Last week, we finished up our first “Write and Pray” group. I’ve joked to a few people that “it’s the easiest small group I’ve ever led”, and if I explain what we did, perhaps you’ll see why. Each Wednesday, we:
Sat down together around a table,
I read through a short passage of Scripture three times, slowly. (This practice is called Lectio Divina, if you’re curious to read more.)
We took 30 minutes or so in silence to reflect and respond to what we’d heard from God: which sections got our attention, what did we notice rising up in us, and how did it connect to things we’re thinking about?
We had an open time of sharing anything with the group if it felt comfortable to do so.
Then we went home. The end.
No questions. No snacks. No group prayer or anything fancy… And you know what? It was GREAT. There was just something about us making space to listen to God together as the scriptures were read audibly that made it *significant*. And while none of us shared all that we’d thought about or prayed, we all shared something along the way - and were deeply encouraged to bear witness to the gentle and specific ways God used the same passage of scripture to challenge and comfort us in the particulars of each of our lives.
This short small group experience was deeply encouraging for three reasons:
It reminds me that GOD IS STILL SPEAKING to his people - through his word and by his Spirit. He had encouragement for me, and it was powerful to hear snippets of His living and active words for others, too.
We have a role to play in HELPING ONE ANOTHER TO HEAR God’s voice. The accountability of meeting with others for a set time is a first step (much like making a commitment to go to an exercise class helps us to ‘show up’), and then actively listening and sharing with one another deepens our own attentiveness.
It was GENTLE and EASY. Any two friends can do this together. There is no prep beforehand, and no “quiz” afterwards. All we needed was Scripture, time, and willingness to listen together.
Spiritual growth doesn’t require some magic formula. It requires simple, faithful steps towards Jesus; or as Eugene Peterson described it, “a long obedience in the same direction”. We say every week that we’re a church who are helping one another to discover faith, grow in love, and live as ambassadors of hope. The “helping one another” part is real: when we show up together—even two or three gathered in His name—He’s with us, and He speaks. We’ll host another Write and Pray group in the Winter, but you absolutely do not need to wait for that to roll around to hear God speak. Why not ask a friend if they’d like to listen to Scripture together for a bit, and see what God might have to say? Yours Jesus-ward, Bronwyn
Pastor of Discipleship and Women