You may have heard of Lectio Divina, but what about Audio Divina?
What if you took the same steps of Lectio Divina, or “divine reading” and applied it elsewhere in your life as another way to hear God in your life?
Why Practice Audio Divina
As a missionary, my team and I would sometimes share music with eachother with the purpose of praying with the lyrics. We called it “Radio Divina”, but to make the jump from reading (lectio) to listening, I guess a more direct name would be Audio Divina or divine listening.
Though secular music like we were choosing would never replace scripture as a source of prayer, Audio Divina was a nice way to allow our prayer lives to expand into our lives. Choosing a song for others to pray with forced me to evaluate the content of the music I consume. I had to ask myself the question, “Can I pray with this?” and if not, why?
Lyrics Matter
“The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value, greater even than that of any other art. The main reason for this pre-eminence is that, as a combination of sacred music and words, it forms a necessary or integral part of solemn liturgy.””
– Sacrosanctum Consilium (SC), 112 and CCC 1156
If music is the highest art in the Church, I would imagine that the same is true in our culture at large. This prominence is not just because of beautiful melodies. Rather, the aspect of music that gives it such a high place is the words that are being sung.
The words are the most important part of sacred music. Once given the words, the chanting or singing of the words then elevates and helps us recognize them as sacred – set apart.
Therefore, lyrics matter most. Melodies support and elevate the meaning of the words.
When it comes to our everyday listening, it is one thing to enjoy a song for the sound of it. Yet, with so many artists available at our fingertips (or ear tips?) today, there is little reason to think that you have to put up with lyrics that don’t promote beauty as well.
Music Doesn’t Have to be Labled Christian to Speak Christian Truths
When it comes to music for liturgy or devotional prayer, of course you want Sacred music that is designated for that purpose, just like you have the Bible and lectionary at mass. However, outside of that context, you don’t have to have “Christian” music to experience Christian themes.
I almost never listen to Praise and Worship as a genre, but I always try to find new music that is True, Good, and Beautiful. Living with a Christian worldview, it is the everyday themes of human life that can tell us about ourselves, about our human nature, and about God.
Any artist can make a true, good, and beautiful song that promotes God whether they realize it or not.
Praying with Music
4 Steps of Audio Divina
Lectio Divina has 4 steps: Lectio, Meditatio, Oratio, Contemplatio or reading, meditation, prayer, contemplation.
For Audio Divina lets just replace reading with listening:
1. Audio: Listen to the song the first time and noting whatever word or phrase jumps out at you.
2. Meditatio: Listen again, this time focusing more on your word or phrase and what it means. It could have different significance for the singer, in the context of the rest of the song, or the words alone might be what you need to hear in your life.
3. Oratio: After meditating on the words and their meaning, turn to God. Ask him what the words mean for you, why they stuck out to you, and how they should affect your life. Be sure to pause and be receptive to the answers, as conversation is two ways.
4. Contemplatio: Give thanks to God for the time of prayer and any revelations. Be at peace and rest with God.
Go Try Audio Divina
In my last post, I reviewed Little Blue by Jacob Collier. If you haven’t listened and read it, check it out and maybe pray with that.
Go find some songs you love and try out Audio Divina.
Can you pray with your music? Do any songs work particularly well or take on a whole new meaning?
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