Here are today's readings:
Galatians 6:14-18
Matthew 11:25-30
Psalm 148:7-14 or
Psalm 121
Lectio overly simplified: Read the texts, silence (what is speaking to you?), read one passage that calls to you (what is speaking to you?), find one word in that passage that sums what you think the passages are saying. Meditate with that word, ruminate. Ruminate is a word monks use when discribing Lectio, ruminate, like a cow, chew on the word.
Psalm: The Lord is your keeper- recall Cain and Abel
Gal:A new creation is everything-God is eternally doing new things, eternal=no time=no time like the present=no past or future, only now=God is now and new.
Matt:my yoke is easy, my burden is light-really? I thought the way was narrow. Maybe the burden is easy because we have the chance to lay down our baggage. Or maybe the burden is light because there is nothing that we must pick up, we don't learn new things in this new spirituality, we unlearn, see Anthony Demello.
Lectio word:yoke,easy
Reflection: Funny things about lectio for me, and I'd like to get some input on this especially those who meditate, is that Lectio in turns is contemplative i.e. not much thought, and affective, as in dealing with feelings. I'd like to think about this affective style. In contemplative prayer and meditation books affective meditaion is maligned, but I see it differently. Our feeling life is so skewed, so conditioned that I think it is a good idea to explore feelings surrounding God. At times it seems that we want to be stoical zenlike christians. Well, I think the spirit has two sides: one that is still and receptive and another that is fiery and prophetic, emotional. I hope this gets some discussion going, I especially think this will getm a response from SEC.
4 comments:
I like this beginning discussion, even though I'm several days late!
Lectio, for me, has always fit into the ancient, Three-fold method of prayer rather nicely. I've always considered it to be predominately a form of illumination. In other words, during lectio--we listen, we look inwardly, we are very receptive. Feelings are ABSOLUTELY involved in lectio. I was just talking with Br. Cassian (Holy Spirit Monastery) about how the heart speaks during lectio and directs us to our conscience.
It CAN, however, lead one into Union (not that these are water-tight compartments) Once the word or words penetrates deeply enough--then yes, feelings are gone because YOU as a separate ego are gone. It seems to me that this is a matter of degree of contemplation. Illumination has things to tell us, teach us, inform us of--whereas Union is more apophatic and words, feelings, etc. become clumsy. Thus, the stoic, Zen like talk.
What ye think?
Also...this entire journey you are on is about sacred listening which is at the heart of lectio. How does one listen without the feelings? It would be very strange indeed! Its almost as if you are outside of the doors of the sanctuary of catacomb +Christianity, as an Auditor again before becoming a Catechumen and then one of the Faithful. This could temper your experience of lectio and keep it within the framework of illumination--bringing to light more of those sleeping dogs in the shadows or those beautiful geodes beneath the crust.
Again, Union is something else entirely. Not higher or deeper, in my opinion--but something where feelings and listening simply cease. Eckhart called it super-essential darkness. Mechtild of Magdeburg called it the abysmal love.
There isn't the typical silence where one is waiting on a word or something else to happen--there is simply SILENCE! Louder than bombs.
What silence! as our Unknown Friend would put it. Fun to consider the word illumination. We shed a light, the light, into the dark recesses. Wake up those dirty dogs, dem boys are up, and now they are mad and hungry!
Through all this, lectio and discernment, I've made arrangements to continue the inner work. I want to get a spiritual director, but in the meantime I've gotten a therapist which is an interesting relationship. More later.
on the lines of spiritual direction and therapy--it has recently become very clear to me that a good spiritual director is quite a rare thing these days, which may be why we have such a need for therapists.
Have you seen the books on Orthodox Psychotherapy by Archimandrite Hierotheos Vlachos? You have one of his books, "Night in the Desert on the Holy Mountain" concerning the Jesus Prayer--it also gets into this subject and the way the Orthdox view the Geronda or Staretz as Psychotherapist--but in an augmented way.
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