Great video. I'm a protestant and an anabaptist, and I have been practicing Lectio Divina for over a year now, came to it out of my own curiosity. I find it to be very rewarding in making truths that you already know intellectually, very real and personal and sticky in your mind as you go about your day. I think it gives God a chance to point our attention to a particular truth in the Bible that we may have head knowledge of, but fail to see its application in our lives. Keep up the good work.
Excellent video, PT. Of all the spiritual disciplines I have struggle with meditation the most. I've read Foster, Whitney, Brother Lawrence, and many others and found them to be lacking in one way or another. Many of them lean towards New Age or Oriental meditation and others seem to focus on just mentally chanting a verse over and over. This looks like something that I can actually use for meditation. I just added this to my library along with the "Book of Common Prayer" which was suggested by somebody else pursuing a similar line of thinking.
I have also found ‘Centering Prayer’ to be an intriguing practice. You are right however, that many of these disciplines leave something to be desired. Discernment required.
I occasionally use the Lectio Divina workflow in Logos, but that's been the extent of my knowledge of the practice. I can see from this video that there's much more to it. I think it's an excellent and more immersive adjunct to regular Bible study, devotional, prayer, and other spiritual practices. Another quiver in the arrow.
I believe lectio brings something of value to the table. Scripture speaks of meditating day and night, and of loving God with mind and heart. And it is not just our hearts that need to be redeemed for God’s purposes, but our minds too. The grammatical, historical (and literary) hermeneutic is valuable but it may be overly intellectual; thus responses such as theological interpretation (TIS) and lectio. It isn’t either/or but both/and. Effective preaching hits the mind and heart; why not Bible reading too? I think of Matthew Henry as a Protestant example (see his commentaries), and Augustine as a very early example (eg his commentary on the psalms). We may not adopt his allegorical approach but I think he and Henry show us what a full-hearted engagement with scripture can look like. Some advocate putting your analytical mind aside for lectio; personally, I don’t do that. I believe we have different lenses and benefit from their combined contributions. I hope this helps.
Excellent video. I agree wholeheartedly with your review and with your answers to the questions about LD. Like just about any practice, LD can, and has been, abused if used incorrectly. It is really nothing more or less than another approach to the study of God's Word. "Meditation" is a Bible word after all. The fact that mystics idolize it and misuse it and that other religions use meditation in no way render it evil in and of itself. Definitions matter and we should never "clear our minds" and thus allow space for satan to put thoughts in our heads. While I do think new believers should not be taught this, more mature believers can benefit, imo. I would say that ANY practice holds potential for abuse. For example, reading commentaries could be accused (wrongly) of adding to God's Word. Listening to other preachers could be misused and become plagiarism. Even using "new" translations could be dangerous if the reader isn't circumspect to make sure the translator was a scholar and not a propagandist. I guess that's why our KJV friends refuse to even consider reading a different translation and I see that response as similar to the main arguments agains LD. I do think some caution is called for. But we don't need to make an idol out of LD and as long as we remain submitted to the Word of God as the Final Authority, I believe God's Spirit will guide and protect us.
The Bible tells the Christian to use the Scriptures to pursue the knowledge of God, wisdom, and holiness through the objective meaning of the text with the aim of transforming the mind according to truth and not through mystical, personal encounters with Him using a Gnostic approach to the text because it can disconnect it from its context and natural meaning and use it in a subjective, individualistic, and experiential way for which it was never intended. The sufficiency of Bible is all a person needs live the Christian life (2 Timothy 3:16), but all Lectio variations deny that. The Bible is God's Word to be studied, meditated upon, prayed over, and memorized for the knowledge and objective meaning it contains and the authority from God it carries, and not for the mystical experience or feeling of personal power and inner peace they may stimulate. Sound knowledge comes first, and then the lasting kind of experience and peace comes as a byproduct of knowing and correctly communing with God. As long as a person doesn't take the Lectio Divina view of the Bible and prayer, they are engaging in the same kind of meditation and prayer that Bible-believing followers of Christ have always commended.
@@PastorTanner Good, so you agree that using Lectio Divina is not the way the Bible says Christians should read the Scriptures and enter into pray with God.
This is absolutely dangerous. I came out of this way of thinking. Lectio Divina leads to the idea that we can hear from God extra biblically. Jesus, nor any of the NT Apostles, EVER spoke of special revelation.
@PastorTanner I could have been kinder in my comment. I was in hyper-charismatic/prophetic churches for 22 years. Lectio Divina is routinely practiced. I was considered "prophetic" by dreams and visions. Peoples lives, including my own, suffered serious consequences because we believed God was telling us to make decisions that were ultimately harmful. The Lord graciously delivered me out of this deception, and I feel true freedom for the first time in my 23 years of salvation.
@@shellie2415 No problem, Shellie. I have never been in a church that practiced this as a routine or deliberate practice. All I would say is that the abuse of a thing does not negate its proper use. It is conceivable to me that if a practice were used with greater discernment it might still hold value. Regardless, I'm glad you got out of a bad situation. God bless.
Great video. I'm a protestant and an anabaptist, and I have been practicing Lectio Divina for over a year now, came to it out of my own curiosity. I find it to be very rewarding in making truths that you already know intellectually, very real and personal and sticky in your mind as you go about your day. I think it gives God a chance to point our attention to a particular truth in the Bible that we may have head knowledge of, but fail to see its application in our lives. Keep up the good work.
Thanks, Evan. This was a very nice comment to read. I appreciate you, and I will do my best to keep up the ‘good work.’
Excellent video, PT. Of all the spiritual disciplines I have struggle with meditation the most. I've read Foster, Whitney, Brother Lawrence, and many others and found them to be lacking in one way or another. Many of them lean towards New Age or Oriental meditation and others seem to focus on just mentally chanting a verse over and over. This looks like something that I can actually use for meditation. I just added this to my library along with the "Book of Common Prayer" which was suggested by somebody else pursuing a similar line of thinking.
I have also found ‘Centering Prayer’ to be an intriguing practice. You are right however, that many of these disciplines leave something to be desired. Discernment required.
I realy liked this kind of content. Keep it up!
Awesome! Very good to know. 👍
I occasionally use the Lectio Divina workflow in Logos, but that's been the extent of my knowledge of the practice. I can see from this video that there's much more to it. I think it's an excellent and more immersive adjunct to regular Bible study, devotional, prayer, and other spiritual practices. Another quiver in the arrow.
Thanks for sharing your experience with this, John. 👍
I believe lectio brings something of value to the table. Scripture speaks of meditating day and night, and of loving God with mind and heart. And it is not just our hearts that need to be redeemed for God’s purposes, but our minds too. The grammatical, historical (and literary) hermeneutic is valuable but it may be overly intellectual; thus responses such as theological interpretation (TIS) and lectio. It isn’t either/or but both/and. Effective preaching hits the mind and heart; why not Bible reading too? I think of Matthew Henry as a Protestant example (see his commentaries), and Augustine as a very early example (eg his commentary on the psalms). We may not adopt his allegorical approach but I think he and Henry show us what a full-hearted engagement with scripture can look like. Some advocate putting your analytical mind aside for lectio; personally, I don’t do that. I believe we have different lenses and benefit from their combined contributions. I hope this helps.
This is an extremely valuable comment. Thanks you so much.
Excellent video. I agree wholeheartedly with your review and with your answers to the questions about LD. Like just about any practice, LD can, and has been, abused if used incorrectly. It is really nothing more or less than another approach to the study of God's Word. "Meditation" is a Bible word after all. The fact that mystics idolize it and misuse it and that other religions use meditation in no way render it evil in and of itself. Definitions matter and we should never "clear our minds" and thus allow space for satan to put thoughts in our heads. While I do think new believers should not be taught this, more mature believers can benefit, imo. I would say that ANY practice holds potential for abuse. For example, reading commentaries could be accused (wrongly) of adding to God's Word. Listening to other preachers could be misused and become plagiarism. Even using "new" translations could be dangerous if the reader isn't circumspect to make sure the translator was a scholar and not a propagandist. I guess that's why our KJV friends refuse to even consider reading a different translation and I see that response as similar to the main arguments agains LD. I do think some caution is called for. But we don't need to make an idol out of LD and as long as we remain submitted to the Word of God as the Final Authority, I believe God's Spirit will guide and protect us.
Thanks for your very thoughtful response. 👍
This felt like more of a defense video than a why its useful video to be fair. How often do you do this practice?
I haven’t done it for years, but when I was, I managed to do it 2-3 times a week on a good week.
Great video
Thanks! Appreciate the feedback.
If Lectio Divina has made so many saints, then it is useful for us.
Certainly makes it worth looking into.
@@PastorTanner Like the liturgical calendar. A treasure lost.
The Bible tells the Christian to use the Scriptures to pursue the knowledge of God, wisdom, and holiness through the objective meaning of the text with the aim of transforming the mind according to truth and not through mystical, personal encounters with Him using a Gnostic approach to the text because it can disconnect it from its context and natural meaning and use it in a subjective, individualistic, and experiential way for which it was never intended. The sufficiency of Bible is all a person needs live the Christian life (2 Timothy 3:16), but all Lectio variations deny that.
The Bible is God's Word to be studied, meditated upon, prayed over, and memorized for the knowledge and objective meaning it contains and the authority from God it carries, and not for the mystical experience or feeling of personal power and inner peace they may stimulate. Sound knowledge comes first, and then the lasting kind of experience and peace comes as a byproduct of knowing and correctly communing with God. As long as a person doesn't take the Lectio Divina view of the Bible and prayer, they are engaging in the same kind of meditation and prayer that Bible-believing followers of Christ have always commended.
Lol, I literally quote the vast majority of that second paragraph in the video and respond to it.
@@PastorTanner Good, so you agree that using Lectio Divina is not the way the Bible says Christians should read the Scriptures and enter into pray with God.
No, not agreed at all. 👍
@@PastorTanner Ok, so you prefer the Gnostic approach to Scripture.
This is absolutely dangerous. I came out of this way of thinking. Lectio Divina leads to the idea that we can hear from God extra biblically. Jesus, nor any of the NT Apostles, EVER spoke of special revelation.
Thanks, Shellie. I appreciate your feedback.
@PastorTanner I could have been kinder in my comment. I was in hyper-charismatic/prophetic churches for 22 years. Lectio Divina is routinely practiced. I was considered "prophetic" by dreams and visions. Peoples lives, including my own, suffered serious consequences because we believed God was telling us to make decisions that were ultimately harmful. The Lord graciously delivered me out of this deception, and I feel true freedom for the first time in my 23 years of salvation.
@@shellie2415 No problem, Shellie. I have never been in a church that practiced this as a routine or deliberate practice. All I would say is that the abuse of a thing does not negate its proper use. It is conceivable to me that if a practice were used with greater discernment it might still hold value. Regardless, I'm glad you got out of a bad situation. God bless.