“To pray and actually mean ‘thy Kingdom come,’ we must also be able to say ‘my kingdoms go.’” Richard Rohr
We’ve probably all been advised to “let go and let God,” at some point, usually at a time when that advice was somewhat frustrating. But what if that advice came from God? What if we were able to quiet our own soul for a while and heed one of the many verses in the Bible encouraging us to let go?
One of the principles of the Faithwalking model is living a Reflective Life – where your word increasingly co-creates with God. Basically, we’re trying to capture a way of living in relationship with Christ that is dynamic and continuous, where our daily efforts line up with God’s desires. It’s hard. Continually, we must say “thy Kingdom come,” with the inherent “and my kingdoms go” that Rohr mentions.
Lectio Divina – Latin for divine reading is a simple Benedictine practice of reading the Scriptures that incorporates meditation and prayer, with the intention to promote communion with God and to increase the knowledge of God’s living word. Choose one of the following passages (along with its surrounding text) that resonates with you, and engage it with this practice.
Exodus 14:14 – The Lord will deliver you, and you have only to be still.
John 15:5 – Cut off from me you can do nothing.
Matthew 6:14 – If you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours.
Habakkuk 3:19 – God, the Lord, is my strength.
2 Corinthians 12:10 – When I am weak, then I am strong.
Read your selected passages slowly, out loud. With the first reading, listen with your heart’s ear for a phrase or word that stands out for you. Read the passage out loud again, this time reflect on what stood out to you (perhaps journal or speak your reflection aloud). Read the passage out loud a third time. Respond to the passage with a prayer or expression of what you are experiencing and what you are feeling called to. Read the passage a final, fourth time. Rest in silence for a few minutes.
May our work help us to align, our heart with the heart of our God, even if only for a little while. May we be challenged, may we be encouraged, but most of all, may we be changed.
Lectio Divina instructions paraphrased from Richard Rohr’s Jesus’ Plan for a New World
contributed by: Adrianne McGee
