Psalms for Today ~ Lectio

 

Read Psalms 106-108

 

As we turn to the last fifty Psalms in the coming weeks, I want to introduce and invite a different way of reading.  The process is called Lectio Divina, don’t let the Latin name throw you, it simply means ~ Holy Reading…and you have already been doing this.  And I hope it is helpful to describe and define the process.  There are five steps to Lectio Divina.

 

Step one: read the three Psalms for today slowly, savoring the syllables and noticing the meaning you are making of the sentence.  Please pay attention to a word that jumps off the page ~ you can circle that word or write it down.

 

Step two: take a deep breath and look at the word or words from the Psalms that you wrote down or circled.  Take as long as you would like to contemplate, meditate, and let those words roam around your imagination.  You may ponder, “I wonder why that word or those words caught my attention?”

 

Step three: take a deep breath and pray.  Maybe you pray for God to cut through the confusion.  For example, I may pray, “God, I want to live verse 3 of Psalm 106 ~ of living Your justice ~ but I get so frustrated by those who hurt and harm others, especially Your beloved on the margin.”  Or may you pray, “God, when like the Israelites wandering the wilderness do I forget You?” (see 106:6 forward for a full, almost exhaustive, and exhausting account of what went wrong in the wilderness).  Or maybe you pray the words of Psalm 107, which to me sound like they inspired the hymn, “Guide Me O My Great Redeemer” and “God of Grace and God of Glory.”

 

Step four: breathe.  Rest in the connection with the Composer and Conductor of our lives, listening to God’s unfinished symphony and sacred silence holding you.

 

Step five: embody/enact/intention.  This is not always included in traditional Lectio Divina, but I like having a commitment that I carry with me.  So, I may say, “God, help me seek justice and be non-violent in my words today.”  Or “God, when the sea billows roll or I feel lost in the desert, help me encounter Your steadfast love” (from Psalm 107).  Or maybe, I pray, “Keep me awake to Your presence wherever and whenever I find myself today.” (from Psalm 108).

 

I will walk through this prayerful reading process each day this week, but feel free to reach out to me if you have questions.  This is a different way of reading ~ it is less about information and more about paying attention and asking God for transformation.  As we head into the last set of 50 Psalms, this is my most heartfelt and honest prayer.  Amen.