An introduction to Abide: Keeping Vigil with the Word of God

Last week I started reading Abide: Keeping Vigil with the Word of God by Macrina Wiederkehr.  This is not a book you read quickly.  It is meant to be digested slowly.  There are scripture references for each chapter to be read thoughtfully with reflection.  At the end of each chapter there are reflection questions and a prayer.

There are five chapters in the book with 8 devotional readings each.  At the end of each chapter is a poetic summary of the chapter.

The first few devotional readings for chapter one (Drawn Like a Magnet to the Divine) are: Desire for God, Come to the Water, and All I Want is to Know Christ.

This devotional employs lectio divina as a way of keeping vigil, reading thoughtfully, and reflecting.  Four steps for reading are shared:

• "Open the Scriptures to that particular text and then, WAIT." (4)
• "Discover the grace of waiting.  Learn to wait!  When you sense a readiness in your soul, READ." (5)
• "When you have finished reading the assigned Scripture text, then it is time for you to LISTEN OBEDIENTLY." (5)
• "With or without words, pray.  Your prayer may lead you quite naturally into the final movement of lectio, which is simply to ABIDE." (6)

Some quotes from what I've read thus far:

• "A magnetic force keeps drawing us toward the eternal." (12)
• "God is always calling us beyond what we can see with the naked eye." (12)
• "You will need to surrender your craving for certainty." (12)
• "Young trees and plants dry up from lack of rain.  So too our spirits wither when we deprive ourselves of the healthy spiritual practice of abiding with the Word of God.  Time set asided for lectio divina is like water for the soul." (13)
• "Like a magnet, we are constantly drawn to the divine." (14)
• "When our river of desire for God grows shallow, it needs to be deepened.  When our flame of love grows dim, it needs to be rekindled." (14)
• "The potential of a deeper relationship with the Holy Mystery we call God is always available." (15)
• "Prayerful questioning is a way of leading you into deeper reflection." (19)
• "I am willing to risk living without answers." (22)

That's all I have so far.  What do you think?  Is this a book that could become part of your devotional life? 

What word(s) speak to you in the quotes above?  Read back over the quotes again to see if there are certain words that catch your attention, that speak to your heart, mind, or soul at this time.

Most of the words that spoke to me have been included in the "labels" section, though I ran out of room.  Words such as: drawing, calling us beyond, surrender, water for the soul, magnet, deepened, rekindled, deeper relationship, questioning, willing to risk.

Maybe there is something in this short introduction for you today for your journey.  If not for today, maybe for another day.

My personal prayer for myself is that I continue to prayerfully question and risk living without answers as I journey onward, deeper.  That is also my prayer for you.

~Debra