Lectio Divina – a holy reading of the Bible slowly, savoring it, and enjoying it with the Lord – is the spiritual practice of sacred reading of the scriptures. The intention is not to learn or gain information but to deepen our relationship with God. St Benedict encourages us to “to listen with the ear of our hearts.”
Join me once a week for Lectio Divina. I will share a verse and a word that spoke to my heart. Read and listen to the verses here. And gently ask God for a word or phrase that speaks to your heart for that day – that is what lectio means. Once we find that gift, we hold it, meditate, and savor its meaning. This step is called meditation.
Then offer that word back to God in prayer or the third step of oratio. In prayer we allow our real selves to be touched and changed by the word of God.
Finally, we simply rest in the presence of the One who has used His word as a means of inviting us to accept His transforming embrace. No one who has ever been in love needs to be reminded that there are moments in loving relationships when words are unnecessary.
Come into the presence of the Lord.
Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.
For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.
The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Psalm 95:1-7 (NIV)
Your hands, Lord
Your hands hold the depth of the very earth I stand upon
Your hands even contain the tip of the highest mountain
Your hands claim both the sea and dry land; your name is inscribed throughout nature
You are God.
Your hands, Lord
Your hands that hold all of creation, also enfold me
Your hands encircle my very life and embrace the lives of those I love
Your hands claim me as one you designed, formed, and created
Forgive me when I belittle any of your handiwork and forget that your hands still hold me today.
You are God.
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“Your hands still hold me.” My favorite line Jeanie. Thanks