Jesus Creed
So I used to be a Calvinist–big deal. So I studied hard as a pastor–I was supposed to. So I got into a PhD program–so did a bunch of others. No, there is nothing impressive about any of this.
I tell you this stuff because I want you to understand that I’m not one of those people who is comfortable getting in a circle and listening to everyone share their subjective reading of the text. I struggle with hearing someone say, “I think this verse means…” I’m usually the guy who in the back of his mind is saying, “What?! This text has nothing to do with that? Where did he/she get that from? That’s absurd!”
That said…
I regularly practice lectio divina and find that it is essential to my spiritual formation.
* Side Note: I’m sure that those who are critical of lectio divina are equally critical of what is regularly referred to as spiritual formation. But that’s it’s own post.
Lectio divina is not dangerous. It is trusting.
This is where Challies, and others like him, are badly mistaken about the nature of lectio divina – lectio divina is not about interpreting the text; it’s about the text interpreting me.
When I approach the text in order to be formed by it, rather than simply informed by it, I am submitting myself to the text–the opposite of mastering it. Let me explain….
Tim Challies does have a good title to his post,The Danger of Lectio Divina.
Lectio divina is dangerous.
There is a dangerous risk to your comfort when you begin submitting to Scripture rather than trying to master it.
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