November practice: reading scripture imaginatively
a practice for encountering God in scripture...
As a reminder, we’re taking the next few months to dive a bit deeper into the five practices I’ve strung together each morning to meet with God. So far we touched on paying attention to how you come to your time with God and resting in God’s loving presence. Today we’ll talk about reading scripture imaginatively.
Remember, there’s nothing magical about certain practices over others. Practices are simply ways of making space to encounter God and we each have our unique ways of encountering Him. What works for me might not work for you. That’s okay. But I’m always interested in they rhythms of others and I like trying and experimenting with them and holding on to the parts that do help me encounter God more deeply. Maybe the same will be true for you as I share my own rhythm.
And, seriously, if you have a rhythm that works for you, I’d love to hear it. Comment below or reply to this email. I’m really not kidding when I say I love hearing about the practices and habits of others!
We’ll take the next several months to dig deeper into each part of the rhythm. I’ve shared a bit of all of these at some point, but it feels worth it to intentionally gather it all into one place.
On a good day, I begin my day with this rhythm:
Imaginative reading of Scripture (today)
Colloquy and journaling (December)
And then, at the end of the week:
Harvesting the week (January)
This month, our practice is reading scripture imaginatively.
So, after I’ve taken time to notice and pay attention to how I’m coming into my time with God and to rest in His presence, I move to scripture. There are many ways to read the Bible and I don’t always do the same thing. But on most days, if my goal each morning is to encounter God, reading scripture imaginatively has been the best way I’ve found to meet with God in the pages of the Bible.
The goal is to know Him more and meet with Him. The Holy Spirit helps you explore things in a way that you might not have found possible through regular reading and study of the Scriptures.
For me, it looks like this:
Open your Bible to today’s passage. This could be a specific Bible study, reading plan, a book you’re working through.
Center yourself in the presence of God. Close your eyes, relax your body, and ask God to speak to you through this text. Breathe in God’s love and breathe out any distractions that might cloud your mind. Ask the Holy Spirit to come and protect your imagination.
Read through the Scripture passage once for understanding.
Think of the people in this story. Which character stands out to you? Place yourself in his or her shoes, or imagine entering the story as yourself, as you are right now.
Read the passage again, this time from the perspective of your chosen person. Now, use your imagination to use your senses. What do you see? Who and what is around you? What do you hear? What do you smell? Is there anything you taste?
Using your senses and placing yourself in the scene, read the passage a third time. What might God be telling you or showing you through this? Or, if you’re familiar enough with the text by now, close your eyes and play it through in your mind like a movie.
It’s easy to worry about going beyond the text. As you offer this time to God, begin to trust that He is communicating with you. If you worry you are going too far do some discernment. Where is your imagination leading you? Closer to God or farther away? If this way of reading Scripture feels hard, pray as you are able but don’t try to force it. Trust that God will speak to you, whether through your memory, understanding, intellect, emotions, or imagination.
Let this Scripture story open your heart to receive whatever message God might be revealing to you. Spend some time in silence and listen to the Lord. Talk to Him about any questions you have. Listen. Wonder. Have a conversation.
Respond to God and thank Him for the opportunity to encounter Him in this prayer. Then journal any thoughts or insights or significant ideas that emerged.
And then, you move into the next part of your rhythm. For me, that’s a conversation with God, called a colloquy. We’ll cover that next month.
This practice works most obviously with stories and narratives within scripture, but I find that thinking in pictures and using my imagination helps me make sense of and engage just about any text I read, Psalms and Proverbs and letters just as much as the gospels and histories.
As you experiment with your own rhythms for meeting with God, think about giving this a try! And I’ll be back next month with the next practice in my morning rhythm.
And, remember, I’d LOVE to hear if you have a rhythm of your own or certain practices that have proved helpful. You can comment below or reply to this email!
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If you’re interested in retreats, you can get more info here.
And may you encounter the God who loves you as you make space in your schedule and your soul!