Lectio Divina

I've been doing a bible study through church. It's called Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton.

In the study, Ruth goes through six different spiritual practices.

My favourite of all these is lectio divina, literally translated, divine or sacred reading. If you have never heard of lectio divina, it is a practice of reading a passage of scripture through four times and meditating on it between readings.

I had experienced this practice many years ago as a counselor and Red Rock Bible Camp. I loved it then, but had pretty much forgotten about it and thought it only worked in a group setting.

Having Ruth talk about this practice as something you can do at home has changed that mindset for me. I went home after that bible study and did a lectio divina reading on my own. I loved it.

I'm the kind of person who can't focus on one thing at a time. So when I read my bible, I miss big sections because my mind wanders to laundry or dishes or Brynlee and suddenly I realize that I have no idea what the last chapter was about.

Lectio divina changed that for me. The repetition is what keeps me focused and the meditation is when God teaches me.

I know that everybody learns differently, but I encourage you to try this. And if you already do this, let me know what you think about it. I'm sure not everybody loves it as much as I do.

What are your favourite spiritual practices? I would love to hear how other people learn and experience God.