"Saints of the past can't seem to say enough about their
ecstatic experiences with the words of Scripture. The writer of Psalm 19, for
example, can hardly contain himself as he exclaims that God's words and ways
have revived his soul, made him wise, brought joy to his heart, given him
clarity and correct perspective on his life, and warned him of danger. Why
should our experiences of the Bible today fall short of this standard? What are
we missing?
Spiritual formation experts James Wilhoit and Evan Howard
argue that our ancestors in the faith responded to the special nature of
Scripture with special habits of reading. In this step-by-step introduction to
the practice of lectio divina, you will learn what it means to read your way into
a new and life-changing intimacy with God.
Their simple, easy-to-follow explanation of this ancient
practice provides a perfect foundation for you to begin meeting God in his Word
as you:
• read,
• meditate,
• pray
• contemplate.
Discover a new experience of God's Word--one that leads you
Discovering Lectio Divina
Bringing Scripture into
Ordinary Life
By James C. Wilhoit
and Evan B. Howardo experience more
of God himself.
Leaders in Spiritual Formation Draw the Depths of Scripture into
Everyday Life
In Discovering
Lectio Divina, James
C. Wilhoit and Evan B. Howard teach readers what lectio divina means and how it becomes a bridge between
the inspired text of Scripture, the Christian reader and the Holy Spirit. “The
authors befriend the Word in such a way that we become better friends of God
and more committed members of our faith community,” says Susan Muto, author of A Practical Guide to
Spiritual Reading. Throughout their delightful book, Wilhoit and Howard address basic
questions surrounding this art of truly being with God.
What does it mean to “meditate”? How can we do this with God?
“The word meditation may sound a bit exotic. You
might even wonder, ‘Is it okay to meditate?’ No worry, you are already doing
it. While the Bible has a lot to say about meditation, it assumes that everyone
meditates, just as it assumes that everyone worships. The Bible concerns itself
with who or what we worship and with what we meditate about—directing our minds
to Scripture, creation and redemption—but it assumes meditation rather than commands it.” (p. 77)
Why is contemplation an important part of the process of lectio
divina? “When
we meditate,
we reflect; we
gnaw on the text a bit. We take it into us by actively employing our thoughts
and feelings. When we pray we
communicate with God: asking for wisdom, listening for God’s voice, speaking
back what comes to mind. When we contemplate during lectio divina, we rest, present with the God
of the text. . . . Contemplation is a bit like bird watching; we can’t make the
birds show up, but there are things we can do to encourage them. Likewise,
there are things we can do to signal a mellowness of heart and an interest in
doing business with God. We open our Bible. We make a habit of stilling our
speech for a while. We wait in our silence for the silence of God to come. But
in the end, God just comes.” (pp. 111, 118)
What makes this book unique among all of the other available spiritual
formation resources?
“Ours is unique in that it combines the ancient wisdom on
lectio with Reformation and evangelical voices. It also is one of the few
nontechnical books that is clearly grounded in historical studies and
theological reflection.” (Wilhoit and Howard)
For more information and to schedule an interview
contact: Krista Carnet, broadcast publicity, at 800.843.4587 ext. 4013 or
kkcarnet@ivpress.com
Suanne Camfield, general print publicity, at
800.843.4587 ext. 4012 or scamfield@ivpress.com Adrianna Wright, online
publicity, at 800.843.4587 ext. 4096 or awright@ivpress.com
Visit
ivpress.com/media"
