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

Open a Door

Devote yourselves to prayer, 

being watchful and thankful.

And pray for us, too, that

God may open a door 

for our message, 

so that we may proclaim 

the mystery of Christ, 

for which I am in chains. 

Pray that I may proclaim it 

clearly, as I should. 

Be wise in the way you act 

toward outsiders; 

make the most 

of every opportunity. 

Let your conversation be 

always full of grace, 

seasoned with salt, 

so that you may know 

how to answer everyone.

~*~*~

I am taking the Vocation of Ministry class online this summer from Asbury Seminary. We are reading Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation by Ruth Haley Barton as an encouragement to embrace the spiritual disciplines such as solitude, prayer, and Scripture. I have practiced Lectio Divina as an approach to Scripture study before. It is a slow, reflective reading of a short passage, seeking to hear from God, meditate on the words, pray the Scripture, and find ways to apply it. The goal is transformation rather than information. 

Barton also recommends listening for one word or phrase that stands out, one that God is bringing to mind right now. That is not my usual practice, but as I sat tonight with Colossians 4:2-6, I pondered it phrase by phrase, line by line. What resonated most with me? 

"Open a door..."

Why this phrase? I realize that in the strictest interpretive context, this is about evangelism. Paul is talking about God opening doors in the community and the world for people to hear and receive the gospel for the first time. 

However, what resonates with me, and is also true, is that God wants my own heart to be open to the word, too. Aren't there so many ways we close ourselves off to God? Even as a believer for 43 years, I know I do. Whether it is from apathy, or resistance, or fearful self-protection, I close myself off to what I need most: a fresh message from God, Scripture for my own soul. What is the remedy? That is here too: devotedly, prayerfully, watchfully, thankfully contemplating the mystery of God's message of grace and letting it do its deep work inside of me. I need God to open that door... in me!

And you know what? This is still about sharing the gospel with others.

When they see me embracing God's word, taking it seriously, letting it shape me, that speaks powerfully into their souls. When they hear gracious words, salted with divine wisdom, that's redemption on display. When I make the most of my time for the Kingdom, choosing my actions with intention, that's such a witness to the goodness of God. This is one way God opens the door in their lives: by seeing the open door in ours.

You know, God actually already said this through Colossians 3:16-17. The message dwelling within, the overflowing gratitude, the wise words and the deeds that please the Lord... It's all there.

Let the message of Christ 

dwell 

among you richly 

as you teach and admonish 

one another with all wisdom 

through psalms, hymns, 

and songs from the Spirit, 

singing to God with 

gratitude in your hearts. 

And whatever you do, 

whether in word or deed, 

do it all in the name 

of the Lord Jesus, 

giving thanks 

to God the Father 

through him.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Hallelujah!

Open the door!

Grace and peace,

Virginia Knowles

P.S. Related posts on Scripture and seminary:

• The Goal is Not Control, But Empowerment - more from Colossians
• Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich (Primary Source Analysis)
• Inductive Bible Study on Discipleship in Matthew 8-9 - formal Scripture study
• Focus (One Word)  - Lectio Divina at end

Plus, one from another site, also an Asbury assignment:

• The Jogging Monk and the Exegesis of the Heart

All the Way My Savior Leads Me (Strength in Hymn)

"All the Way My Savior Leads Me"

Fanny Crosby

All the way my Savior leads me,

What have I to ask beside?

Can I doubt His tender mercy,

Who through life has been my Guide?

Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort,

Here by faith in Him to dwell!

For I know, whate’er befall me,

Jesus doeth all things well;

For I know, whate’er befall me,

Jesus doeth all things well.

All the way my Savior leads me,

Cheers each winding path I tread,

Gives me grace for every trial,

Feeds me with the living Bread.

Though my weary steps may falter

And my soul athirst may be,

Gushing from the Rock before me,

Lo! A spring of joy I see;

Gushing from the Rock before me,

Lo! A spring of joy I see.

All the way my Savior leads me,

Oh, the fullness of His love!

Perfect rest to me is promised

In my Father’s house above.

When my spirit, clothed immortal,

Wings its flight to realms of day

This my song through endless ages:

Jesus led me all the way;

This my song through endless ages:

Jesus led me all the way.

About This Hymn:

This hymn was written by Fanny Crosby (1820-1915), who became blind when she was six weeks old due to a doctor's error. She wrote this hymn as a response of a curious incident of God’s providence. You can read more here: Fanny Crosby and the Story Behind the Song “All the Way My Savior Leads Me”. Fanny wrote several thousand hymns, many under pseudonyms. I remember reading her biography many years ago. She didn’t have an easy life. You can read more about her here:

• Fanny Crosby (Wholesome Words)
• Fanny Crosby (Britannica)
• The Life and Ministry of Frances Jane Crosby
• Fanny Crosby (FamPeople) - this is the most compete article by far! I haven’t even finished reading it.

Why I Chose This Hymn:

I had been musing lately on how God has led me through the nearly 43 years I have been a Christian believer. I have so many stories tucked away in my memory of odd little circumstances which set into motion long reaching ripple effects leading to huge changes in my direction. (More on that later.) So I muse and I’m amused.

Anyway, the title to this hymn came to mind during my ponderings, which is unusual since I didn’t even recognize the lyrics nor the melody when I looked it up on YouTube. (The video is at the bottom of this post.)

Reading the words “Jesus doeth all things well” at the end of the first stanza reminds me of the famous words, “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well” written by Julian of Norwich in her book Revelations of Divine Love. Julian was a medieval anchoress, a woman who chose to withdraw from public life to consecrate herself to a solitary life of prayer and devotion. She literally lived in a cell attached to a church, St. Julian’s, from which she took her name. I’m not planning to follow her footsteps in that, I assure you. However, I am preparing for some sort of ministry, the form of which I do not yet know. To that end, I am currently a student at Asbury Theological Seminary’s Orlando campus, and last semester I wrote a Primary Source Analysis (PSA) paper on Julian’s work for my Church History 1 class. You can read it here: Revelations of Divine Love.

The story of how I ended up at seminary is one example of God’s curious way of leading me. It involved:

• a lifelong desire to be educated for ministry
• a conversation with my mother about grad school several years ago before she passed away
• a journal entry specifically mentioning Asbury Seminary even though I could not attend then
• assorted family crises
• ministry among other women in crisis
• a lot of blogging about church abuse issues
• the resulting FB friendship with a woman who blogs about the same topics on the opposite side of the country
• that new friend’s Facebook post about the Christians for Biblical Equality conference she was attending in my city
• a mutual FB friend (whom I had also not yet met in person) offering a scholarship so I could attend that conference
• meeting several Methodist women at the CBE conference
• my grandson’s rescheduled birthday party (the Sunday-morning-several-weeks-late timing of which caused me to visit a Methodist church’s early service since it was my late mother’s birthday and she had been born into a Methodist family and I had admired the Methodist women I had met at the CBE conference)
• running into an old friend at that Methodist church (whom I had met when we worked for the same school years ago)
• attending her Lectio Divina Bible study, and hearing her talk about her Inductive Bible Study class at seminary (a conversation which made me drool)
• my 2018 "one word" Focus
• and several key shifts in my own family circumstances.

And that’s just a tiny sample of the story. There is much more to it, but I don’t want to write a book here.  And all the way my Savior leads me. That much I know, even though I don’t always know what’s next on the agenda. Life is quite an adventure. I can trust God to be with me every step of the way. And then I look back and laugh.

Related links? Sure thing!

• This Mom Starts a New Chapter
• Arise (One Word)
• Sweet Sunday Morning in Geneve (Europe #5) - an amusing story of being in the right place at the right time
• The Power of a Christian Woman's Voice
• A Vision of Mother-Life (A Poem)
• Strength in Hymn index
• Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us
• Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah
• Mutual by Design 2017 Christians for Biblical Equality Conference
• The Puritans, The Quakers, and Little Old Me (Reflections on A Measure of Light) - many generations of God's leading in my family history
• Pilgrimage and Jubilee

The Photos in this Post: 

The photos in this post are from my visit to the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in America in Washington, D.C. last fall. I had wanted to go back to the National Cathedral the last time I visited family in Maryland. (See my poem God of Joy, I See Thee for photos of my first visit in 2017.) My nephew Doug also loves the cathedral and offered to take me. When we were driving home, I found out he had plotted a surprise detour to see the monastery too. He knew I would enjoy it, and I certainly did! I love this kind of adventure. You can see more about that here: My Birthday Weekend in Maryland. 

Oh, all that for one hymn post! You never know what you're going to get when you read my blogs!

Blessings,
Virginia

Revelations of Divine Love by Julian of Norwich (Primary Source Analysis for Asbury Seminary)

Revelations of Divine Love

by Julian of Norwich 

This is one of my Church History assignments from last semester at Asbury Theological Seminary. For a Primary Source Analysis (PSA), a student must read the historical document, and then follow a series of writing prompts. Last semester, we had several options to choose as subjects for our two PSA projects, and I chose Athanasius's work On the Incarnation for my first, and Julian's Revelations of Divine Love for my second. This semester, for Church History 2, I am likely to choose Women’s Speaking Justified (1666) by Margaret Fell and Enquiry into the Obligation of Christians (1792) by William Carey.

Primary Source Analysis:

Revelations of Divine Love 

by Julian of Norwich 

Summary

Revelations of Divine Love is Julian of Norwich’s expression of a series of 16 visions she received while she was deathly ill for several days at the age of 30. In the introduction, she explains her purpose in writing and the circumstances of her infirmity and complete healing, then briefly recaps the theological themes of each of her visions. These are mostly related to the Passion of Christ, the great love of God, and the spiritual bliss and peace experienced when believers are “grounded” and “oned” with God.

Julian first wrote a short version of her Revelations, but expanded it with additional meditations about 20 years later. There are no extant manuscripts for the earlier version, and the only complete ones for the later one date from the 17th century. Her longer book has 85 chapters, which are not evenly split between the 16 visions, as some were much more descriptive than others. The complete form of Revelations of Divine Love is considered one of the great Christian classics, and was the first female-authored English-language book still in print.

Historical/Theological Context

Julian of Norwich, born in 1342 in England, was a medieval anchoress, a woman who chose to withdraw from public life to consecrate herself to a solitary life of prayer and devotion. We don’t know her actual name, but St. Julian is name of the church where she lived as a recluse for most of her life. She was also known as Juliana. According to The Book of Margery Kempe, Julian was sought out as a spiritual counselor by those who visited her in her cell. Very little is known of Julian apart from what she has written in this book.

Julian was not the only female medieval mystic in Europe. Hildegard von Bingen of Germany, who preceded her by over a century, and Catherine of Siena, Italy, who lived at about the same time as Julian, also recorded extensive divine visions which have survived to modern times.

In English theology, Julian was a contemporary of reformer John Wycliffe. It is notable that he did not begin his English translation efforts until 1380, which would have been after Julian’s visions. Thus, she would not have had access to English Scripture, and would have had to have either known Latin or relied on the teachings of other clerics for her knowledge of the Bible.

Author’s Intention

Julian’s intention for recording her Shewings (as she called them) was to share her experience so that others could better understand divine love and thus draw closer to God in intimate communion. It does not appear that she had any interest in promoting herself by writing; her humility prevented her from overshadowing the glorious visions which magnified the God she loved so much. She refers to herself merely as “a simple creature unlettered.” She aimed to promote reverence and hope, as well as wholehearted devotion.

Central Themes

The passion of Christ: Julian vividly described her impressions of Jesus during the days surrounding his crucifixion, with special attention paid to physiological aspects such as sweating blood, shedding blood, becoming dehydrated, his skin changing color, and his side being riven open. This seems similar to the fascination that the Moravians later had with the physical wounds of Christ.

Of the brownness and blackness, the ruefulness and wastedness of this Image many marvel how it might be, since that He portrayed it with His blessed Face who is the fairness of heaven, flower of earth, and the fruit of the Maiden's womb. Then how might this Image be so darkening in colour and so far from fair?--I desire to tell like as I have understood by the grace of God.

Being “grounded” and “oned” with God: This concept is repeated throughout the book. “Grounded” refers to God being our foundation and source, while “oned” is being united in intimate communion with God.

For our Soul is so deep-grounded in God, and so endlessly treasured, that we may not come to the knowing thereof till we have first knowing of God, which is the Maker, to whom it is oned.

Spiritual bliss: The theme of bliss appears throughout the book. Julian assures her readers that this is what God wants for us, rather than living in shame or despair.

GLAD and joyous and sweet is the Blissful lovely Cheer of our Lord to our souls. For He [be]holdeth us ever, living in love-longing: and He willeth that our soul be in glad cheer to Him, to give Him His meed. And thus, I hope, with His grace He hath [drawn], and more shall draw, the Outer Cheer to the Inner Cheer, and make us all one with Him, and each of us with other, in true lasting joy that is Jesus.

Peace and Hope: Julian was confident that God would bring good out of every situation in life, because he is good, wise, and able. The last passage listed below contains the words for which Julian is most known, here italicized.

Thus saw I that God is our very Peace, and He is our sure Keeper when we are ourselves in unpeace, and He continually worketh to bring us into endless peace.

Behold and see! For by the same Might, Wisdom, and Goodness that I have done all this, by the same Might, Wisdom, and Goodness I shall make well all that is not well; and thou shalt see it.

And for the tender love that our good Lord hath to all that shall be saved, He comforteth readily and sweetly, signifying thus: It is sooth that sin is cause of all this pain; but all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner [of] thing shall be well.

On questioning about this, Julian is told that if God can bring about salvation after the sin of Adam, the worst that has ever happened, he can make all other things well, too.

The Motherhood of Both the Virgin Mary and Jesus: The entire Eleventh revelation is about Jesus showing his mother to Julian three times. She is also mentioned often in the other revelations. But then she also characterizes Jesus as a heavenly Mother in her extended comments after the first fourteen Revelations.

And in this sweet word [it was] as if He had said: I wot well that thou wouldst see my blessed Mother: for, after myself, she is the highest joy that I might shew thee, and most pleasance and worship to me; and most she is desired to be seen of my blessed creatures.

The Mother may lay the child tenderly to her breast, but our tender Mother, Jesus, He may homely lead us into His blessed breast, by His sweet open side, and shew therein part of the Godhead and the joys of Heaven, with spiritual sureness of endless bliss.

The all-encompassing love of God: As indicated by the books title, Divine Love is the main theme of the Revelations, and accordingly it appears throughout the book. It is fitting then, that Julian ends her final Revelation with these words:

And I saw full surely that ere God made us He loved us; which love was never slacked, nor ever shall be. And in this love He hath done all His works; and in this love He hath made all things profitable to us; and in this love our life is everlasting. In our making we had beginning; but the love wherein He made us was in Him from without beginning: in which love we have our beginning. And all this shall we see in God, without end.

Positive and Negative Features

I admire both Julian’s perception and her devotion to God, which are quite challenging to me in much different circumstances. I am most charmed by her tender (and often archaic) vocabulary, such as dearworthy, full lovely, mirth, bliss, weal, solace, love-longing, courteously, All-Wisdom, and Benedicite Domine. I love the metaphors and analogies she uses, such as being wrapped in God like clothing, or that “All-Thing” (everything) created is as insignificant as a hazelnut yet still deeply loved by its Creator. Her writing is both detailed and imaginative, which might have been enhanced as a result of her expansion of the manuscript in later years.

The main negative aspect I perceived is that her understanding of the doctrine of atonement seems to not align with the more classical views that I hold. Even her viewpoint on this resonates with me, though. She also believed in Purgatory, a doctrine I believe to be without Biblical merit. Some of her descriptions make me uncomfortable as well, but that is not necessarily a detriment.

Modern Application for the Church

Revelations of Divine Love has several applications for the modern church to consider, with various aspects most needed according to theological emphases of different movements.

The book’s theme of God’s love, as opposed to his wrath, might initially appeal to those in the church who prefer to focus on the more pleasant and positive aspects of the faith, especially those related to emotional fulfillment. To these believers, Julian’s treatises on the Passion of Christ, as well as her own lifestyle, would also be both instructive and corrective toward a more rigorous reverence, consecration, and service. Those who tend to be self-absorbed and consumed with grand success would do well to think on her ideas of the smallness of humankind in relation to their All-Being Creator.

On the other hand, that same rapturous description of the generous and warm love of God toward his creation might also serve to temper the legalistic tendencies of those in the modern church who see God only as wrathful and exacting. It is the compassion of Christ which enraptured and captured Julian’s heart, not a regimented checklist of doctrines and behaviors.

Related to that, but also distinct, is that many of Julian’s meditations feminize God’s characteristics. That, combined with her own medieval womanhood, could be quite refreshing to those who have experienced the more patriarchal edge of the modern church, where modern women still have no voice and where promoting masculinity and male privilege seem to be the operative priority.

It is interesting that Julian expanded her writing much later on. That is an indication that Christians can benefit from revisiting what God has shown them earlier, evaluating the central message, exploring the ideas further, and using that as a springboard for later ministry. This is perhaps part of what has made her work so enduring for well over 600 years.

To believers in every time period, Julian’s exhortations about being “grounded” and “oned” with God serve as a call to a much deeper and more beautiful communion between believers and their Creator. The 21st century church seems to be sadly lacking in authentic and transformative faith, settling instead for shallow caricatures of who Jesus is and what he wants to do in the life of his saints. May God grant revival to his people even now.

~*~*~*~

That assignment was for Church History 1.
Here is one I did for my Inductive Bible Study course.

Inductive Bible Study on Discipleship in Matthew 8-9 (Seminary Notes)

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