Lectio Divina (Seminary Notes)

Friends,

I love seminary. I always say it gave me my life back. Two years ago, I ran into my old friend Patricia on a fluke visit to a church where she happened to be helping lead the liturgy that morning. She invited me to a Lectio Divina series she was about to start there, and I soaked it in. At one of the classes, she shared with me about the much more in-depth Inductive Bible Study method developed at Asbury Theological Seminary, where she was an MDiv student. I started drooling. The next thing I knew I was in the Orlando campus admissions office, fulfilling a lifelong dream. True story. 

I'm well into my second year of seminary now. Three of my classes have at least touched on Lectio Divina, either in classroom discussion or in the assigned books Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton and Eat This Book by Eugene Peterson. I'd like to share with you two of my assignments for Biblical Narrative, an Old Testament / New Testament survey course I'm taking online now with Dr. Ruth Ann Reese. Keep in mind that these are in the format of a short seminary report, not in the format of how I would do a Lectio Divina session for my own devotional purposes! I have also participated in Lectio Divina in at least three different small groups. I have links and a photo at the bottom of this post which refer to my other Lectio Divina experiences, as well as a few other links to helpful articles. Keep reading!

Lectio Divina (Divine Reading) is not a formal systematic Bible study, even though the whole time is spent contemplating and praying through a passage of Scripture. It is an ancient devotional model first introduced by St. Gregory of Nyssa (c 330- 395) and established as a monastic practice by St. Benedict in the 6th century. It has several facets, which vary depending on what model you are using. These are the core ones, with some of the extras combined with the traditional four:

• Lectio: prayerfully prepare your soul in silence (this first part is sometimes a separate step called Silencio), then read the passage slowly, savoring it - traditionally you are to choose one word or phrase which especially speaks to you. I don't tend to do this in private use, and if I do, it might be a whole cluster. 
• Meditatio: read it again, reflecting or meditating on the meaning, and what God is trying to communicate to you through this reading today
• Oratio: read it a third time, and respond to God in prayer, pouring out your heart to him about how this passage resonates in your soul
• Contemplatio/Incarnatio: rest your mind and then, guided by the Holy Spirit, choose specific actions for application in the next few days so that you can "live the text in Jesus' name" 

Last month, I chose John 13:1-5, and this month I picked Isaiah 55:6-12. Here we go!

Lectio Divina #1: John 13:1-5

It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

Introduction & Setting: I did the Lectio exercise in my quiet study area in my bedroom in the afternoon. To set this in the context of my day, I had been outside gardening in the morning in my bare feet, getting quite dirty. This has something to do with my Lectio experience.

Lectio: I chose to study John 13:1-5, first reading aloud from my very old 1984 NIV Bible which is most comfortable for devotional purposes. This passage, which is about Jesus washing his disciples’ feet, had stood out to me in this last week’s Gospel of John reading assignments. At that earlier time, reading in the library, I was thinking of it in sensory terms, such as the warm water, the texture of the towel, the tender touch of Jesus. I tried to recapture that during my re-reading of the verses, and this was more relevant after getting my feet dirty while gardening. The sensory experience of washing up added to my understanding during Lectio. However, a different word from verses 1 and 3 stands out to me in this reading of the passage: knew.

Meditatio: I read the passage again from my old Bible, as well as the most recent NIV and NRSV. In each of these readings, why did the word knew stand out to me? Jesus knew who he was, where had come from and where he was returning, what God’s plan was for that time, and what his essential work would be in the hours and days to come. Thus secure in his identity and his destiny, he could do the things he did, loving his disciples with humility and service. This is startling considering that this passage also includes his knowledge of the impending betrayal by Judas, leading to his death the next day. All of this touches a place in me. I know how much my own life proceeds from my sense of identity and destiny. It has to be firmly rooted in truth: I am made in the image of God, Jesus has redeemed and forgiven me, the Holy Spirit empowers me, God is working in my life for my good and his glory, and I have eternity in heaven as my destiny. My identity must not depend on my marital status, health, bank account, natural abilities, or any other things that come and go. It must not depend on how others have betrayed, rejected, or wounded me. All of these things can become shame traps for me as a divorced mother of 10. However, with my identity rooted in Christ, I can walk forward with joy and confidence into whatever ministry God has prepared for me. It is crucial that I remember who I am and whose I am. I have to know as Jesus did.

Oratio: My prayer, flowing directly from this passage and Meditatio, is that I will increasingly find my identity and destiny in Jesus, that I would be confident enough to live and serve with humility as he did. It is only because I know my identity as a daughter of the King that I can, as in Hebrews 4:16, “approach the throne of grace with confidence.” It is because of the identity that I can pray in the first place, and then praying, in turn, reinforces the identity. This is a good cycle to enter, with prayer and identity strengthening each other. So I pray, “Show me who you are. Show me who I am. Show me how to love. Show me what to do.”

Contemplatio: As Jesus set this example of humble service, so I must find ways to serve others that are not necessarily grand and lofty, but simple and earthy. I have an extremely busy week coming up with hybrid classes and homework assignments. I would like to hide away and study, but there are things I need to do for others, like buy groceries for my kids, help my daughter with her broken down car, bring a widowed neighbor to a church dinner, rehearse for a skit on the Reformation, go to work so I can pay our bills, and work out a misunderstanding with a friend. Those are things I personally need to do. At the same time, I need to be humble enough to realize I cannot do everything for everyone. Ego says I can, but I actually cannot. Jesus didn’t do everything. Later in John 13, he told his disciples he was leaving them behind to carry on his work, even “greater works.” I realize I have to ask for help. My identity isn’t based on how much I can pull off. Peter at first refused to receive a washing from Jesus, but he had to accept it. I can let others be the hands and feet of Jesus to me.

Conclusion: Through my Lectio experience, I experienced Jesus helping me to do the things I needed to get done that I could not do without him. In the middle of Lectio, I was interrupted by the opportunity to serve one of my teens with an urgent errand. Then another teen was yelling at me on the way home. Working from my core identity, I could stay calm, speak quietly, connect with needs, and defuse the anger. I thought of the Lectio passage in the context of the Last Supper as I brought my neighbor to my church dinner group even though I could have stayed home to do other things. I was quite tired, but thanks to the Lectio exercise, I had the extra energy and motivation to go forth in love. My neighbor and I were both very blessed by the Christian fellowship. That is what Lectio does; it brings us into divine presence and compassionate service in a fresh way.

Lectio Divina #2: Isaiah 55:6-12

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the Lord’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.” NIV

Introduction & Setting: I did the Lectio exercise in my quiet study area in my bedroom in the morning. I had already selected and read the passage, but this was my first focused time for the full Lectio process of these verses. I should also say I chose this section from the assigned class readings because it made me sing. In post-Jesus-movement churches about 35-40 years ago, we often sang Bible verses nearly verbatim, and a few of them are right here. I can’t read them without singing them.

Lectio: I chose to study Isaiah 55:6-12, first reading aloud from the NIV Bible. I also read the NRSV, and noted the textual differences. One that I noticed immediately from my many years of singing verse 12 is that the NIV says “led forth in peace” whereas the NRSV says “led back in peace.” In the context of their impending return from exile, “back” makes more sense than “forth” if it is referring to Jerusalem. But I still prefer “forth” - as I see it is as encouragement to move forward in life, even if that is going back to what came before. I also note the difference in trees in verse 13. In the NRSV, it is cypress (one of my favorite trees to photograph here in Florida), but in the NIV it is translated juniper. This for me is not about technical study. It is about the pictures in my mind which fascinate me, and part of that is how they relate to my own context. Isaiah 55 is so full of poetic imagery. Beyond the pictures, there are the sounds. If you read the words aloud, there is a cadence of rhythm. This is not just in the English translation, but in the content and structure of the Hebrew literary forms. It is a call and response, like a psalm and a proverb, with one phrase echoing or contrasting the other. I can’t help but think of these things as I read. These speak to me. I also pasted the passage into my document from Bible Gateway and then experimented with the font; this is a novelty of the digital age, of course. I am a calligrapher, so I wonder how changing the visual style of writing affects how we process words internally, especially with Scripture? Did I gain a new perspective? How does God write, anyway? I think he has a way of invading our thoughts, right where we are, no matter what culture, gender, personality style, or in my case, aesthetic sensibilities. See the difference here?

Meditatio: What word stands out to me? It is thoughts! It is our thoughts which shape us. God knows this because he made us as reasoning beings. That is why he tells the evil man to forsake his wicked thoughts, why we are encouraged to lift our minds to God’s higher thoughts, why he sends forth his word to change our thoughts toward everlasting fruitfulness in our lives. When his Word achieves this purpose, our minds and hearts are renewed so we can truly “go out in joy and be led forth in peace.” Joy and peace find root in our attitudes. They are both a cognitive and emotive assent to what is good, which in this case is thinking the thoughts of God. The word thoughts resonates with me personally because I realize this is where it all starts. This is why I am in seminary, to shape my thoughts. I know how quickly thoughts can lead me off the path, and how powerfully they can lead me forth again when I return to God’s higher ways. I look at the verses about the thorn bushes and briers and realize that this could be symbolic of our thoughts too. We may have gnarly tangles in our minds that need to be cleared away so that the beautiful trees may take root and grow instead.

Oratio: My prayer is that I will continually seek God through the Scriptures and prayer, and that I will be able to flourish while thinking the thoughts of God. I pray that I will be a faithful messenger of the Word, for it is usually through his human servants that he sends it forth in any nation or generation. I pray that I will walk in joy and peace, filled with songs of deliverance.

Contemplatio: I will explore what unhealthy thoughts are holding me back from doing the things I am called to do, and seek them to replace them with divine wisdom instead. (I have a few podcasts queued up to listen to that may help.) I will create a blog post with this Lectio and the previous one, then share them on my social media, so that the Word may accomplish God’s purposes in my sphere of influence. I will write out two of the verses in calligraphy to include in that. I will listen to worship music (like the song “Sovereign Over Us”) to help me focus my thoughts on God. I will finish up my seminary assignments for my other class (Gospel Catechesis) which will help me better participate in delivery God’s word to others. I will continue to explore how media shapes the message.

Conclusion: Through my Lectio Divina experience today, I experienced an ancient God who is ever present thousands of years after these words were penned. We may have the Cloud to store our data, but his thoughts are still higher than that.

So those were my two Lectio Divina reports! They are much less complicated than the full research papers we also have to do. Better yet, they feed the soul, too. That's what I love about Asbury professors and leaders. They are determined to foster spiritual formation and growth in their students. And I love their t-shirts.

But I'm not done yet! Links to good stuff!

I'm planning to listen to The Presence Project Podcast by Summer Joy Gross. I am linking it here for your exploration but have to say I haven't listened to more than a few minutes, I don't know anything about the person who produces it except what's written here, and I can't even quite remember where I found it. I do know it comes from the more contemplative stream of Christianity that is likely to resonate with those who enjoy Lectio Divina.

More on Lectio Divina and Inductive Bible Study? Sure thing! Here are some from my blogs.

• Open a Door
• Focus (One Word) Lectio Divina is at the end
• Inductive Bible Study on Discipleship in Matthew 8-9
• Inductive Bible Study on James 3:1-12

Here are some of my Lectio Divina notes from Patricia's series. When doing this by myself, I prefer my reading journal.

Here are some other helpful links:

• What is Lectio Divina? a PDF from Anglican Communion with suggestions for groups
• The Jogging Monk and the Exegesis of the Heart by James Bryan Smith
• Lectio Divina: Engaging the Scriptures for Spiritual Transformation by Ruth Haley Barton, author of Sacred Rhythms
• The Practice of Spiritually Reading the Bible by Eugene Peterson
• Visio Divina by Jean Wise about praying with art

And finally, because I just can't resist...

I was looking through my old blog posts to find some of my pictures of cypress trees.

Instead of the thorn bush, the cypress will grow...

May God bless you 

today and always

through the 

prayerful contemplation 

of his Word.

Grace and peace,

Virginia Knowles

Soul Musings from an Old Journal

God

Truth
Change

Beauty

Questioning

Contemplation

Today is Holy Saturday, the day before Easter. I've been scurrying around getting ready for my adult children and my grandchildren to come over for dinner tomorrow, joining the ones who still live here. While I was tidying up the house, I could hear my heart telling me to slow down and tend to my spirit. So I did. 

I retreated to the blue table in my bedroom -- where I do my best reading and writing -- and finished the last three chapters of Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me by Karen Swallow Prior. I could feel my own soul move at the words in her memoir; I'm glad I took the time to read and reflect. I still had stuff to do, though, so I got up and went back to cleaning and checking on food supplies. Where did I put those bags of frozen Alfredo fettuccine for our Italian buffet? But again, I felt that insistent inner tug to go back and settle my heart. I decided to pull out a journal and write, but first I picked up an old journal and read. I'm glad I did. It was like a buffet for the soul.

These lightly edited excerpts of several journal entries are from a two year period quite a while back. I have interspersed them with recent photos from a foggy morning at a local pond.

(The first entry here was apparently prompted by something I had read on a home school blog about teaching children about God.)

I have been questioning, and in some ways recoiling from, much of what I had built my life upon for 25 years. There is, of course, a necessary drawing back to evaluate. We must not accept anything blindly, no matter what it is. Truth is to be examined; the real thing is solid enough to hold up to scrutiny. And yet, I cannot put myself above truth. We must submit to truth, just as much as we can stand on it. It is not there for us to merely look at, but to live, because there is a moral force, God, who put it there for that purpose. To reject Truth (mentally) or to rebel against it (practically) is a choice - and a sin - against God. 

The first question then, is not about teaching children, but about who God is. What is his nature? And after the nature of God, what of the nature of mankind? God is good. That is the fundamental essence of his character. 

:::

What helps me to hold onto faith are two things: seeing God as the Creator of a beautiful creation (including and especially mankind) and the life of Jesus. Humanly thinking, I am touched by people who live and create artfully -- whether visual or written or musical or whatever -- to reflect spiritual depth and not just doctrinal exactness. There is beauty in the gospels, the poets, the clouds. Mirth and exuberance help, but so do solitude and reflection. I find some sanity and sustenance for the soul. Thankful also for Bishop William Frey's book, The Dance of Hope, which helped me see through the creation lens, not just the fall and redemption. There is dignity in being human - fearfully and wonderfully made - the crowning act of creation. 

:::

I just don't know how to reconcile all of what I know and experience in my heart and mind; so much seems paradoxical. I shouldn't feel bad about this, though. This is the full-time livelihood of countless theologians and philosophers. Who am I to master all of the mysteries all of a sudden? It is also very hard to wrap myself around how to integrate the ideals and theories into daily life. I love beauty, yet there is this messy house. I yearn for kindness and grace, but then I get angry with the stubbornness and thoughtlessness of others.

:::

I started reading Chesterton's Orthodoxy on Kindle today and find it witty and profound. I like his quotes on poets, mysticism, and sanity. Only the madman thinks in a tight, small circle. The truly reasonable one expands and thinks beyond, and can even embrace apparent contradictions. I think I see that in some people around me: the tendency to get stuck or fixated on a thought, so that every sensibility must fit in tidily with that or be rejected out of hand. Going in circles, circles, like on a British roundabout, when it is high time to exit to a side street, get on with life, and see the bigger world. A similar picture that comes to mind is of oxen attached to a radial bar with no other place to go, trudging round and round on the same rutted path, turning the cogs in bondage. But I am being a cynic here. Perhaps the remedy for all our souls, if we are to bear breaking free of the endless circular trajectory, is the gentle question, "What if?"

:::

I sometimes feel guilty for not being as devout, settled, and conservative as I used to be. I don't fit into the pious paradigm that I clung to for so long. I am trying to stay true, trying to remain in "the pale of orthodoxy" - but I am finding that circle being enlarged in my mind. I see real people, real stories, not statistics nor villains. 

So many things sound so pious, especially when couched in self-effacing phrases. We still have to be Bereans, even if it means cutting through misguided piety into common sense and real reasoning.

:::

I was reading from the book Studying Poetry. It might seem I have no good reason for that, that it is unessential, and this is probably true. But the point is to stimulate and stretch the brain to make it fit, not just to understand poetry, but to understand life. This is perhaps not unlike the connection between listening to classical music and boosting math skills, or working through algebra and finding it strengthen your deductive/logical skills for more general problem solving. I think the same is true of playing solitaire digitally rather than with paper cards. There is so much to be learned about life from the simple strategies. I can go back and try something a different way. I can shift and shuffle and predict. I can ask for a hint. I can follow a trail for a little while, go in reverse, try a different one, and then compare the profitability of each. I can take a guess. I can realize that the "logical" move immediately at hand may not be the one that wins the game, that I may need to wait for the counter-intuitive move. Sometimes I need to put a card up on the ace stack knowing I will pull it down again later. I see the relevance of this to life, that some things are not hard and fast, and you have to experiment and try things differently while still employing the basic strategies. Open the mind. Think it through. Try it out. Try it again. Quite philosophical, I say.

:::

I wish I could be a full-time contemplative -- without the daily distractions and demands of life -- and be free to travel, explore, experience. Yet it is as Luci Shaw reminds me in Breath for the Bones: a great poet is "tied down to earth" and "exhibits an understanding of the daily concerns of common humanity."  She notes that C.S. Lewis helped Mrs. Moore make jam and scrub floors. The poetry is made of daily life, which keeps it authentic and grounded.

:::

Fragments of dreams from morning slumbers:

- a small blonde-haired child (not mine, but one who lived where I was visiting) up on my lap, looking at a book, answering questions about the pictures, comforted by my presence.

- unexpected visitors, old friends not seen in ages, bringing bags of Chex Mix because I had nothing to offer by way of hospitality.

- trying to throw away trash in a public dumpster, but underneath the top layer in my can were my dirty linens, which had somehow gone in with the trash and had to be fished out, while a new friend watched, understanding.

Common dream theme here: acceptance and grace, even though I was an "other" - either a stranger or one who apparently fell short.

:::

Reading in Luke, I notice how simple Jesus is, so unlike the legalists and the celebrity preachers. What words he had for the Pharisees! But to folk like me: Believe. Repent. Love God. Love others. Listen. Pray. Give. Forgive. Remember. Follow. Obey. Bless. Shine. Do to others what you would have them do to you. Serve. Watch. Rejoice. Stand firm. Show mercy. Understand. Worship. Go in peace. Share the good news. Welcome. Bring the kids.

:::

"Our little systems have their day,
They have their day and cease to be,
They are but broken lights of Thee,
And Thou, O Lord, art more than they."
~~~ Tennyson

"I say that we are wound with mercy round and round -- as with air." Gerard Manley Hopkins

"It is better to avoid God, we reason, than to face his fury... We end up hiding from the one who longs to heal us." James Bryan Smith in Embracing the Love of God

We care. He cures. 

Wonder. Imagine. Savor.

:::

One entry near the end of this particular journal made me laugh with delight:

"I am trying to envision the years to come. More education? A master's degree in Christian counseling? Asbury? Time is running short, though. I'm 50! I want to come into my own, not just tag along."

I wrote that several years ago, but then put it out of my mind for the longest time. I forgot I even wrote that, though I remember a similar discussion with my late mother over a year earlier. I'm even older now, but I finally applied to Asbury Theological Seminary last month, and my interview for entrance into the counseling department is this Thursday. Amazing and amusing what I find when I read old journals! 

Am I too old to start graduate level study of theology and counseling? I have been a Christian believer for nearly 42 years. As far as topics of study go, theology has always been my first love since I was a young teen. Close behind it has been humanity: how to love and understand and even guide others well. My beliefs (orthodoxy) and practices (orthopraxy) and emotions (orthopathy) have changed quite a bit as I have hopefully matured from an overzealous teen to a mellowed grandmother. My decades as a believer, though often so challenging, have served me well. I guess I'm not too old after all. I just needed the extra perspective.

P.S. Friends who have encouraged me on this journey toward seminary have also urged me to return to sharing my writing more. This blog post is one small attempt at that. I also just received, and look forward to reading, Vinita Hampton Wright's book The Art of Spiritual Writing: How to Craft Prose That Engages and Inspires Your Readers.  

Blessings,
Virginia

Lift High the Cross (Strength in Hymn)

Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim,

Till all the world adore His sacred Name.

Led on their way by this triumphant sign,

The hosts of God in unity combine.

Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim,

Till all the world adore His sacred Name.

Each newborn servant of the Crucified

Bears on the brow the seal of Him Who died.

Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim,

Till all the world adore His sacred Name.

O Lord, once lifted on the glorious tree,

As Thou hast promised, draw the world to Thee.

Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim,

Till all the world adore His sacred Name.

So shall our song of triumph ever be:

Praise to the Crucified for victory.

Lift high the cross, the love of Christ proclaim,

Till all the world adore His sacred Name.

This is my new favorite hymn. I'd sung it before, but heard it again recently at Asbury United Methodist Church. It has been ringing through my soul ever since. I find myself singing the chorus to myself day after day. Today, as we begin Holy Week for 2018, I thought it would make a good addition to my Strength in Hymn series.


 

Youtube link

If you would like to know more about this old Anglican hymn, which was written for a missionary conference, you can read it here: History of "Lift High the Cross"

The heart of Christianity is Jesus - his eternity in the Divine Trinity before mankind, his birth on earth, his sacred life, his miracles, his teachings, his death, his resurrection, his ascension, his continued intercession for us at the right hand of the Father Almighty, his powerful work through us as his body.

Let us lift his cross high, proclaim the love of Christ, and devote our lives to adoring his sacred name.

Does this mean we retreat into religion and ignore what is happening out in the world? No! I believe that those who follow Jesus should be actively engaged in social justice such as combating the evils of human trafficking and  abortion, serving those who are homeless or hungry, welcoming immigrants, advocating for abuse survivors, caring for those who struggle with mental illness, empowering women around the globe, and protecting schoolchildren from violence. We turn our faith into action. It is because we march in resurrection triumph that we can be bold for the sake of others. Jesus had compassion on the poor, the prostitutes, the foreigners, the women and children. So must we as those who proclaim not only his name but his justice. 

If you would like to read more Strength in Hymn posts, here are several I like best, or you can look through my index to find your favorites.

• I Know that My Redeemer Lives
• How Great Thou Art
• Abide with Me, Fast Falls the Eventide
• Awake, My Soul, and with the Sun
• It Is Well with My Soul
• Before the Throne of God Above
• Let Us Love and Sing and Wonder
• Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
• O the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus
• What a Friend We Have in Jesus

Here are some of my posts related to Holy Week from past years:

• Holy Week
• Holy Week: The Throne Room of Grace
• "Sainte-Chapelle, Nouvel Esprit"
• An Odd Palm and an Odd Parable for Palm Sunday
• The Life of Christ, Our Identity in Christ, The Priesthood of All Believers, Submission and Humility

I photographed all of the artwork in this post in Paris and Geneva in October 2016, on a trip which was an amazing gift from God. I love cathedrals and art museums, and always gravitate to masterpieces which glorify Jesus. You can click the links to see other pieces from each site. From the top:

• Statue Le Sainte-Chapelle Cathedral in Paris
• Illuminated painting "Le Retable de saint Denis" by Henri Bellechoise from The Louvre in Paris
• "Le Christ decloue de la croix" by Bourgogne at The Louvre in Paris
• "Deploration du Christ Mort" by Ludovico De Donati at Musée d'Art et d'Histoire in Geneve
• Statue at Basilique de Sacré-Cœur in Paris 
• "Le Christ Bennissant" by Bernardino Luini at The Louvre in Paris

Lift high the cross!

Virginia Knowles
www.watchtheshepherd.blogspot.com

Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (Strength in Hymn: Advent)

"Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee"

by Henry Van Dyke

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,

God of glory, Lord of love;

Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee,

Op’ning to the sun above.

Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;

Drive the dark of doubt away;

Giver of immortal gladness,

Fill us with the light of day!

All Thy works with joy surround Thee,

Earth and heav’n reflect Thy rays,

Stars and angels sing around Thee,

Center of unbroken praise.

Field and forest, vale and mountain,

Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,

Singing bird and flowing fountain

Call us to rejoice in Thee.

Thou art giving and forgiving,

Ever blessing, ever blest,

Wellspring of the joy of living,

Ocean depth of happy rest!

Thou our Father, Christ our Brother,

All who live in love are Thine;

Teach us how to love each other,

Lift us to the joy divine.

Mortals, join the happy chorus,

Which the morning stars began;

Father love is reigning o’er us,

Brother love binds man to man.

Ever singing, march we onward,

Victors in the midst of strife,

Joyful music leads us Sunward

In the triumph song of life.

It's the first Sunday of Advent,

time to sing carols in church,

time to light the first candle of five.

This morning we sang

"Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee."

I love the lyrics,

which aren't just for Christmastime.

Read them again.

These aren't sappy holiday sentiments.

This is the real stuff of life for every day.

Love. Sadness. Forgiveness.

Doubt. Praise. Strife.

Triumph. Darkness.  Light.

JOY!

I was thinking today,

even before I sang this carol,

that I need to "march onward" and
 move forward in 2015.

I need "big picture" progress 

in several areas of life.

Before January comes, though,

getting ready for Christmas

in a busy, busy household

 will keep me quite occupied.

I only wish I could say that

doubt, darkness, sadness and strife

never visited our home

at Christmastime or any time.

Like many other families,

sometimes the holidays are hardest.

We're expected to be jolly.

We don't always feel like it.

All the more reason

to lay it all aside for a while,

to drink deeply of joy,

to fill my soul with fresh courage.

All the more reason to pause

and adore, praise, worship, and love

the one who made me, redeemed me,

and still comforts and guides me Sunward.

Here is a prayer for the start of Advent,

for when joy and faith don't come easily.

"Merciful God, always with us:

We confess that we do not know how 

to prepare for your Advent.

We have forgotten how to hope in miracles;

we have ignored the promise of your kingdom;

we get distracted by all the busyness of the season.

Forgive us, God.

Grant us the simple wonder of the shepherds,

the intelligent courage of the Magi,

and the patient faith of Mary and Joseph,

that we may journey with them to Bethlehem

and find the good news of a child born for us.

Now, in the quiet of our hearts,

we ask You to make us ready for His coming.

Amen."

More posts for Advent in real life:

• A Bittersweet Advent
• What You Can Do to Make the Holiday Season a Little Merrier for Others
• Christmas, The Gift of Joy
• Beating Holiday Blues and Stress
• Third Sunday of Advent: "What Sweeter Music" with Paintings by Giotto
• Come, Oh Redeemer Come (How to Carry Advent into the New Year) 
• War and Peace

More hymns for the season

from last year's Advent series:

• There's a Song in the Air
• The Wexford Carol
• As with Gladness Men of Old

A Few of My Advent Poems:

• The Story Did Not Start with a Stable and a Star
• Shepherd's Tale
• The Paradox
• Invitation to Stillness

God bless you!

Virginia Knowles

www.WatchTheShepherd.blogspot.com