Abbey of the Arts

Transformative Living through Contemplative & Expressive Arts

  • Welcome
    • Prayer Cycle
      • Introduction to the Earth Monastery Prayer Cycle
      • Day 1 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Cathedral
      • Day 2 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Scriptures
      • Day 3 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Saints
      • Day 4 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Spiritual Directors
      • Day 5 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Icon
      • Day 6 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Sacrament
      • Day 7 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Liturgy
      • Prayer Cycle Leader Resources
    • About the Abbey
    • About Christine Valters Paintner
    • About John Valters Paintner
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  • Books
    • Sacred Time:
      Embracing an Intentional Way of Life
    • The Wisdom of Wild Grace: Poems
    • Earth, Our Original Monastery:
      Cultivating Wonder and Gratitude through Intimacy with Nature
    • Dreaming of Stones: Poems
    • The Soul's Slow Ripening:
      12 Celtic Practices for Seeking the Sacred
    • The Wisdom of the Body:
      A Contemplative Journey to Wholeness for Women
    • Illuminating the Way:
      Embracing the Wisdom of Monks and Mystics
    • The Soul of a Pilgrim:
      Eight Practices for the Journey Within
    • Eyes of the Heart:
      Photography as a Christian Contemplative Practice
    • The Artist's Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom
    • Desert Mothers and Fathers: Early Christian Wisdom Sayings Annotated & Explained
    • Lectio Divina–The Sacred Art: Transforming Words and Images into Heart-Centered Prayer
    • Water, Wind, Earth & Fire: The Christian Practice of Praying with the Elements
    • Awakening the Creative Spirit:
      Bringing the Arts to Spiritual Direction
    • Lectio Divina: Contemplative Awakening & Awareness
  • Poetry | Art | Music
    • Music + DVD
    • Poetry by Christine Valters Paintner
    • Poetry Videos
    • Dancing Monk Icons
    • Other Art Collaborations
      • Monk in the World art series by Kristin Noelle
      • Saints & Animals art series by David Hollington
      • Sacred Time art series by Alexi Francis
      • Mary block print art series by Kreg Yingst
  • Programs
    • Live Programs: Pilgrimage & Retreats
      • Monk in the World (Ireland)
      • Writing on the Wild Edges (Ireland)
      • Vienna Monk in the World (Austria)
      • Hildegard of Bingen (Germany)
      • Awakening the Creative Spirit: Experiential Education for Spiritual Directors in the Expressive Arts (Northwest)
    • Lift Every Voice: Contemplative Writers of Color Book Club
    • Community Online Retreats
      • The Spiral Way:
        Celtic Spirituality and the Creative Imagination
      • Journey with the Desert Mothers and Fathers (Lent 2021)
      • Dancing with Fear in Troubled Times
      • Novena for Times of Unraveling
      • The Two HT’s-Harriet Tubman and Howard Thurman-on Being Free
      • Writing Into Bloom
        with Christine Valters Paintner
      • Sacred Time: Embracing an Intentional Way of Life (Spring 2021)
      • Poetry and the Sacred Garden of the World:
        An Online Writing Retreat
    • Self-Study Online Spiritual Retreats
      • Creative Flourishing in the Heart of the Desert:
        An Online Retreat with St. Hildegard of Bingen
      • Dreaming of the Sea:
        A women’s discernment journey through the story of the Selkie
      • Earth, Our Original Monastery
        A Companion Retreat to the Book (SELF-STUDY)
      • Exile and Coming Home:
        An Archetypal Journey through the Scriptures
      • Eyes of the Heart:
        Photography as Contemplative Practice
        (Companion retreat to the book)
      • Honoring Saints and Ancestors:
        Online Retreat for the Season of Remembrance
      • Lectio Divina:
        The Sacred Art of Reading the World
      • A Midwinter God:
        Making a Conscious Underworld Journey
      • Sacred Rhythms of Sky, Sun, Sea & Stone:
        A Creative Retreat with the Elements (SELF-STUDY)
      • Sacred Seasons:
        A Yearlong Journey through the Celtic Wheel of the Year
      • The Soul of a Pilgrim:
        Eight Practices for the Journey Within
        (a companion retreat to the book)
      • The Soul's Slow Ripening: 12 Celtic Practices for Seekers of the Sacred (a companion retreat to the book)
      • Water, Wind, Earth & Fire
      • Watershed Moments
        in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures
      • Way of the Monk, Path of the Artist:
        A 12-Week Companion Retreat to The Artist's Rule
      • The Wisdom of the Body:
        A 10-Week Online Companion Retreat to the Book
      • The Wisdom of Mary and the Sacred Feminine
  • Calendar
  • Reflections
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Lectio Divina, Monastic Spirituality

Lectio Divina Unleashed: Part Three (Icons)

“For the invisible things of God since the creation of the world are made visible through images.”

                     (John of Damascus, On Holy Images)

The beautiful icon above is by iconographer Heather Williams Durka who lives in Olympia.  You can find her website here.  Heather offers icon workshops and has affordable reproductions of her wonderful images available for purchase.  She also has some great reflections on the role of icons in Orthodox tradition.

There are many wonderful books available on praying with icons. The tradition of gazing upon icons as a window to God is an ancient one.  Lectio divina is one way of entering into a contemplative experience with images.  To use this way of praying, select an icon or other sacred image with which to pray.  If we have a sacramental vision, then any image offers us an opening onto the holy, however certain images, such as icons, offer a privileged place in our tradition for revelation.  I invite you to begin by praying with Heather's wonderful image called "Tender Mercies."  I have always had great fondness for this icon in particular because of the great intimacy and tenderness between Mary and Jesus. 

Preparation

Prepare in a similar way as I indicated in Part One.  Find a place where you will not be disturbed.  Take time to settle yourself into stillness.  Get in touch with your breath and your body.  Relish the silence.  Draw your attention to this sacred time you have made for yourself and be aware of your desire to grow in intimacy with God.

Gazing Upon the Image

The first moment in lectio is reading God's word.  Because we are dealing with an entirely different kind of sacred "text" it requires of us a different way of entering into the experience.   Begin by exploring the entire image with your eyes.  Notice the various colors and shapes, the different symbols.  Take some time to move more deeply into different sections of the icon.  Take several moments to let your eyes wander over the entire image and rest on it in various places, taking in what you see.  Allow your gaze to deepen, to see the subtleties in shadow and expression.  As you move your gaze slowly around the image begin to notice if there is something in particular about this icon that is beginning to really capture your gaze.  Be aware of any particular place that call to you, challenge you, invite you into deeper reflection.  Let your eyes be drawn to this place on the image, take a few moments to take this in and really be present to it.

Reflecting on the Image

Now allow the place on the icon that has captured your gaze to draw you more deeply into the experience of it.  Allow it to unfold in your imagination and notice if it evokes any memories, or feelings, or other images.   Create a spaciousness within you to hold what is stirring within you. Become aware of what this part of the icon touches in you in all the ways you might experience that touch.

Responding to the Image

After you have rested with this unfolding in your imagination for a while and your heart has been touched, turn your focus to the ways you want to respond.  What is the invitation present in the unfolding of images, memories, and feelings for you today?  How is God speaking to your life in this moment through this icon?  What is the "yes" within you that is longing to be expressed?  Take some time to explore your responses through silence or journaling.

Resting with God

After you have gotten in touch with the invitation being extended to you this day, begin to release all the words and images that have been flooding your heart.   We nurture our understanding of God through these words and images, but ultimately they can never contain the fullness of God. Perhaps close your eyes for a few moments and savor the darkness and sense of surrender.  Rest in an awareness of God's presence.  Allow yourself some time to simply be.

Closing

When you have reached the end of your prayer time, you may want to go back to the icon one more time and just gaze on it for a moment again.  This time take in the whole image and just notice if anything else leaps out to you that speaks to your experience.  Offer a prayer of thanks for the gift of this time and for God's presence in beauty and stillness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The experience of praying with icons and other images is quite different than praying with words.  It is not that one is better than the other, it is simply another doorway into sacred awareness.  For some people, praying with icons is quite challenging, for others it is far more comfortable than with words.  Honor the way of praying that brings you closer to God and opens you to a sense of the holy presence that dwells within you.  This way of praying could be called visio divina or sacred seeing.

In response to your encounter with the icon you may want to explore using color and shape to express what happened in your prayer experience.  What does your "yes" to God look like this day?

-Christine Valters Paintner

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6 Comments September 28, 2006

Upcoming Programs

The Spiral Way:
Celtic Spirituality and the Creative Imagination

Hosted by the Rowe Center
February 1-21, 2021
with Christine Valters Paintner, PhD

Journey with the Desert Mothers and Fathers
Retreat for Lent 2021

February 17-April 1, 2021
with Christine & John Valters Paintner and Betsey Beckman

Recent Reflections

  • Celtic Spirituality and the Spiral Way ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess
  • Hildy Tales 3: Ní heolas go haontíos ~ by John Valters Paintner
  • Humility + Join us today for live prayer! ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess
  • Hildy Tales 2: Tús maith leath na hoibre – by John Valters Paintner
  • New Book Club for 2021: Lift Every Voice ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

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