Lectio Divina with Urban Abbey

By Seanne Emmerton

I hate to admit that I haven’t been much of a biblical scholar, even though I was a Religion Major at Nebraska Wesleyan and thought I wanted to go to seminary at one point in my life. I have had a habit of zoning out when clergy read scripture and certainly have not been inclined to “take it in”, to feel it, to inquire what it is saying to me now or to even pursue the context in which it is in…or the rich metaphorical meaning it contains. That is, until Urban Abbey.

Thank you Debra for making it come alive in many ways in our services…the Reflection of course, the music, the prayers, and the practice of Lectio Divina.*

Since we most often live in outstate Nebraska, we are grateful for the ability to join services online and I enjoy that we practice Lectio Divina as part of that.  I like to take notes on the scripture reading, including my responses to the Lectio Divina questions. Then during the week I like to reflect on it further. I have a morning practice of yoga, prayer and meditation and then sitting with the scripture and digging deeper. I used to never dig deeper, or even crack open a bible for that matter.  Now I’m curious and read the context the scripture is in which usually leads to more investigation. I have my dad’s bible that he read every morning, underlined in places and sprinkled with notes. Frequently after reading the scripture in my bible, I will read it in his as well. And I love seeing what stood out to him.

This practice has been so helpful in deepening my spiritual formation and one I would not be practicing today without the consistent use of Lectio Divina at Urban Abbey.

*Lectio Divina is a contemplative way of reading the bible. There are a variety of ways you can enter into Lectio Divina but usually it starts with reading the passage and just listening, then reading it again and noticing a word or phrase that stands out to you, then reading it again and sharing or noting what you are taking away from it.