The current generation is trying out old and new.
Lectio Divina is tried out in youth groups and worship services. The usual format is a quiet atmosphere, a continuous reading of a short passage (usually scripture), and focused meditation on that passage. This is an ancient practice newly revived.
For a generation who has worked with short bursts of information constantly repeated, this is a way that is familiar. To those used to linear logic that builds on previous statements and assumptions, this is hard to accept — to just take one thought and dwell on it smacks of mantras and eastern religion.
Right and wrong!
Right? Christianity is not without content and context. Lectio divina needs a full teaching component, otherwise you form your own revelation of truth. Your meditation becomes unrelated to the full orb of Christian truth, and becomes at worst self-centered and perverted. What you may hear in your meditation (and I do not dispute that God talks to us in our contemporary situations) can be from other than the Holy Spirit. Without external revelation there is no way to anchor or test your visions/dreams/hearing!
Wrong? I think we have squelched hearing from God and his word. I love the practice of the Anglicans — upon completion of Scripture reading you hear, “This is the word of the Lord, Thanks be to God.” When I hear a Scripture passage read and repeated, can God not speak through that to my contemporary situation? Can there not be a transference of the intent of the passage into my life stiuation? Can I not trust God to insert into my life His thoughts, dreams, visions?
The old made new seems often seems to collide with present practice. I wonder if we can’t learn from the past’s mistakes and yet accept the future’s opportunities?
What about Contemplative Prayer or Contemplative Spirituality? I seem to be reading a lot cautioning us on their use. The terms themselves seem rather harmless. Also, the cautions are directed against ministries that we have had in our church, The Purpose Driven Life and Alpha. I did not see anything harmful in these things when we did them but now I’m reading how the gospel is watered down, man’s sinful state is glossed over, who Jesus Christ is isn’t clearly seen. Being a Christian for many years I must have mentally filled in these gaps when I was going through the studies. My fear is that people who have come to know Christ through these ministries will not really be saved because they have not really repented because they didn’t know they needed to!
I read the same book and took the same course. Both Alpha and the Purpose Driven Life had repentance included. Maybe we don’t always use the same words, but the terms turning around, coming under the Lordship of Christ, and surrendering our lives to be lived in the fullness of the Spirit of Jesus Christ seems to be a good start on the Christian Life.
Yes, I’ve read some of the same websites you may have looked at. And I would agree that no book is going to cover everything in one shot! If I tried to preach everything I thought was needed to fully live the Christian Life – you wouldn’t have the physical stamina to sit for that long.
My question always is – in relation to a local church – are you (the people that make up the church) working towards discipling people? If you are, you will be filling in blanks along the way – maybe writing your own curriculum! I’d love to see a few books, CD’s and other discipleship materials coming out of the Kindersley Alliance Church over the next few years!
I look forward to discussing Contemplative Spirituality and Prayer in an upcoming blog!