Isn't contemplation a practice of stillness?
Rev. Brandon Wrencher shared that doing contemplative work, especially in wrestling with scripture, should move us to a place of action. In his faith community--the Good Neighbor Movement in Greensboro, North Carolina--they utilize a practice called "lectio liberatio." Brandon shared the practice with us and recounted the story behind the Good Neighbor Movement.
Take a listen and walk through lectio liberatio with us... but then be prepared to get moving!
Listen, rate and subscribe: Apple Podcasts / Stitcher / Google Play / Spotify
Want to learn more about Rev. Wrencher and the Good Neighbor Movement? Check them out at their web site.
In this episode, Rev. Brandon introduced us to practice of lectio liberatio--which is a way of communally reading the Bible. The process is built around the Good Neighbor Movement's core values. It looks a bit like this:
A biblical text is read aloud four times, pausing between readings for the community to reflect and enter into conversation on the following questions:
BELONG - what is the conflict and/or change in the text? who/what in the text connects to the story of your family/community of origin?
BE BOLD - what policies and cultural norms is the text resisting? calling us to resist?
BECOME - what vision of healing and liberation does the text call forth?
BE STILL - what is the text calling you to pay attention to in yourself to more fully support this resistance and vision?
More about the process of lectio liberatio can be found in this article from the Good Neighbor Movement.
If you're interested in more contemplative practices, check out this tutorial on centering prayer or this podcast episode on breathing and contemplation.
