Journey

• Forgiveness

• Fasting

• Journaling

• Lectio Divina

• Praying Scripture & Psalms

• Examen

• Breath Prayer

• Confession & Self-Examination

Visio Divina

Description

Visio divina is a practice of prayerfully inviting God to speak to our hearts as we look at a creative element – picture, photo, piece of artwork, or image.

Prepare

After selecting a creative element, prayerfully invite the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts as you engage.

Observe

As you begin to ponder the creative element, notice your own breath and your body. Notice the creative element and what’s being depicted there.

Meditate

Simply be present to what God is speaking to your heart through the image, without any particular agenda. Trust the Holy Spirit to speak to you in words or wordlessly and ponder what emerges for you.

Potential Questions to Guide Meditation

• What feelings, thoughts, actions, or interactions emerge as you meditate upon the creative element?

• If you had to describe the image in 1-2 sentences, what would you say?

• If you were in the image, where would you place yourself?

• Where do you get a glimpse of the sacred from this image?

• How is God speaking to you in this creative element?

• Does a name for God arise for you from this creative element?

In silence, sit with what you have received. If you choose, share aloud a word or phrase to express your experience of the image.

Close

As you bring your time of meditation to a close, what do you sense is God’s invitation to you?

Resources

Centering Prayer for Everyone: With Readings, Programs, and Instructions for Home and Group Practice by Lindsay Boyer and Gail Fitzpatrick-Hopler (Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books, 2020).