Even when we are alone, we are connected to one another through the spirit. As a way of engaging that connection, especially while our Pastor, Steve Hyde, is away on his sabbatical, we are practicing lectio divina, a style of guided meditation and response to a passage of scripture.
Silence
Read the text – what does the text say?
Isaiah 61:1-4 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
61 The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and release to the prisoners;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.
4 They shall build up the ancient ruins,
they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.
Read the text again: what does it say to me?
What do I want to say to God about the text? What is my prayer?
What difference will the text make in my life? What is my response?
Benediction: Lord Jesus Christ, You are the Light of the world; fill
my mind with Your peace and my heart with Your love.
