Isn't it wonderful to be able to review, reflect and get ready? These blog entries have been lengthy but there is so much to absorb in each one. If time has allowed, I hope you have been able to spend time thinking about Lectio Divina and applying these ideas to your devotion time. Maybe you have just had time for a quick check in, a quick read. That's okay! I hope you will revisit these entries and give yourself the time to reread. The lessons are good. Let us press on with todays! Once again, from Pastor John:

"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right." (2 Tim. 3:16)

'ALL Scripture' - I understand that there are certain parts of God's Word that apply to us and impact us more at certain times in our lives, that is so true. And at the same time I kind of wince sometimes when folks tell me that so-and-so verse is their life verse, or their guiding verse --- folks the ENTIRE Word of God is our LIFELINE, period.

And to this end we must know that meditating on God's Word is a marathon - a long term process - that builds upon itself. The more we store away in our hearts and minds, the more the Holy Spirit is able to help us to remember a word or a phrase and a fresh wave of Jesus is able to blow through our lives.

As this happens more and more we begin to cultivate a life rhythm 'thinking on things above' and of continuously 'being filled' with His Spirit. The results are the 'much fruit' and 'straight paths' (just to name a couple!) that Jesus promises us!

With that in mind, I want to introduce you to another method of meditating on Scripture this week. It's known as the Ignatian Method after Ignatius of Loyola (He was a 15th century radically converted priest who became the founder of the Jesuit order. The Ignatian method detail below is taken from the Pastors Network Retreat - Retreat Folder).It will expand your thoughts on meditation while reminding us that our subject is ALWAYS JESUS!

The Ignatian Method of Meditating on Scripture
Preparation of the one about to Pray

In his Spiritual Exercises, Ignatius recommends that meditations always begin with this or a similar method of preparation:

1) Preparation of the Interior Place of Prayer:
The one about to pray calls to mind the importance of what is about to be done, that is, to come into the presence of the living God. This can be done by sitting quietly for a moment, or by pacing up and down until the gravity of the very act of prayer and Scripture reading is realized.

2) Preparation of the Exterior Place of Prayer
This consists of signaling the entry into the presence of God by assuming the posture one is to have throughout the time of prayer. The actual posture itself is not the focus of this movement, as much as the knowledge that one has come into the presence of God and that the Almighty is watching, eager to know our hearts and what we would bring to him. It is fitting to acknowledge the presence of the Lord with an act of reverence or humility.

3) Purification of the Mind and Heart
Next, one recites a short prayer that expresses a desire to completely devote oneself in the present – and at all times, to the greater glory of God. Ignatius suggests this prayer: "Lord, grant me the grace that all my intentions, actions, and operations may be ordered purely to the service and praise of your Divine Majesty."

Without breaking this moment of sacred presence, the Scripture passage is read slowly while performing the next three movements.

The Period of Meditation on Scripture

The period of meditation on Scripture is a moment that engages imagination, memory and intellect to enter into the Scripture passage we are about to read. This process also follows three movements, which should occur while we are reading the passage. This means that this time of meditation on Scripture will alternate between silent contemplation with eyes closed and active reading and rereading of the narrative to more completely enter in. Sometimes reading the passage aloud to oneself makes it more present.

1) Composition of place
This movement consists of seeing with the eyes of the imagination the actual place where the scriptural story to be read took place. If we have seen pictures or visited such places, we can recall with the aid of our memory the geographic location of the story. We can also make use of our intellect to recall what we know historically about the setting of the narrative we are reading.

2) Application of the Senses
As we read meditatively over the passage before us, we explore the mystery with the aid of the five senses. First, one sees with the imagination all the people involved in the passage. Next, one listens to each one and what is being said, and so on, smelling, tasting and touching the elements of the narrative.

3) Unfolding of the Mystery
Finally, though these three steps need not follow a strict order, the one who is praying should look at the persons involved and savor their actions and their words, always reflecting on these things in relation to one's own actions and words and how the elements of the story speak to, or about, the one praying.

Ignatius adds a note of caution to all of this. The imagination can be tricky, and an image should be used in prayer or Bible reading only insofar as it helps us to focus on the truths to be revealed in the meditation. Our imagination may challenge us, and that is okay, but if we become distracted or frustrated, we must be willing to let go of and move beyond the imagery in order to stay focused on the reason for our meditation, to draw nearer to Christ.

Ending the Time of Prayer

Ignatius believes that we should enter each time of prayer or Bible reading with some end in view, some specific favor we are asking of God. Perhaps it is for a virtue, like courage, or for an increase of faith, or for the gift of insight to better understand the working of the Spirit in one's life.

For this reason, Ignatius suggests that we remain in prayer and meditation until we feel that God has answered, or at least begun to answer, our prayer.

When we end our formal meditation on the Scripture passage, we should spend time in conversation with God about what we experienced. This, according to Ignatius, should be the longest movement of the prayer. And, he insists, we ought to speak with God or Christ exactly as we would speak to a brother, mother or friend.

We should speak to God during this time according to the state of our soul, whether it is sad or joyful, dry or fervent, frustrated or fulfilled. We should never divorce our here-and-now self from our conversations with God. Our conversation ought to be simple and informal, though always maintaining the attitude of reverence with which we began our time in God's presence.

Final Thoughts

One of Ignatius' most helpful thoughts for me is his encouragement to read with 'an end in mind.'For instance I recently read through the book of Hebrews asking God to teach me more about His 'rest.' How it was powerful to see and listen to God speak to me about the 'rest' of Jesus as each day I asked Him to show me more and more.
I pray that this week God blesses you in immeasurable ways as you seek Him!

How are you doing with the review? Have you had the chance to sit down and take it all in, maybe even reading it a couple times. Good! Pastor John at this point in his teaching paused and said, "I sensed that we need to remain once more soaking in Lectio, and seeking to make it a part of the Spirit's tool in our hearts." Lets read on and see what that involves.

"Above all else guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." (Proverbs 4:23)
Listen to what John Ortberg says about purity and God's Word:

A Transformed Heart, Mind & Life

It is a frightening thing to begin to see the truth about your own mind and its need for cleansing. This is why Martin Luther used to spend so much time in the confessional. He often spent several hours there for several days in a row. His fellow monks used to ask him what he was doing. (After all, he lived in a monastery. What did he have to confess: short- sheeting the other monks? chanting off-key?)

But Luther was frightened by his own cleverness at self-justification. He knew that the first commandment is to love God with heart, soul, body, and strength - and he couldn't even keep this injunction for five minutes.

Imagine having a mind cleansed of all the debris that blocks our best intentions. Imagine if each time you saw another person your first thought was to pray for him or bless her. Imagine what it would be like if, any time you were challenged or anxious, your reflexive response would be to turn to God for strength. Imagine, if you're a married man, that whenever you looked at any woman other than your wife you would see her as if she were your sister or your daughter. Imagine genuinely wishing your "enemies" well.

That's what it would be to have the mind "washed by the Word." This is what it means to "let the word of Christ dwell in you richly." This is how we are to be transformed by Scripture. This is our great need.

So the Bible is to help us learn how to live in the kingdom of God here and now. It teaches us how to morph. It is indispensable for this task. I have never known someone leading a spiritually transformed life who had not been deeply saturated in Scripture.

Paul writes about this role of Scripture in this famous statement: "All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God might be proficient, equipped for every good work."

Paul does not say that the purpose of knowing Scripture is to enable us, when we go to heaven, to get a 100 score on the entrance exam. He says the purpose is for us to become equipped for good works. Or, to put it another way, it is for us to become transformed into the kind of people from whom goodness flows like an unceasing stream of water.

Buzzed or Drunk?

I made a statement that we shouldn't read God's Word just to get a 'buzz.' I apologize to those of you who I confused with this statement, because intimacy with God can be had in a moment, and it DOES involve all of our emotions and passions.But what I was trying to speak to was the taking for granted of that relationship, not disparaging the emotional side of it. On the contrary, we are called to be 'drunk' with His Spirit! In the imagery of 'chewing the cud' I was thinking of sticking His Word in our mouth for a moment and just spitting it out - as opposed to letting it's juices go deep into our soul.

The hope in all this process of meditation is not that we will become more informed, but that we will become people who live from the very depth of Jesus' heart.

Jesus said that we have not because we ask not. As you read and pray and live this week tell God that you want to be changed, that you want His Word to wash through your life and purify you. And then watch . . . and expect. Expect Him to speak as never before.