Retreat – September 2022 – part 1 – an overview of ‘Visio Divina’

This is part one of a run of blog posts looking back on a very special experience – a ‘Visio Divina retreat’ a few months ago. Actually, it would perhaps be better termed a ‘contemplative photography retreat’, in my humble opinion. I wanted to write these posts at the time but was in the middle of a busy semester, then it was Christmas, then I was travelling and conferencing. Instead I just scrawled some notes in my journal each day, and, of course, enjoyed a great many images which I recorded as photographs.

Now – finally – I plan to indulge in re-living some lovely memories and re-inspire myself to practise ‘visio divina’ more frequently. If all you do is skim these posts to enjoy the photos, I completely understand.

Before I get underway, however, let me describe ‘visio divina’, and address a couple of concerns some friends may have. Rest assured … I remain a reasonably mainstream modern Australian Christian woman.

What is ‘Visio Divina’?

The Latin word ‘visio’ is the same word from which we get the English word ‘vision’, and the Latin word ‘divina’ is the same word from which we get the English word ‘divine’. ‘Visio divina,’ then, means ‘sacred seeing’.

Before reading about this retreat, I was more familiar with the term ‘lectio divina’ – ‘divine reading’ – in which a passage of Scripture is read slowly and repeatedly and the listener is encouraged to ‘listen with the heart’. I understand that in many traditions, ‘visio divina’ involves the use of art or icons. We had a devotional time each evening in which we would use prints of one another’s favourite photograph from the day to focus upon and see what God would say, and which, in the retreat description (above) are referred to as ‘modern icons’. However, most of our ‘visio divina’ time was spent wandering the gardens of the retreat centre, the church next door or nearby forests. In that respect, our practice of ‘visio divina’ wasn’t quite like the more ‘traditional’ practice which uses a work of art or a religious icon as a focal point.

A simple internet search will bring up various sets of instructions for ‘visio divina’ written by a variety of experienced people. At our retreat, we were simply advised to wander and look for what caught our attention, then to stay with that image for a time. I’ll give some examples as I write up some highlights of each day in coming blog posts.

If you’re interested in reading one example of how to carry out this practice, here is a link to an example of both a Lectio Divina and a Visio Divina exercise with what is often considered an evangelical ‘stamp of approval’ … it is published by an arm of the Lausanne Movement.
https://www.lausanneeurope.org/lectio-divina-visio-divina/

What are the origins of ‘Visio Divina’ ?

‘Visio Divina’ is an ancient practice, and along with ‘Lectio Divina,’ dates back at least to the sixth century AD and perhaps even earlier. When you think about it, it has only been in fairly recent history that ordinary people like us … or like me, at least … have had the Christian Scriptures in our own languages. High levels of literacy amongst common people like myself is also a privilege, though these days we consider it a right. In my subculture of Christianity, faith practices are predominantly individualised and an emphasis is placed on the cerebral, but in generations past, faith was a far more communal affair with an emphasis on ‘belonging’. In past centuries, access to written Scriptures was limited, and the place of religious art, icons, chanting Scriptures, and hearing the word of God read aloud in community was more significant.

Prior to ‘Visio Divina’ being ‘a thing’, people drew near to God through creation, through symbols and other images. They may not have called it ‘Visio Divina’, but, as I hope this next paragraph will show, the practice of intentionally seeking God through the our senses, including that of sight – through creation and symbols, at least – is indeed ancient.

Is ‘Visio Divina’ Biblical?

The Bible clearly teaches and models a sense of connecting with the divine through creation (as we practised during the retreat) and through imagery (the more traditional’ way of practising Visio Divina). Here are a few verses to illustrate my point, but there are many more I could have included here:

For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Romans 1:20 NIV

The heavens declare the glory of God;
    the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.
They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.

Psalm 19:1-4 NIV

The Jewish temple was rich in imagery, and was intended to point people towards God. It wasn’t just the sense of sight that was engaged, but also of smell, touch, hearing and, in some cases, even taste. The sacrificial system, ritual washing, burning of incense, the robes of the priests, the decorative features throughout the temple, the Ark of the Covenant (in Israel’s early years) and more – all these images were designed by God himself and given to Israel through Moses (Exodus 35-40).

And finally, Jesus, of course, time and again looked around him and drew out spiritual lessons from what he saw. Consider what he had to say about birds and flowers (two of my favourite images), for example.

Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.  For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes.  Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life?  Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

 “Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith!  And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it.  For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them.  But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.

Luke 12:22-31 NIV

Two warnings

1. Test insights within the community of God’s people

Some people will claim that God speaks specifically to them through what they see. I’m open to hearing personally from the Creator through this practice too.

However, I am also aware that anything I hear / sense / interpret must be in line with Scripture. Furthermore, it is best tested by other members of the community of God’s people. It’s very similar to the situation regarding prophecy that the apostle Paul addressed when he wrote to the early Thessalonian church that they should not treat prophecies with contempt, “… but test them all…” (1 Thessalonians 5:21a NIV). We are a community. It was lovely to do this ‘Visio Divina retreat’ as part of a small community of God’s people and to debrief together over meals and each evening.

2. Worship the One to whom images or creation points and not the images or creation themselves

As a Protestant, some of my spiritual forebears took a stand against the abuse of imagery, amongst other things. Clearly, images, icons and nature should point us to God, but may they never become objects of worship in themselves. God decreed to the ancient Israelites of Moses’ day, “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God….” (Exodus 20:4-5a NIV).

The retreat begins

And so, after that long introduction, I am ready to start re-living the retreat. At the time, I wrote in my brand new shiny journal the following words….

Arriving this afternoon felt like a scene from a Sharon Garlough Brown book. (Sharon Garlough Brown is the author of the much loved ‘Sensible Shoes’ series of books, based around a little retreat group that journeyed together through life for a season.) We arrived one by one and sat around an open fire in comfortable padded chairs, observing one another.

I’d love to describe each retreatant in detail, with their very British mannerisms, their unique personalities and idiosyncrasies, yet universal needs and desires … but I won’t. For a start, it isn’t appropriate because they are not characters in a novel but real, live fellow pilgrims, and so I shall respect their privacy. And second, my aim this week is to marvel in God’s kindness to me and work in me. I hope to write some of it up later so that others can perhaps benefit too.

My journal entry from 27 September 2022

Introductions over, we were fed a delicious dinner then made our way to the chapel for our first group devotion. The Visio Divina retreat was underway! Over the course of the week, we would consider themes of colour, light, simile and metaphor, then pull it all together on the last day. I have pictures to share and stories to tell but this blog post is already quite long enough.

Here ends the introduction to a series of blog posts about a very special week late last September – a ‘Visio Divina retreat’.