Day 3 – John 1:19-28

He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Christ.” ~ v.20

“I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ “ ~ v.23b

Day 2 – John 1:6-18

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. ~ Isaiah 53:3(NIV)

How does God experience sadness, despair?  How does the Almighty One, the Creator of all existence squeeze himself down into a limited body of a broken race?  It is incredible enough that he would come down, but to the extent that he did…

He didn’t come with constant fanfare.  He came into the world that He created, that exists because of Him, but it did not know Him.  He came to his own people, but they did not know him.  The One who has counted the hairs on our heads…the one who sees the suffering of people and does something about it…he wasn’t recognized…He was ignored.

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ~ (v.14 ESV)

Yet, he dwelt amongst us.  God Almighty made his home with us.  He didn’t leave;  He didn’t ignore;  He didn’t give up on us.  He wanted us to know Him & His Father.  He wanted to be in community with us.  He wanted us to see Him, recognize Him…KNOW Him.

Jesus, you experienced a sorrow that few ever feel, but you pushed on to reveal the countenance of Your Father through your dwelling amongst us.  You have spoiled us with so much grace beyond what we can measure.  Thank you for pushing through the sorrow that we might experience the joy of knowing You!  Praise Your Name!

As I wrote about in my last entry, the Mosaic Boston community is practicing Lectio Divina (Sacred Reading) as one of the ways to observe this Lenten season.  Though I’m not sure how consistent I can be in updating my xanga, I would like to share whatever thoughts I may have for that particular daily passage and maintain a record of it if possible.

Day 1 – John 1:1-5

A very familiar passage for anyone who has grown up in a Christian background.  It starts off with the statement that Jesus (Described as the “Word“) existed before the creation of anything.  He was with God the Father before time began because He is God the Son.  He holds equal standing with God basically.

The section that caught my eye was v. 5:

“The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” (v.5)

For a while, I was having trouble understanding what did John mean that the “darkness has not understood it.“  “It” being the light of Christ.  Then, however, I read the ESV version…

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.“

Our Lord & Savior cannot and will not be contained.  The darkness around us would want us to believe that He can be explained away.  Words are spoken of his inferiority or limitations or nonexistence.  Even us followers many times place restrictions on where He can go, what He can do, or what He can say into our lives.

It’s useless…

He will not be limited.  He will not stay inside the boxes we create; the lines that we draw; the expectations we’ve placed;  Jesus will not be stereotyped, maligned, or marginalized.  He will overcome them all because He is the light that shines in darkness.

He is more powerful…
…more beautiful
…more wonderful beyond a limited understanding!

The NIV & ESV both got it right.  This darkness will never understand Him nor will it conquer Him.  He is Jesus, the light that brings life to all men!

Lectio Divina - It’s from the Latin for “Sacred Reading” and it is a practice of reading the Scriptures that came from monastic circles.  Of late, this form of reading has gone outside of Roman Catholic circles and has been making it’s way into other denominations.  For Sofia & I, this will be the third year that we’d be participating along with our church.

Lectio Divina, in short, is a simple method for followers to take a new look and approach to the Scriptures, and in this season of Lent as we approach the somberness of Good Friday and the celebration on Resurrection Sunday, it is a fitting method (in my opinion) to take a 2nd look at the scriptures with rawness and purpose.

More can be said of course, but for simplicity sake, I’ll attempt to surmarize the basic steps.

1. Lectio (reading/listening) – The first step that needs to take place is the thoughtful and intentional reading of the scriptures.  This step requires that the reader not skim or quickly surmarize the passage in one’s mind, but to take in each word.  It is reverential.  It is approaching the scriptures as a lover reads the words from his/her long lost beloved.
2. Meditatio (mediation) - When you find yourself drawn to a particular passage, take the time to meditate and percolate on what it is saying.  This process is meant to go throughout your day as you chew on what God is saying in this passage and how it applies to you.
3. Oratio (prayer) – This is the time for your response to God.  This isn’t the time to repeat Christian jargon, or codified prayers.  It is simply the time a child approaches his/her Father and be honest with him.  This isn’t about performance or measuring up, it is about communion with your Father.
4. Contemplatio (contemplation) – The final step is to simply be still and know that He is God.  He dwells within each follower of His Son, bask in that Truth, enjoy His Spirit’s presence.  Listen for His voice.

I hope this encourages you to may be try out Lectio Divina during this Lenten season.  God has used this in the past to encourage me to take on certain tough challenges (such as Nepal).  Maybe he’ll use it for you too.