By Maureen Wright

My last newsletter article began with my sharing that since I began my work as your Transitional General Presbyter my newsletter articles have focused on scripture, nearly all have included the biblical theme of wilderness. I have continually shared my belief that this time of transition is guided by the Presbytery moving from where we have been to an unknown place – a place yet to be determined. This is a time of discerning who God is calling us to be and where God is calling us to go. This transition is not a static time where the people of the Presbytery (all of us) passively wait for God’s revelation. In this transition we are called to be spiritually active – reaching out to God, calling on God to show us the way.

This process of discernment needs to be deeply rooted in the study of scripture, both individually and as a Presbytery. I believe that God is calling all in the Presbytery to deepen our spiritual skills, to expand the ways in which we connect with God. For many of us, our “toolbox” of skills to engage with scripture is limited. Some of us default to reading the scripture and listening to sermons, perhaps we read the reflections of an “expert” on particular passages that interest us. Few of us invest the time to contemplate what scripture is saying to us. The Merriam Webster online dictionary defines contemplation as concentration on spiritual things, a form of private devotion or an act of considering with attention: study. In The Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard Foster (1978, Harper Collins), he dedicates a third of the book to inward disciplines including meditation, prayer, and study. The study of scripture, contemplation, meditation, and prayer are like four colored threads or yarn woven together to form the cloth of discernment. Another way to think about the practice of discernment is making space for God to speak.

In a fast-food world, taking time to study scripture, to listen deeply for the voice of God, to discern is difficult. Discernment is like planting, tending, and harvesting a garden to create a homemade meal to savor. One way to move from “fast-food to homemade” is a discipline known as Lectio Devina (Latin for divine reading). One author and spiritual director calls it “a slow, rhythmic reading and praying of a scripture passage” (Busy Lives & Restless Souls by Becky Eldredge, Loyola Press, 2017). This practice is ancient and comes to us from monastic communities. A simple way to engage in Lectio Devina is to read the scripture three times. I find reading it from at least two different translations to be helpful. As you read the first time, look for the word or phrase that captures your attention. As you read the second time, pray on that word or phrase – what is God saying to you in this moment? As you read the third time, what is God’s gift or invitation to you? My experience is that as you practice Lectio Devina, it becomes easier to listen and hear God speaking. It becomes a space in which to engage God more richly and deeply. You may want to utilize an app that allows you to listen to a passage from different translations. You may want to pair it with Visio Devina (the practice of contemplation on a picture or icon). You may want to write about your insight(s) or compose a poem. You may want to draw, doodle, or craft in some way to reflect your insight(s).

I invite you to begin with Ephesians 4: 1-17. As you create this space for God to speak, think about who God is calling you to be and where God is calling you to go. Seek to discern who God is calling the Presbytery to be and where God is calling the Presbytery to go. Start with your favorite translation of the Bible, include The Message, add another translation that is less familiar. If you would like to include Visio Devina, here are two images of Jesus.

I will be inviting the Presbytery committees to use this passage in April to reflect on who God is calling us to be and where God is calling us to go as a Presbytery. I look forward to a Presbytery-wide conversation on discernment, especially to listen for that place not yet known to which God is leading us.