S tarting on Friday, January 29th, and then each of the 10 days (not counting Sunday) leading up to Lent, I will be posting a series of space saving experiences. These will be simple ideas to help you create space in the normal flow of your life. Many will seem familiar and routine but I hope to offer a slightly different perspective that will allow you to grow the relational richness with Christ and the community of faith a Lenten Journey offers.

One of my favorite authors is Henri Nouwen. And one of my favorite books, by Nouwen is, The Return of the Prodigal Son. In this book, that has shaped my own Christian formation, Nouwen beautifully shares the spiritual effect of sitting before Rembrandt's presentation of this famous Gospel story. Since then I've come to learn what Nouwen was doing is called visio divina. Visio divina invites the viewer into “divine seeing."

Visio divina shares roots with the ancient practice of prayerfully reading the scriptures - lectio divina - divine reading. Both practices invite one into a slow, prayer filled interaction with the point of focus - Scripture or art. Just as lectio divina can be used individually or with a small group or communal worship experience so too can visio divina by inviting those there into a prayer filled encounter with Scripture through a piece of art or other visual means.