Listening

Read the text below, preferably aloud.  As you hear the word, “listen with the ear of your heart” for a word or short phrase that God has for you this day.

Genesis 15:1-7

After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.’ But Abram said, ‘O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’ And Abram said, ‘You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.’ But the word of the Lord came to him, ‘This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.’ He brought him outside and said, ‘Look towards heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.

 Then he said to him, ‘I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.’

COMMENTS

In the first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch, one can see in the Jewish ancestors a people discovering and exploring their relationship with their God. It is a story of hurt, separation, reconciliation, and forgiveness. And many times, as in the case of Abraham, it is a story of hope and trust based upon the experience of this relationship.

For in the end, it is precisely that: a relationship. I see this element very clearly in this passage. It is not simply the promise of a reward that motivates Abraham. In fact, when God offers a reward, Abraham questions what reward could possibly match the promise of descendents — in essence, the promise that the God’s relationship with him and his people would continue. God does make this promise, and makes explicit the fact that it will be fulfilled through no one other than Sarah. He offers as assurance their past relationship: God brought him from Ur to this land, and God will continue to be present even beyond Abraham’s death. All of the created universe, even the stars above, are a part of this promise.

The Old Testament writings are sometimes critiqued for being theologically shallow, the implication being that the people only followed God out of fear or desire for a reward. Passages such as these show me that behind these things is a real desire for a life lived in relationship with God.

-Taylor Morgan

© Abraham and Sarah, Donald Jackson, 2003. The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota.  Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, © 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

MEDITATING

Ruminate on the Word (Genesis 15:1-7), turning it over in your heart and mind. What does the word or phrase you have chosen mean to you today?

COMMENTS

In the second movement of visio divina, we are asked to ruminate on the word or phrase that stood out to us, turning it over and over in our hearts and minds, and asking what meaning God may have for us in it.

The word that stands out to me is “vision”. I have read this passage before, yet never noticed that it is labeled as a vision. To me it does not change the content of the conversation substantially, yet it frames it in a new way.

This is a conversation that is set apart from Abraham’s normal life — there’s something special here. It is as if God is calling a “time out”, and the action stops while the game is analyzed and the next steps are planned. I feel more movement when I focus on it being a vision. God is showing Abraham the extent of their relationship and covenant, and re-centering Abraham on those truly important things. Abraham has only to trust in God to remain in right relationship.

I might wish that God would call a time out in my own life, take me apart to show me visions of stars and descendents. But as I reflect on these words, I am aware that I have this opportunity in a small, every-day way. What is keeping me from setting aside time to spend with God, to recenter myself on my relationship with God, and to look into my future with God at my side?

-Taylor Morgan

© Abraham and Sarah, Donald Jackson, 2003. The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota.  Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, © 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

SEEING

Return to God’s word for the purpose of “hearing and seeing” Christ in the text. Fix your gaze on the illumination. Ask God to open the eyes of your heart and enable you to see what God wants you to see.

COMMENTS

Yesterday I realized that any moment in my life can be a “time out”, an opportunity to take a step back, rest in my relationship with God, and find ways to deepen that relationship, much like Abraham’s vision. Oftentimes for me, visio divina is a way to do that, especially when I take the time to enter into the practice first thing in the morning. I ask God to guide my heart and eyes towards that which I need to see.

When looking at the illumination, I notice at first what I find visually interesting. I see Abraham and Sarah written at the bottom of the maze of lines, and realize that this must be a depiction of their family tree, as numerous as the stars above.

The family tree appears inverted: rather than branching downwards, it branches up, towards the heaven, the stars, and God. I can almost visualize Abraham experiencing his prayerful vision at the base of this family tree, seeing not only his descendents but God with his descendents. Much as I cannot read the Hebrew names at the top, Abraham does not know the specific details of God’s promises. Yet he turns his gaze — and his trust — upwards, towards God. I often pray about my future, and the future of those I love. I tend to see it as dark and obscure, but this illumination invites me to reframe it in upwards, into God’s mysterious love. It will still be unknown, but it is above, in God’s hands.

I am also reminded by the text that is pulled into the illumination that both Abram and Sarai are blessed by God and receive new names as a sign of this (Abraham and Sarah). As the passage made clear, Sarah has an irreplaceable role to fill — Abraham will only have his descendents through her.

Taylor Morgan

© Abraham and Sarah, Donald Jackson, 2003. The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota.  Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, © 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

PRAYING

Pray to God, allowing for the transformation of your being and feelings. Give to God what you have found in your heart.

COMMENTS

Heavenly Father, you speak to me in so many different ways, yet I do not always hear. Oftentimes I wait almost indifferently, leaving the communicating up to you. If you had something to say, I think, you would overwhelm me with a vision or shout with a loud voice. Yet in my waiting, I so rarely set aside time to listen. Help me make time in my daily life to seek after you. 

Rather than viewing you as some sort of divine commander who will shout down an order when necessary, grant me the grace to see you as the old friend and loving Father that you are, always willing to speak if I am willing to listen. Thank you for being this kind of God…for being in relationship with me,  just as you were for Abraham and Sarah so many thousands of years ago. As Abraham looked towards the future with a hope based in that relationship, so too do I hope in your unending love.

-Taylor Morgan

© Abraham and Sarah, Donald Jackson, 2003. The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota.  Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, © 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

CONTEMPLATING

Notice the transforming presence of God within you. Let go of words and images. Surrender all that is stirring, even if only briefly, and rest for a few minutes in God’s embrace.

COMMENTS

Visio divina is a simple practice, but can often require hard spiritual work. It is such a challenge for me to take a step back from life, and to carve out a piece of time to spend focused on God. So much so, that I feel pressure to “get something out of it” when I do find time. Most of the time, I do. Whether it’s a new perspective on something that’s bothering me, a thought that hadn’t even occurred to me before, or a simple moment of peace, my visio divina prayer is almost always fruitful.

I want to get at that fruit of my labor, and oftentimes I am actively looking for it in my prayer. The beauty of the fifth movement, Contemplating, is that it reminds me to spend time with God simply for the sake of spending time with God. It involves letting go of my words, images, thoughts, and concerns. God’s love is perfect, and here I rest in that love. My own love is not always perfect, and here too I am slowly drawn into loving God more deeply.

I sometimes feel a certain resistance to the Contemplating movement. Yet more often than not, it is here that my “spiritual labor” is rewarded. My writings over the last few days have focused on the ever-present opportunity to step back and spend time with God.  Visio divina, and Contemplating in particular, are perfect opportunities to do that. Our God is a God of relationship. Closing our eyes and resting more deeply in the love that fuels that relationship is not always easy. But it is always worth it.

Taylor Morgan

© Abraham and Sarah, Donald Jackson, 2003. The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota.  Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, © 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

BECOMING CHRIST-LIKE

Return to God’s word. Allow it to transform you. Notice how your faith is being deepened and your way of life motivated.

COMMENTS

As I return to the Word, I find a clear calling in the relationship I observe between Abraham and the Lord.  I am aware of the almost unbreachable distance between myself, the created being, and God, the creator. When I pray, am I aware of how great God is, the one who made the stars above and promises an even greater love? Do I appreciate the magnitude of the divine love that enters into my life?

This narrative in Genesis is cast as a magnificent vision, a break from the normal run of Abraham’s life. Yet the relationship we observe in it is not a break, but rather the norm. God’s love is always there for Abraham, and it is always there for us today. It is up to me to make time to spend with God — to take “time out” of my life and rest in God’s presence, building upon the incomprehensible relationship that God offers.

As I continue in Lent, I will make it a priority to set time aside. That is my own personal calling to become more like Christ, who himself took time from his all important ministry simply to be with God. 

In what ways are you called to be more like Christ as a result of this scripture and illuminated Word?

Taylor Morgan

© Abraham and Sarah, Donald Jackson, 2003. The Saint John’s Bible, Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota.  Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Catholic Edition, © 1993, 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.