What Is Lexio Divina? 06/21/2026

Welcome and Prayer: Jim Calhoun

Come Lord, join us here this morning

Some of the folk
In our lives are difficult
And others
Not yet known
And in their way
Will be challenging
In their time
As well
They may be
obstinate and uncompromising
Contentious and contemptuous
Judgmental and controlling
Making little issues difficult
And difficult issues impossible
Grant us the grace to
Love these people
As they come into our lives
Patient
Caring
Wise
Forgiving
Leading with compassion
And with strength
Providing the contours
Needed for a relationship
By easing fear
And making safe places

And when we are the difficult ones
Have mercy on those
We are pushing
Or pushing away
Bless them for their patience
Long suffering
And for their courage
To love us
When out of fear
Or pride
We make
Being together
Challenging
Or exhausting

Lord, move us to be
Better lovers
Learning from each other
Helping each other
So we can be
Salt
Light
And
Live out the mercy
And grace
You have given
In your good great love
Amen

Morning Talk: chuck smith, jr.

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good” 1 Corinthians 12:4-7

Intro: Some time ago, I took a course in speed-reading

We were required to practice every day for at least an hour
– the only drawback–I chose to read books that didn’t interest me, so I wouldn’t get distracted by their content
• but going fast, I got nothing at all from them – I wasn’t reading, but just looking at words
– later on I was exposed to a method of slow-reading
• the purpose: to get as much as possible from what I read
◦ this applied specifically to reading the Scriptures
◦ the benefit is hearing God speak to me clearly and directly
• and that is what I want to teach you this morning

Paul’s concern is for the solidarity of the Christian community

There were squabbles in Corinth, and that was a reason for the letter
“I appeal to you, brothers [and sisters], by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10)
– he dives straight into the issue in chapter 12
• I believe it is extremely important to catch Paul’s emphasis
◦ for instance, he immediately rejects the idea of uniformity
◦ they were not all the same! They weren’t supposed to be
• Paul’s idea of their oneness is more beautiful than cultish uniformity
◦ it is “diversity within unity” – some sameness and some variety
◦ we can perhaps think of it in terms of the nature of God
– returning to the verses above, Paul develops his point using:
1. repetition of specific words: “varieties” and “same”
(what I love about “varieties” is the poetic line, “Variety is the spice of life”)
2. three examples of uniqueness: “gifts,” “service,” “activities”
3. the three Givers: “the Spirit,” “the Lord,” and “God”
• and in this third reference, he connects God to everyone,
◦ emphasizing the complete community
“who empowers them all in everyone”

Let’s follow the bread crumbs further on in the chapter
“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
“For the body does not consist of one member but of many 1 Corinthians 12:12-14
– here he presents an analogy: church is like a physical body
1. again, a repetition of key words
◦ here they are “one” and “many”, which correspond to “same” and “varieties”
2. he uses an analogy that works, because there are many “parts” to the one body
3. he uses two images involving water
◦ baptism, which is both a qualifier (as a follower of Jesus) and an equalizer of all persons
here: we are in the water
◦ drink, analogous to receiving the Spirit
here: the water is in us

Now I want to return to verse 7
“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good”

I doubt that this needs explaining
– but what it does need is to be branded on our brains
• you have been given a gift – or gifts
◦ they have come to you through your life experience and the Spirit of God
◦ and they have had a role in shaping the person you are
• you may not recognize that what you carry is a gift
◦ but when God’s Spirit is present and prompts you,
◦ the gift comes out and is of value to others
“What then, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, [an unintelligible word, or its interpretation.] Let all things be done for building up” (1 Cor. 14:26)
– there’s one more passage I want to add
• in Ephesians, Paul quotes a psalm which says, “he gave gifts to men”
◦ he then enumerates some of the gifts Christ has give to us and are operative among Christians
◦ when believers exercise their gifts, he says,
“speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love” (Ep. 4:15-16)
• this is real!
◦ and the most effective expression of it I’ve ever witnessed,
◦ is in our small group meetings when we practice the spiritual practice Lectio Divina

The Latin words indicate a “sacred reading” and apply to scripture

The first we hear of it was from a monastery in France 800 years ago
– in his own experience of God in the Scriptures,
• a monk found that he received enlightenment in the Scriptures, when he practiced four disciplines:
◦ reading, meditating, prayer, and contemplation
• what is the difference between meditation and contemplation?
◦ meditation is looking at what the scripture says, to understand what it means
◦ contemplation is noticing the words of the text, and feeling how they affect you
– that’s not a perfect explanation (I can feel it better than explain it)
• imagine you’re in a forest and drawn to a particular tree
◦ you examine it carefully–bark, branches, leaves, roots
◦ maybe later you research its genus and species, and so on
• now imagine another time when you see a tree, and its beauty stirs your heart
◦ you come close and touch it, smell its fragrance
◦ you enjoy its shape and you sit in its shade
◦ maybe later, you draw a picture of it, or write a poem
Meditation is learning about something by studying it and discursive thought
Contemplation is coming to know something by experiencing it
– when it comes to the Scriptures, we want to both understand and to experience

Jim sometimes refers to our Lectio Divina meetings as “A workshop in listening”

We listen to the Scriptures to hear what they say to us
We listen to the Spirit, leading us a personal connection with the Scriptures
We listen to each other, to hear what the Spirit is saying to us individually
– this is where the “edifying” occurs – what we read earlier:
“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good”

If you haven’t joined us, this is what we do:
First, we sit in silent prayer for a few minutes
◦ to unwind, rest, focus attention, and become aware in the present moment
Second, we read a short passage from the Scriptures
◦ then we return to silence, noticing a word or phrase that catches our eye
◦ we don’t have to understand it, nor do we worry about its “context”
Third, we share with the group our word or phrase
(or possibly an “image” drawn from the verses)
◦ at this point, we only share that much, without commentary or explanation
Fourth, we read the same passage for a second time
◦ we spend time contemplating our word or phrase
◦ we are not so much thinking about it as we are feeling it
◦ what does it touch within me?
◦ what is the personal message to me?
Fifth, we share with the group what is coming to us through our word, phrase, or image
(This part takes up the most of our time together)
Sixth, We read the same passage once more
◦ this time, we ask, “What is my take-away from tonight?”
◦ is there a gift, or invitation, or challenge, or opportunity?

As you can see, the format is simple
– our attitude and attention are the most important factors in what we do
• that we take seriously each other and the process
• that we realize the importance of having a safe place
◦ no one judges what any other person says
◦ no one argues or corrects anyone
(we cannot share our hearts openly and freely if what we say is going to be judged and criticized!)
• each person hears what they need to hear in the moment
– we avoid worn out religious thinking or slogans
• we listen for what edifies and deflect condemnation
– if someone says, “God is telling us that all Christians need to . . .”
• or think they hear the Spirit giving them a negative message about themselves,
◦ we gently encourage them to let go of those things and listen again
◦ you come to God to hear from him, and he welcomes you warmly and joyfully

Each week Reflexion hosts Lexio Divina meetings, two through Zoom and one in-person

Conclusion: What comes up in Lectio Divina is quite surprising

The personal and spiritual depth of our conversations is richly rewarding
Then there is the unfolding of God’s purpose for our lives
There is also the beautiful openness of each heart,
and the bonding that grows among us in Christ’s love

Some people aren’t ready for this,
and others may not find it as beneficial as we have
But if you haven’t tried it yet, you’re welcome to join us
Maybe this is just right for you
And maybe this is the time when you need to step up