That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. ² The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. ³ We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. ⁴ We write this to make our joy complete.
- 1 John 1:1-4
 
Today is a great day to try something called “lectio divina,” which is an ancient and contemplative way of reading and engaging scripture.
 
Lectio divina engages a different facet of your soul than Bible study. Instead of dissecting and analyzing the text, we listen and respond. Instead of applying our God-given rational faculties to our engagement, we relax into the Holy Spirit and let him guide our attention. Both Inductive Bible Study (our usual practice) and lectio divina (what we’re doing today) can be helpful ways of engaging with God’s word.
 
Take a few moments before you begin your engagement with the text to breathe, slow down, rest, and relax in the presence of God. The God of the whole universe stands willing to help your reading (how awesome is that?!?).
 
When you’re ready, read the passage slowly and aloud, listening for a word or phrase or image that resonates with you. Write the word or image down and continue reading. Read through the passage two or three times.
 
Now, circle back to those words, phrases and images that jumped out to you from the text. In prayer, ask the Lord:

• What do these words, phrases and images mean for me?
• What makes these important for me to hear today?
• How would you like me to respond to what I’m reading?

 
As you close your time in the word, take a few moments to plan what you want to do to respond faithfully to what you’ve heard. We don’t read the Bible just for information, but to experience connection with God and transformation in our lives, community, and world.
 
Give it a try!