Meditation on Scripture: lectio divina. Luther’s personal form of meditation on the Lord’s Prayer, Ten Commandments, and Apostle’s Creed resembles a yet older form called lectio divina, which literally means “divine reading.” In this approach, one first reads a portion of Scripture once and then rereads it slowly, and when a word or phrase stands out, one dwells on it, turning it over in one’s mind. The word or phrase makes associations with one’s life, and often in response one speaks to God. In practice, reading the Bible in this way involves a person in these dimensions of prayer: meditation, or listening to what God says through the biblical passage; speaking to God in response; and sometimes contemplation in which one simply rests in the presence of God with few or no words.
Meditate on Psalm 130 using the approach of lectio divina. This psalm is a poignant hymn of attentiveness to God expressed in waiting and hoping in God. Allow ten to fifteen minutes. Sit comfortably upright with both feet on the floor. Remember to read through the whole psalm once, and then reread it slowly; stop to ponder a word or phrase that speaks to you. If you become aware of wandering off in your thoughts, return to the psalm and read again until a word or phrase strikes you. If you are in a group, have someone charged in advance to end the time of prayer with an Amen or a soft bell. In gatherings of three to four persons, share what happened during your meditation. Be honest. Finally come together as a total assembly to deal with any questions or thoughts that people wish to discuss.
Bradley Hanson, A Graceful Life, Lutheran Spirituality for Today. (Minneapolis, Augsburg Fortress, 2000), 82-83.
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