Lectio DivinaLectio Divina Workshop Workshop

Week 4: Alternatives and Week 4: Alternatives and VariationsVariations

Marc CardaronellaMarc Cardaronella

www.holycrosschampaign.orgwww.holycrosschampaign.org

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Questions?Questions?

The Dynamics ExplainedThe Dynamics Explained

Read

Think

Pray

Contemplate

Read

Acknowledge

Relate

Live Respond

Receive

Variations and Variations and AlternativesAlternatives

A Word About JournalingA Word About Journaling

The Process of PrayerThe Process of Prayer

From “Eat This Book” by Eugene PetersonFrom “Eat This Book” by Eugene Peterson As we take this text into ourselves, we find As we take this text into ourselves, we find

that the text is taking us into itself. For the that the text is taking us into itself. For the world of the text is far larger and more real world of the text is far larger and more real than our minds and experience. The biblical than our minds and experience. The biblical text is a witness to God revealing himself. text is a witness to God revealing himself. (p. 99)(p. 99)

The Process of PrayerThe Process of Prayer

For the world of the text is far larger and more For the world of the text is far larger and more real than our minds and experience. The biblical real than our minds and experience. The biblical text is a witness to God revealing himself. This text is a witness to God revealing himself. This revelation is not simply a series of random revelation is not simply a series of random oracles that illuminate momentary obscurities or oracles that illuminate momentary obscurities or guide us through perplexing circumstances. This guide us through perplexing circumstances. This text is text is GodGod-revealing: God creating, God saving, -revealing: God creating, God saving, God blessing. The text has a context and the God blessing. The text has a context and the context is huge, massive, comprehensive. context is huge, massive, comprehensive. (p. 99)(p. 99)

The Process of PrayerThe Process of Prayer

The world revealed by God's word is so much larger than The world revealed by God's word is so much larger than our sin conditioned world that we can't be expected to our sin conditioned world that we can't be expected to grasp it all at once. The world revealed by God's word grasp it all at once. The world revealed by God's word has so much more to it, in it, and behind it than our ego-has so much more to it, in it, and behind it than our ego-centered world that we can't be expected to understand centered world that we can't be expected to understand it all at once. But God is patient with us. That is why we it all at once. But God is patient with us. That is why we praypray what we read. Prayer is the way we work our way what we read. Prayer is the way we work our way out of the comfortable but cramped world of self into the out of the comfortable but cramped world of self into the self-denying but spacious world of God. It's getting rid of self-denying but spacious world of God. It's getting rid of self so that we can be all soul--God-aware, God-self so that we can be all soul--God-aware, God-dimensioned. (p. 108)dimensioned. (p. 108)

The Process of PrayerThe Process of Prayer

Reality as God reveals it to us by his word in Reality as God reveals it to us by his word in Jesus is strange and unexpected and Jesus is strange and unexpected and disappointing. This is not the kind of world we disappointing. This is not the kind of world we would have created if we had been given the would have created if we had been given the assignment; this is not the kind of salvation we assignment; this is not the kind of salvation we would have arranged if we had been on the would have arranged if we had been on the committee; this is not the system of rewards and committee; this is not the system of rewards and punishments we would have legislated if we had punishments we would have legislated if we had had the vote. (p. 108)had the vote. (p. 108)

The Process of PrayerThe Process of Prayer

The reality that God reveals to us in his word is The reality that God reveals to us in his word is very different, quite other…than anything we very different, quite other…than anything we could ever have dreamed up. And thank could ever have dreamed up. And thank goodness, for if we keep at this long enough, goodness, for if we keep at this long enough, prayer by prayer, we find ourselves living in a prayer by prayer, we find ourselves living in a reality that is far larger, far lovelier, far better. reality that is far larger, far lovelier, far better. But it takes considerable getting used to. Prayer But it takes considerable getting used to. Prayer is the process of getting used to it, going from is the process of getting used to it, going from the small to the large, from control to mystery, the small to the large, from control to mystery, from self to soul--to God. (p. 108)from self to soul--to God. (p. 108)