The rough translation of the German term, Sitz im Leben, is “life situation” or “setting in life.” It was coined by the great Hebrew Bible scholar, Hermann Gunkel, who originally used the term Sitz im Volksleben to refer to the circumstances of ancient literary types. Shortly after Gunkel, New Testament scholars such as Bultmann and Dibelius appropriated the Sitz im Leben terminology and applied it to the form criticism of the Gospels. 

Generally, when we approach the teaching of Jesus, we need to think of more than one Sitz im Leben: the situation of Jesus’ original teaching and the situation(s) of those passing down the tradition. The term is widely used throughout the discipline of biblical studies; not only is it employed in the context of form criticism, but redaction criticism, socio-scientific criticism, and rhetorical criticism among others.

Jesus would have known all the history and the circumstances of his life – his Sitz im Leben, which is a hermeneutical term to help in the interpretation of the Bible. Basically, it refers to considering the Bible against the backdrop of its time. Yet, there is another term: Sitz im der Liefe – which means setting in love. Jesus and other insistent, persistent hearts knew both. They knew their setting and they knew their love or passion. 

Many people have used the “Sitz im Leben method to read scripture trying to situate themselves in the stories and meditate in the scripture’s meaning for their own “life situation.” According to The Rev. Jo-Ann J. Drake, Bible Immersion is a term used to describe an approach to Scripture which incorporates reading, study, meditation, reflection and prayer. Drake describes Bible Immersion as a five-step process:

Reading: The selected passage of Scripture is read slowly, with emphasis on key phrases to set the stage for study and meditation.

Study: A commentary on the passage is then offered.  What is its Sitz im Leben, its situation or setting in life--historical, geographical, etc.?  What are the etymologies of key words?  How has the passage been understood?  These are some of the questions our study seeks to address.

Meditation: A guided meditation then leads us into entering the passage ourselves in our "mind's eye." We walk by the Sea of Galilee, climb Mount Sinai; sit at a table in the Upper Room.  We hear the words as though given freshly to us.  We listen to and speak with Biblical figures.   

Reflection: During a period of silence, we seek to discern insights into our lives and spiritual journeys the passage may offer.  What is God's will for my life?  What is God calling me to do?  These are examples of the questions we are called to contemplate in our hearts.   

Prayer: Our Immersion concludes with prayer. As we pray for the Church and the world, we bring before God any special needs, concerns, thanksgivings which arose out of our meditation.”

This process is like the Lectio Divina method of scripture study.  Lectio Divina has been likened to "Feasting on the Word." The four parts are first taking a bite (Lectio), then chewing on it (Meditatio). Next is the opportunity to savor the essence of it (Oratio). Finally, the Word is digested and made a part of the body (Contemplatio).

Lectio: This first moment consists in reading the scriptural passage slowly, attentively several times. Many write down words in the scripture that stick out to them or grasp their attention during this moment.

Meditatio: The Christian, gravitating around the passage or one of its words, takes it and ruminates on it, thinking in God’s presence about the text. The reader benefits from the Holy Spirit’s ministry of illumination, i.e. the work of the Holy Spirit that imparts spiritual understanding of the sacred text. It is not a special revelation from God, but the inward working of the Holy Spirit, which enables the Christian to grasp the revelation contained in the Scripture.

Oratio: This is prayer: prayer understood both as dialogue with God, that is, as loving conversation with the One who has invited us into God’s embrace; and as consecration, prayer as the priestly offering to God of parts of ourselves that we have not previously believed God wants. In this consecration prayer we allow the word that we have taken in and on which we are pondering to touch and change our deepest selves. God invites us in Lectio Divina to hold up our most difficult and pain-filled experiences to the Holy One, and to gently recite over them the healing word or phrase God has given us in our lectio and meditatio. In this oratio, this consecration-prayer, we allow our real selves to be touched and changed by the word of God.

Contemplatio: This moment is characterized by a simple, loving focus on God. In other words, it is a beautiful, wordless contemplation of God, a joyful rest in the presence of The Divine.

Application: Sharing our Lectio experience with each other (Operatio - action; works)

As a contemplative practice, Lectio Divina is practiced enabling the practitioner to creatively engage with scripture on various levels depending on one's educational background and spiritual strengths. The expected outcome will be a deeper knowledge of scripture, oneself, others and God, and to see all these in gradually increasing light of faith.

This book was written from the viewpoint of various characters from the Bible who encountered Jesus, each in a different time and a different way. Each chapter is written based on these encounters, some with easily recognized people in Scripture, some more obscure. It is my intention that as you read each chapter, you will see in your own mind a new image of the face of Jesus, from another's point of view; and that you will be able to put yourself into the situation, the Sitz im Leben of your time. 

But even more, I hope that you will be able to envision the Sitz in der Liefe, the love and compassion of Jesus shown to each of those to whom he revealed his face. And that, in the spirit of Lectio Divina and Bible Immersion, you will find in your own life situation, the face of Jesus

To learn more about finding the Face of Jesus in your own life situation, you can purchase the newly released 2^nd Edition of my book, The Face of Jesus here: https://www.amazon.com/Face-Jesus-2nd-Linda-Lysakowski-ebook/dp/B0FHQS213D