What is lectio divina?
A practice for reading your Bible for formation, not information.
Last week I shared a book review for Better Ways to Read the Bible by Zach W. Lambert, and I mentioned informational vs formational reading. I gave a quick description but I thought this week would be a great time to share how to read formationally.
I'll be the first to admit that prior to starting my M.Div. I had no concept of lectio divina, so if this is the first time you've heard about it, you're not alone! Despite being an ancient practice, this wonderful way to read the Bible was abandoned within the Protestant church. It's one of those situations where the baby went out with the bath water, unfortunately.
The phrase lectio divina is Latin, and literally translates to "divine reading." There are four stages:
lectio - reading/listening
meditato - meditation
oratio - prayer
contemplatio - contemplation
There are many ways to go about this, but I’m going to offer this suggestion from my first year spiritual formation class (Sherbino 2013, 22-23).
Read the passage out loud, slowly, and notice any words/phrases that draw your attention. Reflect on them for a couple minutes. Write them down, and anything that comes up as your reflecting.
Read the passage (yes, out loud and slowly) a second time, and sit wondering - How does this word/phrase impact me right now? Take notes are your reflecting.
Read the passage a final time and ask - What is God sharing with me here? What is asking me to do?
Let me share with my own example. At the time, I was making my way through Mark (no "Bible in a Year" for this girl!). Now, I don’t use lectio divina every time I open my Bible, but for some reason I decided to do it for Mark 10:32-40. Here's what it says (I use the Common English Bible):
Jesus and his disciples were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, with Jesus in the lead. The disciples were amazed while the others following behind were afraid. Taking the Twelve aside again, he told them what was about to happen to him. “Look!” he said. “We’re going up to Jerusalem. The Human One will be handed over to the chief priests and the legal experts. They will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles. They will ridicule him, spit on him, torture him, and kill him. After three days, he will rise up.”
James and John, Zebedee’s sons, came to Jesus and said, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”
“What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
They said, “Allow one of us to sit on your right and the other on your left when you enter your glory.”
Jesus replied, “You don’t know what you’re asking! Can you drink the cup I drink or receive the baptism I receive?”
“We can,” they answered.
Jesus said, “You will drink the cup I drink and receive the baptism I receive, but to sit at my right or left hand isn’t mine to give. It belongs to those for whom it has been prepared.”
As I was reading through it (out loud - yes, it actually helps) I was paying attention to any word/phrase (step 1) that caused me to pause, jumped out at me, or made me go "hmmmm." On this particular day it was the phrase "we want you to do whatever we ask you."
The first time I read a passage, I don't spend much time trying to figure out why something jumps out at me, I just write it down. Then I turn it over in my mind. On this particular day, I spent time pondering how it made me feel. Why does it make me feel that way? I noticed a couple emotions in the passage - astonished, and amazed. Interesting, I wonder who's feeling it, and why. All along, I'm pausing… jotting down notes… sitting in silence.
After a few minutes, I read through the passage the second time. This helps me to go deeper into my reflections. Since I've been reading through Mark, I know that the Pharisees had been questioning him at the beginning of the chapter, and now he's on his way to Jerusalem. But maybe you've just picked a passage from a list of suggestions, so you don't have the full context, and that's okay too.
Robert Mulholland (1936-2015) actually suggests this may be a good way to read because it stops you from moving into what you know, which can lead into trying to shape the text. He shares an experience he had while reading Exodus using a lectionary (a list of Scripture readings that are meant to be followed based on the time of year in the Church calendar). He says,
“I knew every detail of the story, and I really seemed to be gettting nothing from it. There seemed to be no “Word from God.” However, one important (by uncomfortable) thing about the lectionary is that if you make the use of it as a spiritual discipline, you cannot move beyond it… you stay with the portion assigned” (Mulholland 2023, 62).
The second time I read the passage I tend to take more reflective notes. In this case, I was pretty peeved at James and John, especially since Jesus had just shared his death. I even wrote what it felt like in my body - I could feel it in the pit of my stomach. Then I wrote something interesting
"I am astonished at the gall of these two men."
The disciples were astonished that Jesus was going to Jerusalem, a place where prophets were traditionally killed. I was astonished at the actions of James and John. But then something else jumped out at me, a juxtaposition of greatness. Allow me to explain:
Jesus is doing something sacrificially.
James and John are doing something for themselves.
Do you see it? The juxtaposition? At this point, I didn't grasp it fully yet. So it's okay if you don't either. In fact, you may be off on your own tangent at this point, because something else caught your eye, and caused you to pause! (I hope you're taking notes about your reflections. They come in handy later!)
Finally, I read through the passage (yes, out loud, again) - step 3.
I'm processing through what I've written down, as well as paying attention to the story. This time I consider Jesus' question to the brothers:
"What do you want me to do for you?"
What if I'm reading my anger, and astonishment into the question? What if Jesus is simply looking for clarification? He may already know what they're going to say, but he gives them the opportunity to share. Maybe they'll ask him to explain why he's going to Jerusalem? Or why he keeps predicting his death? Alas, that's not the case. When they voice their request Jesus asks them another question, which I summarized as follows,
Are you able to handle greatness?
Um, ouch! That's a bit harsh, Jesus. Or is it? I summarize everything with this final statement:
We often desire greatness, fantasize about it, work towards it - but greatness always comes with a cost.
What was God asking of me with this passage? I’m going to keep that private, as well as the out a prayer I wrote out. I hope you understand.
I love this way to read the Bible. It helps me to get deeper, and causes me to reflect on where I’m at. That being said, there are times that I've done it, and walked away with absolutely nothing.
I'll leave you with one final question... how does this passage compare, or contrast with the final passage of the chapter, where Jesus encounters Blind Bartimaeus? Share your thoughts in the comment section, I'd love to hear them.
Reference List
Mulholland, M. Robert Jr. 2023. Shaped By The Word: The Power of Scripture in Spiritual Formation. Nashville: Upper Room.
Sherbino, David. 2013. Re-Connect: Spiritual Exercises to Develop Intimacy with God. Brechin, On. Castle Quay Books.