A note from Pastor Travis 9/1/22

Dear FUMC Family and Friends,

In August, I invited you to read a selection of Psalms with me. I have heard from people that they enjoyed doing this, and one person asked me to do something similar for September. I have given this idea a great deal of thought, and decided that this month I will add a twist to our scripture reading journey. I am going to invite you to read the same passage for 6 days in a row, each time using a different reflection technique. The passage that we will be reading will be the same passage that we will be reflecting on the following Sunday in worship. My hope is that through this process we will be immersed in the passage and on Sunday be even more ready to experience the movement of the Spirit in worship.

This process each day can be as long or as short as you want. You can spend 5 minutes or 30. It can vary each day. You are in complete control.

Here is how the process will work:

On Monday read the scripture passage slowly, then take a walk or clean or do laundry or some other activity that doesn’t take a lot of brain power. Use this time of activity to reflect on what you have just read.

On Tuesday read the scripture passage using a version of the Ignatius technique. This is a way of studying the Bible often used by Jesuits in which you seek to immerse yourself in the setting of the passage. As you read the assigned verses, imagine you are there. What does the weather feel like? What sounds and sights do you experience? What are you doing? Who are you in the story – a disciple, a member of the crowd, someone else? Allow these things to shape the way you experience the passage.

On Wednesday read the scripture passage and write down any words or phrases that stand out to you. Then take a few minutes and reflect on these words or, if you like to write, journal about them. Consider why they stood out to you. If you are not sure, that is alright. You don’t have to have an answer.

On Thursday read the scripture passage and make a creative expression of it or of your reflection on it. You can draw, paint, write a poem, doodle, listen to or sing a hymn, or any other creative expression that you choose.

On Friday read the scripture passage as a prayer. Read it slowly and offer the words as a prayerful dialogue with God. The prayer can go beyond the words of the passage to your thoughts and feelings about the passage (or anything else you want to pray about) or the prayer can end when you finish the passage.

On Saturday read the scripture passage using lectio divina. This is a way to read the passage that puts many of the elements used in the previous days together. Here are the steps of lectio divina:

1.   Lectio – read the passage slowly (you should be very familiar with it now and it may feel like a good friend)

2.   Meditatio – meditate on the passage. Read it slowly and allow yourself to be shaped by it through God’s Spirit.

3.   Oratio – pray about the passage. You can read the passage as a prayer, like you did on Friday, or you can pray about something that came up in your meditation on the passage.

4.   Contemplatio – sit in silence. Try to clear your mind and listen for God. This can be as long or as short as you choose. It is helpful to set an alarm for how long you want to practice this step. If your mind wanders, that is alright. When you realize your mind is wandering, try once again to silence your mind. This is the hardest step and takes a lot of practice.

We will start this journey together on Monday, September 5. Here are our passages:

The week of September 5 – Jeremiah 8:18-19:1

The week of September 12 – Luke 15:1-10

The week of September 19 – John 1:1 – 5, 9 – 18

The week of September 25 – Matthew 25:31-46

I look forward to this journey together. Please let me know your experience of this journey.

In Christ,

Pastor Travis