Lectio Divina: Feathers, Fire, and Family Stories
A sacred rhythm for reading and reflection.
By Sarah Skinner, Kaleidoscope Institute, April 2025
Deep listening is our journey as members of the Kaleidoscope Community. If you are new here, welcome. Come. Listen.
There is a community waiting to listen with you, too.
One of the ways we learn to listen as facilitators is through the practice of lectio divina, an ancient rhythm of sacred reading, reflection, and response.
This lectio was designed to follow the reading of "Feathers, Fire, and Family Stories," a reflection on cultural appreciation, ancestry, and belonging. You can read it here, and then return to practice the lectio below. Lectio divina can be practiced individually, or in a group through a practice we teach called Kaleidoscope Text Sharing (learn more in our free toolkit!).
Before we begin, think about taking off your sandals.
In Exodus 3, Moses sees a bush burning but not consumed. He turns aside—curious, cautious—and a voice speaks from the flame:
“Take off your sandals, for the ground you are standing on is holy ground.”
What if this is not a command of exclusion but of intimacy? The invitation is not to leave, but to remove what separates you from the earth, from the mystery, from your own body touching what is holy. A reminder that sacredness is not far-off or reserved for the “worthy,” but close. Perhaps even beneath your feet.
I invite you to think about taking off your sandals in reverence. For embodiment. For relationship.
You cannot stride casually into a moment with Holy Ground. First, you pause. You listen. You unfasten what numbs you. You touch the ground. Think of Moses standing barefoot, staring at the fire trembling.
And the ground, holy and trembling, received Moses, too.
I. Lectio – Reading the Text
Begin by reading the full reflection slowly.
Let the words wash over you.
Notice what shimmers.
What word or phrase catches your breath?
2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed.
3 Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up.”
4 When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”
5 Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:1-5)
II. Meditatio – Meditating with Moses and the Fire
Return to the word or phrase that stood out.
Let it speak directly to you.
Ponder: Why this? What is it asking of me?
Sarah's reflection: For me, it is "Remove the sandals from your feet."
III. Oratio – Offering Your Voice
Speak back to God, or to the land, or to the ancestors, or to your own spirit. Read the passage once more. And then begin by reflecting on this question:
“What does it mean for me to walk in reverence?”
Sarah's Reflection:
I’ve practiced martial arts since I was young, and what it’s taught me about reverence surprised me. I like to practice outside and barefoot when I can. How moving slow through kata while touching the earth grounds me and brings me closer to myself. How I step with care and intention when barefoot. When practicing kata, I step reverently.
Dear Reader, the question I chose above offers the opportunity for gentle reflection. If today you are feeling the need for more movement, I offer these as follow-up reflections:
“Where have I taken without listening?”
“Where is my voice needed to protect what is sacred?”
IV. Contemplatio – Resting in Presence
Let the words fall away for a moment.
Sit with what remains.
No fixing. No grasping. Just being.
Be in communion with what the Spirit is revealing.
I offer the phrase that came to me during my moment of stillness:
“The sacred does not need to be claimed to be loved.”
V. Actio – Walking the Truth
Read the passage once more. Ask: What will you do, be, or change after finishing this reflection?
Sarah's Reflection:
For me, this is an invitation to step closer to the Holy One.
This passage has often been used to reinforce shame: as if God’s holiness requires our distance, or as if we’re too broken, too dirty, to approach sacred space. But I don’t believe that’s what’s happening in Exodus 3.
Moses is invited to come near. The voice doesn’t say “leave,” it says pause. Remove what separates you from the ground—from this place, from your body, from the mystery. The sandals are a layer of protection, of distance. But this is not a moment for protection. This is a moment for presence.
It’s not about unworthiness—it’s about relationship. About being barefoot on sacred ground so that your whole self feels the fire of the earth beneath. So that you know, not just with your mind, but with your skin: this is holy. This is real. This is where you are called.
“This is not the voice of shame or banishment—but invitation. Not 'stay away,' but 'come closer—barefoot, present, real.'”
The Holy One calls me as I am, imperfect but willing, to come closer.
For Preachers: A Weekly Circle of Reflection
Are you a preacher?
You are invited to join KI Founder and Innovator The Rev. Dr. Eric H. F. Law every Tuesday for a sacred hour of text, reflection, and community. Each week, we gather to explore a lectionary passage for the upcoming Sunday, using Kaleidoscope Bible Sharing and Eric’s multi-contextual preaching model from The Word at the Crossing.
Together, we listen deeply. We share freely. We let the Spirit speak across cultures, languages, and lives.
Tuesdays on Zoom: 9am Pacific / 12pm Eastern.
Register Here.