And so we find ourselves in August - the month where parents everywhere begin to consider our children in much the same way we regard the summer sun above us: we love it, longed for it for it, adore its warmth and vitality…but we’re also a little weary of being roasted alive by its unblinking, relentless blaze.
You feel me?
So today seems like a good time for us all to revisit the story of Jesus and the children. Because while Jesus certainly never had a water cannon sniped directly into his eardrum or had to deal with a *Code Brown* swim diaper…we are - theoretically at least - trying to be more like him in all ways but most especially with our tiny gremlins. Sigh. And he seemed to think we could learn a lot from them.
So, in accordance with our new cadence of practices, we’ll be doing Lectio Divina, using a quote from chapter 31 of The Book of Belonging: A Wide and Wiggling Wall.
(Paid subscribers, we have some more deep-dive notes beyond the paywall!)
The cliffnotes: Lectio Divina is Latin for “sacred reading” and is the practice of reading a text slowly, repeatedly and mindfully in order to let the words sink in and transform. Traditionally, it was used on Biblical texts, but as creative people connecting with our Creator, we believe this practice can be applied to any text. Rachel and I both enjoy reading children’s stories this way and that’s what we’re going to do today, with this quote from page 219 of The Book of Belonging
If you’re more comfortable practicing with a Bible verse, this story is triplicated in Mark, Luke and Matthew. I pulled from Mark 10:16 because it includes the detail about Jesus blessing them:
And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.
If you’re more comfortable practicing with a poem, try On Children by Kahlil Gibran
1. Lectio: Read the passage once, slowly and mindfully
2. Meditatio: As you read through the passage a second time, notice what words or phrases stand out to you. Do they cause relief? Discomfort? Curiosity? Where do you feel that response in your body?
3. Oratio: Read again and this time, respond. In traditional Lectio Divina, this is a prayerful response. That can mean so many different things in a community like ours. You might have a full-on conversation with God. You might intentionally sit in gratitude for goodness you notice in the passage. You might acknowledge discomfort or grief that comes up and simply recognize “These are things I am unwilling to carry alone”.4. Contemplatio: This final step is the act of resting in Divine Presence. Aka, the whole Sabbath vibe.
For those of you practicing with kids, Lectio Divina tends to go over better than you’d think! Let them close their eyes and listen as you read it - I often have my kids draw a picture as part of Step 2. Let them wiggle their way through it and remember that your goal with spiritual practices is not perfection or even participation…it’s modeling the importance of rest and fostering warm connections (to you, themselves, one another and/or the Divine!)
If you are one of our many friends who are navigating a painful recovery from spiritual trauma or simply feel like you are wandering a liminal faith space, I hope this practice reminds you that you are deeply loved, seen, held and safe. Your body is good and you can trust what it holds. Any version of god that made you feel otherwise is merely a brittle counterfeit that you can feel free to discard in your pursuit of the real deal. We’ll be here, cheering you on.
Additional Resources:
✽ The Book of Belonging - not to toot our own horn, but if you liked this text, you’re probably going to like the book it’s pulled from!
✽ For those long parenting days where you just need a cathartic shower cry: try any song by Audrey and Nathan
✽ If this practice has you feeling tender toward your littles, take a note from our Jewish friends: every Shabbat dinner, the father places a hand on each child’s head and pronounces the Aaronic benediction from Numbers 24.
May God bless you and keep you
May God smile upon you and be gracious to you
May God turn God’s face toward you and give you peace
This week paid subscribers get:
✍️🎨 Your NEW Monthly Lectio Worksheet Printable (2 versions: 1 with this month’s quote, one blank.)
📝 A Coloring Page
In case you missed it…we recently launched our third curriculum collaboration with Zippee Kids! This 9-week curriculum walks kids through each fruit of the Spirit and is perfect for summer programming! Click here to read more and snag a discount code!
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