Spiritual Nurture

Lectio divina is an effective spiritual exercise. Used over a period of time it has many benefits, such as learning to:

• listen more deeply to the scriptures
• voice personal struggles with God's call
• listen prayerfully and attentively to others
• be comfortable with silence
• pray for one another
• respect our own and others' experiences of and responses to scripture
• keep confidences
• accompany one another on our faith journeys
• develop a community of faith

Four Important Principles

1. Lectio divina is a reflection based on personal experience, not a study based on trying to come to a "correct" understanding of the text.
2. What is said in the group stays in the group. Strict confidentiality must be observed.
3. Participants are always free to pass if they do not wish to respond or cannot think of anything to say.
4. When one person is speaking, everyone else listens without responding at all. There is NO discussion.

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Method of Reflection

1. The text is read three times, by three different people (the same version of the text can be read each time or different versions).
2. A period of deep silence follows each reading.
3. During the period of silence, participants "rest" with the text. Rather than thinking about the text, participants wait to see what emerges out of the text for them.
4. Each person's reflections are listened to and not commented on by others. There is NO discussion.

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The Process

Choose a short scripture passage of six to ten verses. It works best if the three readers are selected before beginning the practice.

Part 1

1. The leader tells the participants that during the period of silence they are to listen for a word or phrase that catches their attention.
2. The first reader reads the passage while everyone else listens without looking at the text (the reader then puts the text away).
3. Silence follows for at least one minute.
4. The leader asks the participants to share with the group the word or phrase that emerged for them during the period of silence. There is no further explanation or discussion. (Participants should never feel apologetic about what emerges for them. They are also free to not share with the group.)

Part 2

1. The leader tells the participants that during the period of silence they are to be open to this question:
   How is the passage speaking to your life today (for example, home life, work life, congregational life) ?
2. The second reader reads the same passage while all other participants listen (the reader then puts the text away).
3. Silence follows for at least three minutes.
4. Participants share their responses, with no discussion.

Part 3

1. The leader tells the participants that during the period of silence they are to be open to this question:
   From what I have heard and shared, what does God want me to do or be this week? Or how does God want me to change?
2. The leader also tells the group that after the sharing time, each person will be asked to pray for the person on his or her left, in response to what that person shared.
3. The third reader reads the passage while all others listen (the reader then puts the text away).
4. Silence follows for three to five minutes.
5. Participants share their response.
6. Participants join hands and, one by one, pray for the person on their left. Go around the circle to the right so the person who has just received prayer does not have to pray right away but can sit for a bit with the prayer.
7. Participants conclude the session with the Lord's Prayer.

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Connecting the Ancient Practice to Our Own Tradition through the United Church Crest

Engage with the symbols of the United Church crest in this practice of lectio divina. [PDF: 2 pp/123 KB]