shadowwonder

[Here is a follow-up to an earlier post on Lectio Divina .] A few months ago I encountered an interesting concept in Larry Crabb’s The Pressure’s Off .   In the book, Crabb describes what he calls “the Papa prayer,” which is a series of prompts to use for reflection and (of course) prayer. I’m not really comfortable with turning a sacred practice into a step-by-step process.   But Crabb's suggestions continue to linger in my mind, and I’ve found it meaningful to revisit them from time to time.   And as I’ve spent time in Matthew 14, one part of the Papa prayer seems particularly relevant.   So I thought I’d pass it along: “Attend to where you notice God’s presence or absence in your day.” Lately, it seems like I’ve heard lots of people talk about instances where they ’ ve perceived God ’ s presence.   They often refer to such experiences as “God moments ”    What about you?   Do you know someone who has talked about a “God moment” in his or her life?

As I mentioned in a  recent post , I ’ m beginning the year by inviting shadowwonder readers to participate in what may be a new practice for some of you:   lectio divina , or sacred reading.    We'll focus on the narrative in which Christ walks on water.   But before we begin, here's a brief word about preparing . . . . When I’m planning to spend time in sacred reading, I find it helpful to think ahead—to make sure I’ll have 20-30 minutes of uninterrupted time, and that there’s a comfortable, quiet place available.   Coffee is great too.   J Then, because I’m such a “do-er," I usually need to begin by decelerating.    Often this means writing down—and then setting aside—the list of “to-do’s” spinning in my head, turning off my phone, putting the laptop out of reach.   Then, it helps to close my eyes and take a few slow, deep breaths.    According to scripture, the very Spirit of God lives inside the Christ-follower’s heart and mind, so I try

As the daughter of a minister, I’ve been reading, hearing, and learning about the Bible for literally my entire life.   It wasn’t until I reached my thirties, though, that I was introduced to lectio divina (or sacred reading).   This practice—based on the idea that the biblical text is “living and active”—involves not only reading a passage of scripture for literal understanding, but contemplating it, and even inviting God to speak through the text to me, perhaps in a way that is immediately relevant to current struggles, joys, tasks, or season of life.   Descriptions of lectio divina can be found easily online or even at the public library; one of my favorites is here . Because I’ve found sacred reading to be a particularly rich practice, I thought shadowwonder readers might enjoy it as well--especially if you're not familiar with it.   So, if you’d like to give it a try, the next few posts are for you. In them, you'll find  a series of activities and questi