Harold
Introduction
In this paper, I offer some theory about the practice of Sustained
lectio divina and how it serves as a method for understanding the deepest culture of our spiritual journeys. Sustained
lectio divina differs from a contemporary teaching on lectio divna that is a four step method often done in a single sitting: to read, to think about, then pray about discursively and finally enter into silence. The sustained part of
lectio divina is to take the theme for days, weeks, months and even years and wrestle with the encounter with God.
These two stories will describe how this is actually done over a lifetime. These stories illustrate how the method of Sustained
lectio divina works and gives rise to finding meaning through our stories. The two stories are different, but offer rich teachings. The first story is from the Hebrew Scriptures. The Book of Jonah is rich in narrative and lends intelligibility to a teaching on the four dimensions of Sustained
lectio divina. The second story is written by my sister, Evelyn Funk Friedman, who answered the need of her neighbor, Harold. And finally, I offer brief concluding remarks that I hope will invite you to explore your own stories more deeply and be open to the transformative power of the stories of others.
