The historical methods are important to us because they help connect us to people of a different time and place who experienced the same God that we do, learned from the same texts, and were led by the same Spirit. In this context we do not study history for its own sake; we study history so that we might meet those who wrote the texts and those who have studied the passages before us. The lessons in this guide are designed around the four movements of lectio divina established by Guigo II, a 12th century Carthusian monk, in a book called The Monk’s Ladder. He organized the practice around four rungs that help us draw closer to God through reading the Bible.
Reading (lectio): The first rung of the ladder is reading. Believe it or not this is the step most often skipped or diminished. It is important to do the Bible reading for each lesson in order to get the most out of it. Ideally it should be read several times so that you can become familiar with the language and themes of the text. This book is a guide to help you study the biblical text. It is a supplement to the text itself, and the text of scripture should be the primary focus in your study. The steps of the participatory study method emphasize different ways of reading to help the text become part of you as you study.
Meditating (meditatio): The next step is to prayerfully meditate on the text. Dig deep into it. Study the words. Break it down into pieces. In this study this is where most of the background information is located. Look up words to find their meaning. Notice if there are any words or actions that the Holy Spirit may be leading you to examine further.
Praying (oratio): Third, we learn to pray the text. Use what you have learned from the scripture to formulate a prayer. It may be helpful to write it down. (There are note pages at the end of each chapter.) At the end of each lesson is a prayerful exercise that expounds on one of the themes from the text. Feel free to add your own prayers. This is where the text really becomes alive to us. In the method used for this study guide, prayer is not seen as simply one part of the study; prayer permeates your study. You start with prayer and listening so that you will hear what God has to say through the text. Then you end by turning what you have
heard from God back into prayer. The prayer never ceases!
Contemplating (contemplatio): The last step is the most difficult and rewarding. You have read the text, studied the text, and prayed the text. Now it is time to be the text. Let it seep into your being. Be still and listen. Make sure you leave some time after the prayer for silence and reflection. It is said that Dan Rather once interviewed Mother Theresa about her prayer life. Rather asked her, “What do you say to God when you pray?” Her answer was simple; “I don’t say anything; I just listen.” After that he asked, “Well, what does Jesus say to you?” And Mother Theresa answered, “Oh, He doesn’t say anything, either. He just listens.” Listening is what is important. You may not always feel anything, but God is there. Another facet of contemplation is to learn to do the text. We cannot be just hearers of the word; we must also be doers of the word. Let the scripture change the way you live your life.
APPLYING THE PRINCIPLES IN PARTICIPATORY STUDY PREPARATION
As you begin the study, preparation will involve getting the materials you want to use, then prayer to begin each session of study. Part of this introductory time will be making decisions about the time and resources you can devote to this study. This is also your time of prayer. Before you begin to read, you need to pray. Then you need to listen. You come to the text because God calls you to it.
OVERVIEW
Getting the overview is accomplished by reading the Ephesian letter through at least once, but preferably three times, and in exceptional cases up to 12 times. Don’t feel bad about how many times you read. Choose a number that seems reasonable to you. If you start reading the third time, and it feels like a burden, move on. This is part of lectio but only part. You will learn to read in other ways in different phases of your study. Once you have read the Ephesian letter through your chosen number of times, read one or two of the following
1 The entry on Ephesians in a Bible handbook
2 The entry on Ephesians in a Bible dictionary
3 The introductory note on Ephesians in your study Bible, if you’re using one.
4 The introductory section of a good commentary on Ephesians (see Appendix B for resource details)
Here is where we introduce historical elements into your study. Don’t imagine that God cannot talk to you through this text because you are so far separated from the people who wrote it. They were people like you who had hopes, dreams, gifts, and failings. Study the background to help you connect to them. Christianity is a community that extends not only in space right now but in time.
THE CENTRAL LOOP
For this overview, the central loop is your whole study of the book. Keep in mind that no element of your study is something you do just once and then forget about it. Prayer is continuous. There are multiple ways of reading, questioning, studying, and sharing.
For this study, I have divided the letter to the Ephesians into eight units.
Introduction and Background (Ephesians 1:1-2)
A Call to Worship (Ephesians 1:3-23)
Before and After (Ephesians 2:1-22)
Mysteries Revealed (Ephesians 3:1-21)
Growing Up into the One Body of Christ (Ephesians 4:1-16)
Living the New Life (Ephesians 4:17-5:20)
Mutual Submission in Christ (Ephesians 5:21-6:9)
Standing Firm (Ephesians 6:10-23)
This is most closely related to meditatio, but the implementation of meditatio extends into the next section where you question the text in a directed way. Don’t concentrate on the boundaries betweenone activity and the next. They are all related!
With each unit there will be an opportunity to try to think of new questions one might ask for further study. Generating new questions helps keep us from getting stale. Not only do I not have all the answers; I don’t even have all the questions! Think of a question primarily as a way to prepare your mind to hear the text. When we listen or read, we often hear what we expect to hear. If I’m listening to the radio for weather, I may miss a major discussion of politics. You can miss what God is saying to you through a Bible writer because you are looking for something else. Questioning is an important part of meditatio, but it also relates closely to oratio—take your questions to God in prayer.
Finally, find something to share. Remember that sharing can be in the form of a question. For example, one might ask others how they understand a particular word, such as “incarnation,” “poverty,” or “atonement.” Take notes on their answers, and bring that information back to your study. Then ask yourself what your neighbors will hear when you make particular statements, such as “I must be bold for Jesus!” or “Jesus is the only way to receive atonement.” Do those statements mean something to them? Do they mean the same thing to them as they do to you?
This is part of contemplatio, as you try to be and do the text. We often think of sharing primarily as telling someone things that we have learned. But if what you learned is that God loves prisoners, for example, you might find that the best way of sharing that lesson is to become active in prison ministry. Sharing demonstrates that you don’t believe the text is your private possession. It is God’s gift to the Christian community.
RESOURCES
