The Message Prayerful Reading Bible Sampler - Flipbook - Page 10
H ow to G et the M ost o u t of T his B oo k
A 10
The Prayerful Reading Bible has been carefully curated to facilitate this holy
reading experience for you. Through the uniquely readable language of The
Message version of the Bible itself, the guided reflections designed to orient you
to the practice, the structured journaling pages at the outset of each book of the
Bible, and, finally, the wide-open spaces of the remaining journaling pages, our
hope is for you to move quickly from lectio divina as a habit you are learning
to lectio divina as a natural, automatic way of engaging with the Scriptures—in
fact, in Eugene’s words, as “a way of life.”
Here, then, is a brief overview of the intent of each feature of the book.
• Lectio Divina: An Introduction. If you’re like many of us, you may have
skipped or skimmed Eugene’s overview of the idea of lectio divina. We
hope you’ll flip back to it and take the time to read it. You are entering
a way of life, and a little orientation goes a long way toward getting you
settled.
• Guided reflections. Intermittently throughout this book, you’ll find
guided reflections for your use. We’ve preselected passages of Scripture
for you to interact with and provided touch points for each stage in the
lectio divina process. These will be satisfying devotional experiences
for you, but they will also help you get your feet wet in the lectio divina
experience. Think of the instructions and questions in these guided
reflections as stepping-off points: Feel free to adapt them as you are led.
The point is for you to feel increasingly comfortable moving through this
process in conversation with God.
A quick caveat: Please don’t skip any steps! Lectio divina is a holistic
experience, and to bypass any part of the process is to rob yourself of a
meaningful encounter with God. You’ll notice that each guided reflection begins
(Stop) and ends (Live) simply with a brief passage of Scripture; even these are an
essential aspect of the experience. Let yourself be led through each step of the
process each time you come to the Scriptures.
• Structured pages. Near the beginning of Jeremiah and then of
Lamentations, you’ll find a page with minimal instructions for a prayerful
reading experience. In these cases, you’re invited to select your own
passage of Scripture and move through the lectio divina process at your
own pace, with minimal direction. Our hope is that these pages will further
assimilate you to the process of prayerful reading and give you greater
confidence in the possibility embedded in each meeting you have with
God and his Word. Again, don’t skip a step in the process, but give yourself
freedom to engage with each step in a way that makes sense to you and
God in the moment.
• Journaling pages. The rest of the book is simply this: you, the Scriptures,
and space for you to meet with God. Turn every page and you’ll find Bible
text on one side and open journaling space on the other. We’ve included