Nougat 13

Hello Siblings

How was your week? Hectic, fun, endurable, different, joyous … or something else? Maybe even all of the above, perhaps. Whatever the work week held for you, I pray that you experienced God in it. As we take time to praise over the weekend, may our fellowship deepen relationships – with self, with others, and with Christ.

Recently, during my personal devotions, I was reminded of the spiritual discipline of Lectio Divina (Holy Readings). It invites us to focus on a text and allow the scripture to offer new insights about God and God’s will for us. After each of the four readings, we enter a pause to listen and note what is being said. The methodology proposes: Read; Reflect; Respond; and Rest. Each has a distinctive element that invites us into attentiveness to God. Today, we will read the biblical text to hear from God individually based on the Lectio Divina.

Prayer

Lord, God our reading and listening so we hear you clearly. Speak in ways that we understand, in Jesus’ name amen.

Here’s Today’s Holy Nougat

Acts 2:46-47 CEVDCI

[46] Day after day they met together in the temple. They broke bread together in different homes and shared their food happily and freely,

[47] while praising God. Everyone liked them, and each day the Lord added to their group others who were being saved.

Lectio (Read):

What is the passage saying, and what is it saying specifically to me? Are there images that come to mind?

Meditatio (Reflect)

Read the Nougat for a second time, exploring the first nudge. What is God saying as the image becomes clearer? Are there more details to attend to?

Day after day they met together in the temple. They broke bread together in different homes and shared their food happily and freely, while praising God. Everyone liked them, and each day the Lord added to their group others who were being saved.

Oratio (Respond)

Now we take the reflections even further. Our reflections are perhaps more concrete, so we can write what has come to our minds regarding the text. As we record our thoughts, are there actions or responses required of us in relation to what God has said?

Day after day they met together in the temple. They broke bread together in different homes and shared their food happily and freely, while praising God. Everyone liked them, and each day the Lord added to their group others who were being saved.

Contemplatio (Rest)

This isn’t sleep time. Rather it is an invitation to allow ourselves to be immersed in God’s Word to us. We allow God’s Word to be absorbed into our being

Day after day they met together in the temple. They broke bread together in different homes and shared their food happily and freely, while praising God. Everyone liked them, and each day the Lord added to their group others who were being saved.

Prayer

As we develop this discipline some more, I pray that we will hear from God clearly and grow deeper in our knowledge and application of God’s Word.

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May all we seek be found in Christ