Praying for General Conference February 23
Dear Members of the Kentucky Annual Conference, As we prepare for the called General Conference, we invite you to reflect upon the following Scripture passage through the discipline of Lectio Divina. Instructions for Lectio Divina can be found at the bottom of this email.
14 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. 2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home.[a] If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?[b] 3 When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. 4 And you know the way to where I am going.”
5 “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?”
6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. 7 If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is.[c] From now on, you do know him and have seen him!”
8 Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.”
9 Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me. 11 Just believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me. Or at least believe because of the work you have seen me do.
12 “I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. 13 You can ask for anything in my name, and I will do it, so that the Son can bring glory to the Father. 14 Yes, ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it! John 14:1-14 NLT
A guide through lectio divina – “divine reading”
1. LECTIO – READING
Read the Scripture passage humbly and prayerfully. Begin with a prayer and ask the Holy Spirit to ‘lead you into all the truth’ (John 16:13). Read the passage slowly and carefully. Make a note of any words or phrases that stand out to you. Write down any questions that occur to you. Read the passage several times and read it aloud. Give yourself time to understand and appreciate what is being said.
2. MEDITATIO – MEDITATION
Ponder and ruminate what was read. Quietly savor the Word, and meditate upon it in expectation. God might highlight an attitude or behavior of yours that needs to change, or the Lord might show you a promise to encourage and strengthen you. We will find promises and encouragement, challenges and demands.
3. ORATIO – PRAYER
In the Psalms we see how the writers pour out their feelings to God, often mixing hopes and fears side by side. God values our honesty. We also join with the prayer of our Lord saying, “thy will be done.” Bring what is happening in our own life and in our community before God. We speak and listen, listen and reflect – it is a conversation with God.
4. CONTEMPLATIO – CONTEMPLATION:
Contemplation gives us the opportunity for an intimate time of communion with God. Be still before God and invite God in. Few words, if any, are necessary here. Consider the gaze of Christ and how it purifies our hearts, illumines our eyes to see with the eyes of Jesus, and teaches us compassion for our neighbor. The aim is to allow the Holy Spirit to shape us into the form of Christ. After you have finished, you may want to write down any experiences or thoughts that particularly impressed you.
Peace of Christ,
Conference Prayer Team
This resource has been adapted from Encuentro Con La Biblia/Encounter With the Bible and The American Bible Society.