Week 5 | Sit: From Shame to Solitude

Meditation is a way that we return God’s gaze in love. Historically, meditation has been rooted in the Christian contemplative tradition with the practice of Lectio Divina. Lectio Divina utilizes a hermeneutic of love in which we notice how God is loving us and present to us as we receive the Scriptures.

Lectio Divina is a Latin phrase meaning “divine reading.” The idea is that we are reading with God. It is a prayerful, attentive reading of Scripture in which we are seeking to connect with the heart of God. The following is a simple five-step practice that goes back to the early days of the desert fathers and mothers in the 200s AD.

– Sit quietly before God … becoming aware that you are in His gaze. 

– Read a short passage of Scripture – one or two verses. Read it slowly three times. For this exercise, you might choose something from a Psalm or simply sit with the words from Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3:16-17.

– Notice a word or phrase that stands out to you and meditate upon it. Hold that word or phrase before the Lord and ask Him what He is inviting you to notice. What resonates or stirs your love for God?

– Notice the response to your meditation that is rising up within you. Offer that as a prayer.

– Rest in God’s presence. Simply sit quietly with Him.

This is not something to rush or get through quickly. We are invited to sit in loving attention to the gaze of God, aided by Scripture.