Lectio Divina
I wanted to share an ancient prayer practice called Lectio Divina. I just learned this technique in Betsy's Wednesday night (6pm, 4th floor) class about the book "Creating a Life with God" by Daniel Wolpert. Although I still struggle to settle my mind, I find that this technique allows a particular Bible phrase or verse to pop back into my mind throughout the day. Give it a try and see if it works for you!
Lectio Divina has 4 steps: lectio (reading), meditatio (pondering), oratio (responding), contemplatio (resting). Basically, you pick a Bible passage and read it through twice. This is not a Bible study but rather a chance to allow a certain phrase or idea to catch your attention. Once you find your phrase you can repeat it to yourself many times and allow God a chance to conjure up images in your mind or respond to you in various ways. At last, you are to respond and you pray to God about how the phrase works in your life. Once your conversation with God comes to a natural close you may rest a minute before saying, "Amen." The book suggests starting with Mark 1:14-20 or Isaiah 40:1-5.