The Community

Northwest Bible Church is committed to being vitally connected in community. We recognize that the church body benefits from sharing together in the public reading of God’s Word. In this way, we can support and encourage one another to grow deeper with God. Below are two ways we can begin to partake of the Word together.

Casual Conversations

When catching up with friends, be intentional to share the Word’s impact on you lately. If your friend is not a believer, use this as an opportunity to open dialogue about God’s work in your life. Be transparent as you share, recognizing that “[Christ’s] power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). If your friend is a believer, ask how God has been speaking to her through the Word. If you can, open your Bible to that verse or passage. Read it aloud and discuss the significance for your life. Then ask, “How can I pray specifically for you this week in light of what God is teaching you?” She might want to pray for you as well. In prayer, praise God for His goodness and the ways He leads His people.

Small Group Gatherings

When meeting in a more structured time, it is good to focus our fellowship around the teaching of Scripture. There are several ways we can engage in this as a group, whether it is the way described in the section above, or reading a selected passage aloud, or discussing a reading from the week that was impactful for members of the group.

Another avenue is an exercise that Christians have practiced together for 1,500 years, called lectio divina, or ‘sacred reading.’ Here we listen to the reading of Scripture with an ear for a word from God. We focus on God’s Spirit speaking to our hearts and lives directly through the written word. Lectio divina can be done alone or in the context of a group. When done as a group, we gain encouragement and insight from the experiences of others.

First, select the passage for the group to read aloud. Then, choose one person in the group to read for the entire time. (The passage will be read aloud three times, so it is good for the reader to be somewhat familiar with the text portion ahead of time.) Before you begin, explain to the group what to expect, so they can rest in the movements of the exercise.

The exercise consists of five movements:*

1. Silencio (silence) – Take time to quiet your heart. Focus on the nearness of God, and let your thoughts settle.
2. Lectio (reading) – Read the passage of Scripture aloud, slowly and deliberately. Don’t rush the reading, but linger so as to let the words penetrate. Listen for a word or phrase that the Holy Spirit might be highlighting for you. Once the reading is complete, pause to remember that word or phrase. Attend to what God is saying to your heart.
3. Meditatio (meditation) – Read the passage again. Listen for any invitation, encouragement, or rebuke the Lord might speak to you through this passage. Often it will connect with the word or phrase just highlighted. Once the reading is complete, pause to meditate on what you heard.
4. Oratio (prayer) – Read the passage a third time, listening for any further direction. Once this reading is complete, take time to respond in prayer. Interact with what you sensed the Lord saying to you: What feelings has the text stirred in you? Where are you resistant to this word? How does it apply to the various aspects of your life?
5. Contemplatio (contemplation) – Allow time for the word to sink in deeply. Yield to God’s leading. How will you live differently because of this word? What will serve as a concrete reminder of what you heard God say through His Word?

At the end of this time, it could also benefit the group to share what the Lord laid on their hearts, as they feel comfortable sharing. Encourage them not to hedge or feel the need to over-explain. As far as the group is concerned, that the Lord spoke to someone is more important than what the Lord said. Let it be an opportunity for each person to verbalize and solidify what was heard.

Close the time by offering a short prayer, thanking God for the ways He speaks through His Word.

* Adapted fr Spiritual Disciplines Handbook, by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun (IVP: 2005).