“Soon after the New Testament was completed, Christians were reading their Bibles for joy and transformation, as a way of simply being present with God. This practice of the devotional reading of Scripture was especially popular among those who retreated to the deserts for prayer and renewal. By the fourth century, much of the Christian church accepted the practice of the devotional reading of Scripture. Lectio divina-as this practice was named-immersed people in the reading of Scripture, and yet the point was to do the reading in the context of prayer and meditation. The point was to employ the Scriptures as a doorway into transforming intimacy.” ― James C. Wilhoit, Discovering Lectio Divina: Bringing Scripture into Ordinary Life Especially among those in the desert... Where do you find yourself in a desert season? Perhaps your soul just feels "dry"; or perhaps - like the early Desert Fathers and Mothers - you have felt invited out into this wilderness to be with God in a different way. Do you find yourself thirsting for God more desperately in the desert? How has this practice of Lectio Divina nourished you in that place (or: could it?)? Image by Jean Wimmerlin via Unsplash

Posted by Anam Cara Abbey at 2020-11-12 14:57:23 UTC