[Read Text of Audio] – Session 2

REFLECT AND PRACTICE

Read: For those who have the book, read chapter two, “Chewing the Bread of the Word: The Nature and Practice of Spiritual Reading,” Soul Feast pp. 17-30, Marjorie Thompson.

Reflection: What is your typical way of reading? Have you ever read scripture as a way to pray and meditate? Are there other kinds of written materials that you read and respond to in a way similar to spiritual reading? What kinds of reading are you attracted to (devotional reading, fiction, poetry)?

Practice: Find a quiet place. Bring a bible or some other spiritual reading material. Sit in a chair/bench with your feet on the ground. Take a deep breath or two, letting the energy flow in and out of you. Slowly read a text, not for information, but with an openness, trusting that this process mediates God’s Spirit to you. If you are so moved read the text two or even three times following the four movements of Lectio: Listen (Heart), Meditate (Head), Pray (Open toward God), Contemplate (Rest in God). To start, I recommend using Colossians 3:12-17.