In the month of April, our Living Vision community is dedicating ourselves to the ancient Benedictine practice of Lectio Divina, and what a gift we are finding this discipline to be. "Divine Word," as one translates the Latin, involves listening to a very small kernel of scripture read aloud three times in succession and then followed by an extended period (7-10 minutes?) of silence. After the silence, the same passage is read again three times out loud and the silence is repeated. The cycle is then done again a third time. During the silence, the disciple is to allow the scripture to bathe over him/her. Certain words or images may emerge, as may ideas or memories. Lectio Divina is a living conversation between these holy words and the practitioner. At the end of this 30-40 minute practice, the practitioners who choose to do so may talk about what they experienced.
It has been incredible to see how alive the scriptures really are. Not only is the experience entirely different from person to person, but the same person can have a radically different experience from the first to the third reading! The entire group has been edified by the practice itself and the debriefing of it.
As an integrative spiritual community, we have sought to open ourselves to a variety of scriptural voices - the Gita and the Hebrew Bible so far, and the Koran and Christian New Testament in the weeks to come. In doing so, we make no attempt to diminish one's particular faith or holy writ, but rather to recognize commonalities and the deep spiritual truths that we all share.
Most recently, we focused on the powerful tale of the disgruntled and besieged Hebrew prophet Elijah in I Kings 19:11-13. Here we find Elijah hiding in a cave from his pursuers. A visitor asks him to step out of the cave, for the Lord Yahweh is about to pass by. First there is mighty wind, then an earthquake, and finally a fire. But Yahweh is not present in any of those. It is the fourth form that contains the Creator - a still, small voice, or as one translation renders - "a gentle whisper."
How often do we look for God in the huge, in the dramatic, in the powerful display? What if, for us as well as Elijah, God chooses to reveal God's self a gentle whisper? Will we even notice? Will we attend to it? Or might we miss it entirely?
Join us each and ever Tuesday evening from 7:30-8:30 at Yoga Roots in downtown Petoskey, 444 E. Mitchell St. Enter by the back alley. All are welcome to practice with us, regardless of religious background, beliefs, or persuasion. We value silence over noise, reflection over argument, and practice over belief. For more information, contact tobyjones48@gmail.com.
Peace
