Amen!!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Ward" <mward@...>
To: <faithandlife@...>
Sent: Thursday, June 26, 2003 8:13 AM
Subject: RE: [FaithandLife] PRAYER BEFORE LECTIO DIVINA


> Charles+
>
> I appreciate this last paragraph:
>
> "Whatever part of the Scriptures we read, Christ our teacher is waiting
> to instruct us. This is what the traditional Christocentric reading of
> the Bible means. We learn not only about Christ but from Christ." (36).
>
> One of the interesting things about the history of Lectio is that almost
> all of the ancient writers believed that when you hold the scriptures,
> you hold Christ; when you listen to them, you listen to the voice of
> Christ.  How interesting that we debate the veracity of scripture, argue
> about whether or not "sola scriptura" is an ancient dogma or merely one
> from the Reformation, and yet forget that from the desert fathers
> forward, the holy scriptures were always viewed as God's mouthpiece to
> us, speaking the very words of Christ through the indwelling presence of
> the Holy Spirit in us (i.e., God's "voice").  This, I believe, is one of
> the reasons a non-believer can't "hear" the words of scripture speaking
> to him as a believer can.  Sadly, though, many who are Christians
> neglect this vital and intimate connection to our Lord.
>
> Which leads to a question: how do we (clergy) not only encourage but
> help to foster the thirst for God's holy word in his people?  That's a
> tough one, especially when we have to fight to overcome years of bad
> teaching and neglect about the Bible itself.  I believe that I touched
> on it in one of the articles I wrote for DEUS, but there's much more to
> be done.  Ignorance of God's word is rampant amongst us, and as St
> Jerome said, "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ."  Amen,
> amen.
>
> MLW+
>
>
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