Reflective Reading Groups

The Bread of Life mission of ‘cultivating practices that transform lives, organizations and communities’ is the basis for engaging what we read with an eye toward noticing what it evokes in us. It’s a modified ‘lectio divina’ approach rather than an academic approach. The intent is that what we read will move into how we live and will bring further learning. The basic building blocks are:

• Read

• Practice

• Create

How Will We Do This?

By engaging an active dialogue between the text and our lives, asking ourselves questions, such as:

• What is most striking in what I’m reading?

• What is the biggest surprise or ‘Ah Ha?’

• What is the place of greatest ‘pinch’ or resistance in what I’m reading?

• How does what I’m noticing speak to my life by way of confirmation or challenge? 

By engaging an open dialogue with one another with a willingness to both offer our perspective and to learn from different others. Remembering that each person in the circle has sacred worth and value, we want to make space to hear every voice. Practices that help: Remember that slowing down allows us all to see and hear more; if you’ve spoken allow others to speak; allow silence between speakers as a fertile space where the Spirit moves.

By inviting each person to choose an intentional practice to engage between sessions noticing what happens as a result. Before we leave each time we’ll have some quiet to allow an intention/ direction/ focus for the week to arise. You’ll have opportunity to write it down and speak it aloud. When we gather for the following session, whatever happened with your practice will be the basis of your check-in as we re-form the community.