--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To help me learn how to practice lectio…" description: "\"“To help me learn how to practice lectio divina, I’ve enlisted two expert sources. Eugene Peterson opens his book on spiritual reading with an analogy ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e42/jana-riess-64835_bible_to-help-me-learn-how-to-practice-lectio_1896818.jpg" --- # To help me learn how to practice lectio divina, I’ve… ![“To help me learn how to practice lectio divina, I’ve enlisted two expert sources. Eugene Peterson opens his book on spiritual reading with an analogy of us reading Scripture like a dog might gnaw a bone. His dog is joyful to have the bone; for a time he plays with it and enjoys having others…” quote by Jana Riess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e42/jana-riess-64835_bible_to-help-me-learn-how-to-practice-lectio_1896818.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e42/jana-riess-64835_bible_to-help-me-learn-how-to-practice-lectio_1896818.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e42/jana-riess-64835_bible_to-help-me-learn-how-to-practice-lectio_1896818.jpg) > ““To help me learn how to practice lectio divina, I’ve enlisted two expert sources. Eugene Peterson opens his book on spiritual reading with an analogy of us reading Scripture like a dog might gnaw a bone. His dog is joyful to have the bone; for a time he plays with it and enjoys having others interact with it. Then he settles in to chew it in a more private area, turning it over for a long time, then burying it only to retrieve it again later and pick up where he left off. Peterson says that in Hebrew, the word we tamely translate as “meditate” on the Scriptures actually means “growl,” like an animal growls over its prey. God wants us to growl in triumph over the Bible before settling in to wrestle with it and worry it like a bone. It’s a marvelous image.”” [Jana Riess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jana-riess/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Uses a dog chewing a bone as a metaphor for engaging Scripture: playful, then deep, then returning. **In simple terms:** Read Scripture playfully, then deeply, and revisit. Key Takeaway Approach sacred texts with curiosity and reverence. Themes spiritual practice meditation growth Mood contemplative inspirational Type spiritual educational When to use this quote - personal devotion - study groups - spiritual retreats - education Key Concepts symbolism ritual reflection Questions to Reflect On - How does playful reading affect understanding? - What practices deepen scriptural engagement? A Different Perspective May not suit all theological perspectives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bible/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Eugene Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eugene-peterson/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Scripture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/scripture/) [Spiritual reading](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual-reading/) ## Related quotes > [“As long as you meditate on the scriptures, you will uplift your spirit.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/as-long-as-you-meditate-on-the-scriptures-you-will-uplift-your-spirit/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“Liturgy puts us to work along with all the others who have been and are being put to work in the world by and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/liturgy-puts-us-to-work-along-with-all-the-others-who-have-been-and/) [Eugene H. 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