepherd
Mark 4:35- 41  Jesus calms the sea
Genesis 2:4-17  The account of creation
Luke 2:41-52   Jesus the boy in the temple

© This prayer practice and all of those on the Sunday Morning Blog Post can be found in:  "Go Deep: Spiritual Practices for Youth Ministry" Wood Lake Publishing.
Doris is the Youth Director for the United Church of Canada in BC and the Director of World Pilgrim: Global Education and Awareness Travel.