Lectio divina is an ancient monastic spiritual practice, dating back to the early church, when the scholar, patristic father, and theologian, Origen of Alexandria (circa 185–253 CE), advocated scriptural reflection and interpretation and wrote about “scripture as a sacrament.” Origen believed that Christ, as the Word, was incarnate in the scriptures, and he passed his teachings on to Ambrose of Milan (circa 339–397 CE). Ambrose, in turn, taught Saint Augustine (354–430 CE), and an emphasis on reading and reflection on the scriptures was subsequently passed down to the Western monastic tradition. Last year I released a blog post that describes the...
The hills and groves were God’s first temples Filled with the glory of God Stone sermons Set us off on a great adventure Filled with the glory of God Every hidden cell throbbing with music and life A great adventure of mind and heart Every tree swirling in glorious enthusiasm Every cell throbbing We are all kin in the evolving community of life Every tree tossing their branches, enthusiasm like worship Our vision must be one of flourishing for all Our evolving community of life is now under siege Stone sermons Give us visions of an evolutionary future that will still surprise us No wonder the hills and...
Last updated: September 14, 2024 Lectio divina (Latin for “divine reading”) is an ancient monastic spiritual practice – a contemplative way to connect with the aliveness and wisdom of sacred texts. Traditionally, the texts are scripture readings, but texts could include other spiritual writings, nature, art images, music, poetry, or even the text of our own lives. There is a long history of practicing lectio divina, and the roots of this prayer method date back to the early church. Desert monastics from the 4th and 5th centuries CE memorized scriptures and meditated on them extensively, since handwritten manuscripts were very...
