After all the singing, shouting, dancing, drinking songs (ahem), and general mayhem of the last three days, I spent a quiet couple of hours reading this am. (Very quiet, as neither my friend or myself have any voice left after the Gaelic Storm performance last nite!).
Read the first couple chapters of Michael Casey's "Sacred Reading: The Ancient Art of Lectio Divina."
This quote jumped out at me:
Repetition is the soul of genuine lectio. It is a right brain activity; we do not grasp the entire content immediately but in a circular manner. We read and advance, then we go back and read again.
Of course, Casey is talking about scripture, but it spoke to me also in a general sense. I'll give a very bad *g* example. In preparation for book seven of Harry Potter, I started re-reading the entire series from book one. By the time I got to the last book, all the backstory and continuity were firm in my mind, and it totally enhanced the experience and satisfaction of the ending
I have so many good books, and not just fiction, on my shelves that I've read only once. Authors like CS Lewis (is it possibly to read CS Lewis too much? I think not.), Thomas Merton, Kathleen Norris, Lauren Winner, and several others.
So I think for Advent and Lent I will read no new books, but re-read books that I already have. And possibly dust my bookshelves...
2 comments:
I often re-read books. Unlike you, I give away the books I don't like and keep the books I love. The Hoya thinks I'm crazy because I consider these books my "friends!" This is true of fiction and non-fiction books, spiritual and non-spiritual.
In a related item, I was very sad to learn that Madeleine L'Engle died today. I have read many of her books more than once -- some of which have spiritual underpinnnings and themes.
I don't like that blogger doesn't let you reply to your commenters, like LJ. *pouts*
But anyhoo - I am getting better and keeping good books and getting rid of the ones I don't like. Having a mom who is willing to dump them on the library and a librarian brother, if a bit stubborn helps.
:( Loved Madeline's "Wrinkle in time" and Austin family series. Mom and I were actually talking about her the other week, as mom was reading one of her older books for adults. We were speculating whether she was still alive... I just read today her comment at the end of Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline - the anniversary edition with lots of comments from various authors.
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