pat loughery

Often around the first of the year, zealous Christians put together their Bible Reading Plans for the year. I usually do it, and then about February, I crap out and quit (strangely, this often coincides with the time I need to read a few chapters of Leviticus a day). Or I get to the point that I quit reading to be changed, and I’m only reading to check off a box and move onto my next project. That never feels good, so I sidetrack off into bumpy trails that are more fun.

If you’re looking for a reading plan, Discipleship Journal has a few that you can download, and they are here.

This year, I want to follow the model of the early Celtic monks, and focus primarily on the Gospels and the Psalms for my personal lectio divina. I’ve found a nice little resource that gives me smallish, digestible chunks of these two areas, and I hope to use this as my main reading guide.  It comes from the book Celtic Prayers from Iona by J. Philip Newell.

In addition to this, I’m using one of several daily prayer books that help me with an organized rhythm of prayer.

The one I pack around with me in my work bag is Prayer Rhythms for Busy People: A Pocket Companion, by Ray Simpson.  (This is apparently unavailable in the US on Amazon; I can highly recommend that you go get a copy from Ray by visiting the Community of Aidan and Hilda on Lindisfarne island).

The advantage of this book is that it’s small; it’s the same size as my small Moleskine notebook and not a lot bigger than a stack index cards – and it writes out the Scripture references that you’re praying (so no need to go look them up, which is a non-starter for me often).  It has themes for each of seven days (e.g. Wednesday is about ‘The Renewing, Sending Spirit’, and has patterns for prayer four times per day (morning, midday, evening, night).  Oh, and it’s designed for use by a single person.  Many of the good Celtic models are designed for use by a community – with some call and response, or echoes – and that’s awkward when I’m doing it by myself.

I can’t say that I’m praying from it 4x/day, 7d/week.  But I’m moving slowly there, I think.

Finally, when I’m in need of a mental break, a quiet moment, and I’m at a computer that’s on the Web, I use Sacred Space by the Irish Jesuits.  It’s designed to be a slow, meditative breather that takes 10 minutes.