SF202: A Second Look at Lectio Divina in the Season of Easter

Lectio Divina evolved over time as a particular spiritual discipline of reading Scriptures. Psalms 1 & 119 exalt the meditation of God’s Word. Jesus used scriptures (Matt 4:4; Deut 8:3) to assert that the right Christian posture is to live by every word that comes from God.

The essence of Lectio Divina (as passed to us through the desert fathers and the monks) is thus, communion with God through the Word. It is anchored upon a deep reverence for God’s Word and a posture of deep humility.

Both reverence and humility are starting points as well as desired outcomes of spiritual formation. The mature reader as well as the new believer can practice Lectio Divina. This discipline is also anchored in the firm conviction that the Spirit of God draws near and is present to the humble soul who seeks Him.

Today, Lectio Divina has been accepted, adapted and practiced in many ways. CSF has anchored our Noon Day Prayer (started in 2015) on this ancient practice.

In this course, we will take a second look to examine this practice given its familiarity today. The desired outcome is to gain deeper learnings and insights, recognize its strengths and weaknesses. Beyond the practical process and dynamics, we want to explore how the Holy Spirit forms and transforms us in this way of praying Scriptures.

The season of Easter is another 40-day period (like Lent) where the risen Jesus was with His disciples before He ascends to return to His Father. We will use the various scriptural records and draw upon the meditation of saints of early years to see this spiritual discipline as practiced in the story of God through the centuries.

Important Note: 
This course is a pre-requisite for our Reading the Spiritual Classics course starting 22nd August 2026. We will be reading The Sermons on the Song of Songs by Bernard of Clairvaux (12th century monk).