© 2006 Nancy Long
© 2006 The Christian Fellowship of Students of The Urantia Book
Spiritual practice — it fascinates me. When the opportunity arises, I find myself eagerly broaching the subject with others. I’ve discovered that it means different things to different people. However, there does seem to be a common foundation to those different definitions. That foundation is a belief that the regular performance of some selected activity (i.e., the “practice”) brings us closer to some worthy aspect of life, an aspect which transcends material existence. Some of us say we are trying to discern the will of God, or trying to find our highest purpose, or becoming attuned to our Higher Power. Others say we are trying to be in the moment, the here-and-now, or we are on the path to enlightenment. Whatever the reason, those who engage in spiritual practices seek to be transformed day-by-day, effort-by-effort , they look to form habits that create their gateway to the Divine.
The idea of spiritual practice took on a deeper significance for me last year after I read Long Quiet Highway, an autobiography by Natalie Goldberg. Goldberg is a contemporary writer and teacher of creative writing. Hers is the story of a Jewish woman-turned-Zen Buddhist, who finds herself, and awakens to her spirituality, through writing as spiritual practice. I had one of those “a-ha!” moments somewhere in the middle of her book, where the power and symbolic importance of spiritual practice came alive. I was struck by the compelling role that spiritual practice could play in both religious symbolism and developing the inner life.
The Urantia Papers urge us to develop new and appropriate religious symbolism (UB 87:7.6). I have come to realize that spiritual practices are one such symbol. The spiritual practices we sanction and perform, whether individually or collectively, will be part of those elements that make up a “cult of mutual support” and will be indicators of that group we “belong to” (UB 87:7.3). As such, they deserve serious and earnest consideration.
“Perfect your inner spiritual life” (UB 140:8.17). Regarding our earthly challenges and goals, the Urantia Papers teach us that our great challenge is to achieve better communication with the indwelling spark of God. And our greatest adventures, here on earth at least, will be those well-balanced and sane efforts we wholeheartedly attempt in order to push our self-consciousness to actual contact with that divine presence (UB 196:3.31). To me, such efforts are primarily in the arena of our inner spiritual lives. The Revelators share that Jesus, were he here today, would counsel us about the inner spiritual life, not about political, social, or economic problems. Instead, he would teach us ways to perfect our inner spiritual life so that we could solve those purely human problems ourselves (UB 140:8.17).
We believers in the Urantia revelation do not have to plough new snow in this area of spiritual practice. While some spiritual practices that will arise from the revelation will indeed be new, I believe we would do well to also explore the many tried and true practices that have added value to the inner spiritual life of those who came before us. This exploration is not an appeal to duplicate archaic practices which have no relevance for us today. Rather, it is an appeal to rediscover what works in our human tradition, to rediscover and perhaps add a fresh twist to those practices which have stood the test of time as proven paths to God. To prime the pump on our consideration of spiritual practices, I offer the following discussion on lectio divina.
This exploration is not an appeal to duplicate archaic practices which have no relevance for us today. Rather, it is an appeal to rediscover what works in our human tradition, to rediscover and perhaps add a fresh twist to those practices which have stood the test of time as proven paths to God.
As we intuitively know, there is no one best spiritual practice. Jesus taught the apostles that people are different and should be allowed to develop, each in their own way, as a perfecting and separate individual before God (UB 140:8.23). I felt consideration of lectio divina was fitting for those studying the Fifth Epochal Revelation, since we are a group that loves to read. Lectio divina can be translated as “sacred reading” or “divine reading.” Most faith traditions currently have, or have had, practices that involved the recitation of spiritual texts. For example, in Buddhism such texts are used in recitation-practice that contributes to spiritual cultivation. In Hinduism there are various practices, with passage-meditation being a more recent example, where “the object of attention is not an image or an external object but an inspirational passage chosen from any of the world’s great spiritual traditions and memorized ahead of time.” And Judaism places its sacred reading at the center of faith, believing that the words are the voice of God.
In Christianity, lectio divina rose out of Catholicism, where it is an ancient practice of reading the Bible aloud, slowly, and purposefully. The Benedictine orders trace their devotion to lectio divina back to the Rule of St. Benedict, written in the mid 6th century. It is still actively practiced today by various Christian denominations, not just Catholics. If you wish to learn more about the origins and applications of lectio divina, a visit to a spiritual retreat center sponsored by the Benedictine or Carmelite orders might prove beneficial. For example, there are two retreat centers within a short drive from me in central Indiana, both run by Benedictine sisters, that include lectio divina in their open, interfaith retreat programs. In addition, a search for lectio divina on the internet will return a host of sites. (The Order of Saint Benedict’s link devoted to lectio divina is http://www.osb.org/lectio/about.html.) And of course, there are a number of books on the subject, such as Sacred Reading: The Ancient Art of Lectio Divina, by Michael Casey, prior of the Cistercian abbey of Tarrawarra in Victoria, Australia.
“Thomas, Thomas, how long before you will acquire the ability to listen with the ear of the spirit?” (UB 142:7.17) The underlying principle of sacred reading is that it is communion with God, a personal encounter with the Divine. One does not practice lectio divina to acquire intellectual knowledge from the text being read. In lectio divina, we linger over the text, read it repeatedly, rest reverently with it. The approach during this time of communion is generally not the same as it is when we study the Urantia Papers. With lectio divina, we are not intending to learn from the literal meaning of the words. Instead, we strive to listen with the ear of the spirit, to spiritually hear the “voice” of God to teach and transform us.
“Prayer is the breath of the soul.” (UB 144:2.3) Most practitioners consider lectio divina a form of rayer. Of course, there are many different ways to pray. And in a good number of them, our prayer is active. That is, we seek a dialog with God, and in some cases, it is an outright monologue where we do all of the talking. Lectio divina is a method of praying that provides a loose structure, with the main task being to listen rather than to talk. It embraces a rhythm of reading, deep listening, where we gradually turn away from our own agenda and open our spirits to what God shares specifically with us. Lectio divina is not reading in a linear way, where we start at the first page and proceed until the end. No, this prayer method of sacred reading is more circuitous, with lots of repetition and wandering, savoring, and silence.
Lectio divina also incorporates a step of prayerful, interior silence, not to serve as a void or time to do nothing, but to carve out a space for God’s presence, to give us room to be attentive to God. Indeed, Jesus taught us to remain for a time in silent receptivity after prayer to afford the indwelling spirit the better opportunity to speak to our listening souls (UB 146:2.17).
Lectio divina also incorporates a step of prayerful, interior silence, not to serve as a void or time to do nothing, but to carve out a space for God’s presence, to give us room to be attentive to God.
Some consider lectio divina a spiritual discipline and have a strict process and set of rules to follow. However, in most of my personal encounters with practitioners, it is taken more generally and is applicable to any spiritual, holy, or religious text.
If you feel inclined to try this spiritual practice, feel free to make it your own. Remove or change those things that do not have meaning for you or are not your cup of tea. Add elements that bring you closer to God. For instance, before I start the first step of lectio divina, I try to adopt a contemplative attitude. I find a quiet space where I am reasonably sure to remain undisturbed for a while. I like to go, when I can, to places that have spiritual significance to me: a spot under a certain beautiful sycamore tree near where I work, or a small sacred area I have set aside in my home. I sit comfortably, enter into silence, and take a few moments to quiet my mind. Some people focus on their breathing to quiet their minds. Some say a particular prayer or just remain silent. I start by ringing a small bell and, when the ringing sound has stopped, I repeat three times a phrase that is personally significant, taking a slow, deep breath between each phrase. The phrase of significance to me is “Listen for God.”
Lectio divina can be practiced alone or in a group. Individual lectio divina is generally considered a fourstep (or stage) process, described below. Group lectio divina takes a somewhat different format and is left for another article.
Slowly, paying attention to the sound of the words (not necessarily their meaning), read aloud a passage from the Urantia Papers or any spiritual text. It does not matter which text or passage you chose. Savor each word. Repeat words or phrases as you feel lead. Read until a word or phrase strikes you. You might you feel the presence of Christ Michael, an increased sense of God’s love, increased peace, or lifted in spirit. Whatever it is, once you feel moved, that is the time to stop reading. Sit and wait until you are no longer drawn by the experience. However, do not be discouraged if nothing seems to happen. Continue reading until you feel that you should stop if no word or phrase strikes you.
You might end up reading only one word, or you might read an entire page, before something catches your attention or you feel moved to stop. You do not have to be able to articulate the significance of the word or phrase. You do not need to know why you felt the urge to stop. There are no hard-and-fast rules here, just be guided by the Spirit. However, do be wary of slipping into “study” mode or reading to finish a section or some other such goal. Remember to leave what you read and the amount you read in God’s hands, not yours.
Next, think about the word or phrase that caught your attention, or the passage you read before you felt you should stop. Turn it over in your mind, trying to discern what it is that God wants to impart to you. Allow it to mix and mingle with any memories, beliefs, and ideas that come to the forefront of your mind in relation to your word, phrase, or passage. Include the memories, beliefs, and ideas in this reflective dialogue you are having with God. Meditate on the word, phrase, or passage as a means of transforming whatever has been awakened in you.
Jesus taught us that an effective prayer is one that is not for ourselves alone. It is one that is steeped in faith, and is sincere, intelligent, and trustful (UB 144:3.8). Offer a prayer now, after your time of reflection. You might pray for insight. Or offer a prayer of thanks for what has been revealed. Offer to God what you have found within your soul. Your prayer can be verbal — said aloud or silently. It could take the form of an image, idea, feeling, a combination of those things, or something else entirely. What is important here is loving interaction with God.
When you have finished praying, enter into union with God. Sit silently, simply resting in God’s presence, until the Spirit leads you to stop. Let go of your own ideas, words, and thoughts during this time, no matter how spiritual you might think they are. Listen at the deepest level of your being for God and allow yourself to be transformed from within.
“You may preach a religion about Jesus, but, perforce, you must live the religion of Jesus.” (UB 196:2.1) No practice is complete if we do not go forth living what we have learned, sharing the fruits of our relationship with God, and incorporating the spiritual teachings of Jesus into our day-to-day lives. This is a crucial part of any spiritual effort.
As a newly-forming religious community, I believe The Spiritual Fellowship should include consideration of spiritual practice as a critical part of an on-going discussion on new and appropriate religious symbolism and as a potentially powerful method in the development of an individual’s inner spiritual life. Existing practices, or some modified form of them, as well as new practices have a place in our developing spiritual community.
Lectio divina is one such existing practice that is certainly relevant for us today. It is an experience in sacred, spiritual rhythms, an ebb and flow from activity to receptivity, back to activity. Lectio divina can be transformative, for the Revelation teaches us that prayer is that part of the divine plan for making over that which is into that which ought to be (UB 144:4.9). If lectio divina resonates with you, be regular and persistent in practice, as our beloved Sovereign encourages us to be persistent in prayer, not to win favor with God, but to change our attitude and to enlarge our soul’s capacity for spirit receptivity (UB 144:2.5).
Nancy Long has been a student of The Urantia Book for over twenty years. She currently serves as interim Executive Director of The Spiritual Fellowship and is preparing for TSF ministry. Spiritual practice is a subject near and dear to her heart. She invites you to share your experiences and thoughts regarding spiritual practice with her. You can reach her at nlong@thespiritualfellowship.org.