Scripture Memory: A Type of Lectio Divina?

Have you heard of Lectio Divina?  I didn’t know much about it until recently when I researched it in order to lead a lectio divina exercise at a women’s retreat.  I found out that it is an ancient method of looking at Scripture and meditating on a word or phrase that is given to you by the Holy Spirit.  It was kept alive by monks during and after the Protestant Reformation because the Protestant leaders soundly rejected it as a Roman Catholic practice.  Today it is experiencing a resurgence in the Protestant and Catholic communities alike, with groups like the American Bible Society promoting its use as a way for all of us to hear from God through the Bible.

There are four simple steps in the practice of Lectio Divina or “holy reading”:

#1.  LECTIO (READ)

       Read a short passage of Scripture out loud, after quieting yourself and asking the Holy Spirit to guide you.  Is there a word or phrase that especially moves you or causes you to stop and think or question?  What captures your attention in the passage you have read?

#2.  MEDITATIO (MEDITATE)

       Meditate on that word or group of words. How does the text relate to your life experience?  How does it touch you inwardly—your concerns, your memories, your ideas? 

#3.  ORATIO (PRAY)

        Ask God what He is saying to you through the Scripture.  What is it that He may be inviting you to do?  Is He inviting you to change in some way?  Pray about what you have received from His Word, giving thanks for this gift from Him.

#4.  CONTEMPLATIO (CONTEMPLATION)

       Rest in the Father’s arms.  Be still and let Him minister to you in the stillness.  Enjoy His company.  Just be present with Him.

As I gathered more and more information about the practice of Lectio Divina, I realized that as I memorize Scripture, I go through some of the steps listed above.  I don’t do it consciously, but it happens nevertheless.  This is the example that popped out for me.

I was memorizing Isaiah 45:2 in the New American Standard Bible ( I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars.) when the phrase “shatter the doors of bronze” was highlighted for me. The word “shatter” kept coming back to my mind.

I looked up other translations to see if there were any other nuances I could glean from their wording.  Shatter was translated variously as break down, break in pieces, make to shiver, smash down, and destroy.  The dictionary definition of shatter was “to dash, burst, or break into fragments.”

Then I thought about bronze.  How hard would it be to shatter something made of bronze?  How heavy do you suppose bronze doors (or gates according to some translations) might be?  So heavy that I couldn’t move them by myself?  So heavy that I would need someone else to open them for me?  Hmmm.

And it became clear to me that God was saying, “I am able to open for you all the “doors of bronze” in your life, whatever they might be (ie. fears, concerns, difficult people or circumstances).  I am strong enough to shatter them so they don’t keep you bound or outside My perfect will for you any longer.  Not only am I able to do it, I am willing to do it for you.  You just have to let me.” Wow!!

The first three steps in the practice of Lectio Divina were there as I tried to memorize the verse from Isaiah; I had read it out loud a number of times, I had “meditated” on a particular phrase, and I had talked to God about it.  The only step I left out was that of contemplation or resting in the Father’s arms.  I have an idea that more contemplation on my part would equal more hearing His voice as well.  

It’s time for the first of our September verses.  I look forward to seeing what you are memorizing!  And if you have found yourself meditating on certain words or phrases,  I invite you to share what you have learned with all of us.