Meditation On God's Word
meditation_on_god's_word.mp4PRAY:
Have someone read 1 Peter 4:8 aloud. After you read it, spend a minute or two silently reflecting on the passage. Then spend some time praying as a group for anything that 1 Peter 4:8 draws to your mind or stirs up in your heart.
ONE ANOTHERING:
Try to think of some practical needs you can share to give others the opportunity to step up and love you. It's okay if it takes some time to get comfortable with this. It takes time and practice to be vulnerable with one another... but amazing things happen when we are. Remember that the Benevolence Ministry is a resource for our comGroups.
- How can we love or serve one another this week?
FOLLOW UP:
- How did that practice from last week go?
- What was challenging?
- What was beneficial?
GROUP LECTIO DIVINA:
Choose from one of the following four texts: Deuteronomy 6:4-12, Psalm 1, Matthew 11:28-30, or Romans 12:9-21
Take 20-30 minutes to follow this guide together. Before starting, decide who will keep time and decide the order of the readers (you may want to rotate).
1. Move into a comfortable, relaxed position. Sit together in silence for at least a full minute, preparing to hear from God.
2. First Reading: Invite the group to listen to the passage silently and stay present with God with whatever comes, trying not to analyze it. Ask the group to listen for a word or a phrase that catches their attention. Have the first reader read the passage aloud slowly and clearly.
3. After reading, invite them to share their word or phrase aloud without comment, if they would like. Then invite the group to silently repeat or meditate (“chew on”) on their word or phrase (about a minute).
4. Second reading: Invite them to listen again, this time paying attention to their emotions: What feelings does this passage evoke? Invite the designated group member to read the passage again.
5. After the reading, invite them to name one feeling, without comment, if they would like. Invite them to hold this feeling before God as you sit in silence (about a minute).
6. Third reading: Invite them to listen again, imagining themselves as someone in the passage (if its Psalms or Romans, the Psalmist or a recipient of Paul’s letter) and paying attention to their internal response. Have the reader read the text again.
7. Pause again for silence (one minute), asking members to sit with their internal response to the reading and to bring it before God. After the silence, invite the group to share their perspective briefly if they choose. Allow as many people to share as possible.
8. Fourth reading: For the fourth and final reading, invite the group to listen for an invitation from God to do or to be something today. Ask the last reader to read the passage a final time.
9. Invite the group to share any invitation they may have heard, without comment. Then encourage the group to rest in God with whatever they have heard. Remind them that God is the one who will enable them to respond faithfully. Allow silence for about a minute.
10. Finally, encourage them to write down the word or phrase or invitation. Invite them to carry those words into their lives and be attentive to them throughout the day. Close the time in prayer.
REFLECTION & DEBRIEF:
Invite the group to share about their experience with listening to God through Scripture. Some questions to consider:
1. Have you done a practice like this before?
2. What was this experience like for you? Compare and contrast this practice with the way that you usually engage with Scripture.
3. Where did you most connect with God? What was uncomfortable or stretching for you?
4. Did you learn anything during this time that you perhaps could not have learned without slowing down?
5. Is there anything new you want to incorporate into your life after this experience?