A little more about Lectio
This is something to think about when your church is thinking about introducing a practice outside of scripture. Its from the book "A Time of Departing" by Ray Yungen. Its found on page47
"What really makes a practice Christian? The answer is obvious: Did Christ sanction it? A Christian is one who is a disciple (pupil) of Jesus Christ. This means, as a Christian, I am to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. Would Jesus hold out on me? Never! Jesus wants us to live a life resulting in communicating the good news of salvation to a dying world." end quote
Folks Jesus Christ is not a God of secrets He does everything openly. Reject new ideas that are not sanctioned in the word of God. Jesus wants relationship with us. If you are saved you already have that. You don't need to speak a sacred word or even repeat a verse of scripture in order to lure Jesus to talk to you. He is already with you. And sometimes God speaks. And sometimes He does not. His ways are not our ways so we need to just obey His commandments and seek Him. In His time He always answers. There is no way you can hurry up God to speak to you supernaturally.
God does what He wants in His time.
posted by Tim Wirth | 1:59 PM
3 Comments:
Do you take an offering in church by passing a plate? Celabrate Christmas? Have instermental music in church? Youth groups? A church building? Paid staff? Jesus didn't sanction any of this stuff. What the bible does sanction is the public reading of scripture and medition on that word. That is what lectio is. It is not conjuring or magic. It is a form of devotion. Any one who claims it is more is adding to the intent.
Lawrence-
You are missing the point. Jesus never forbade any of the things you mentioned, but he did forbid the vain repeition that the heathen do, and lecito fits perfectly this model. A person may approach a viscious dog with no intent to harm the dog and still get bitten. Just because you have no intent to do majic or conjuring, doesn't mean that there is no connection between lecito divina and these practices. Eastern mystics use this practice all the time to speak to familiar spirits.
Hi Tim,
But you said "Reject new ideas that are not sanctioned in the word of God." Not just what Jesus forbade. These are two very differnt statments. The thing that Jesus forbids in Matthew 6:7 is babbling (gk: battalogeo) as a form of prayer. 'If I talk long enough God will hear me.'
You also said "Eastern mystics use this practice all the time to speak to familiar spirits." I don't think whoever these eastern mystics are they praying the psalms. Please quote your sources.
I don't know what form of lectio you have experanced, but it seems to be very twisted from the simple reading, praying and medation which has blessed myself and my church.
Grace and Peace
Lawrence
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