Dwelling in the Word
One of the key spiritual practices of Partnership for Missional Church.
This process has been developed by Church Innovations as a practice of missional churches.
We use it today to help us listen to one another and to God – so have a go!
- We invite the Holy Spirit in prayer to open our ears, hearts and minds.
- We listen to a passage of scripture read out loud and notice where our attention is drawn – a verse, phrase or single word.
- We then remain in silence for a minute or two, staying with the place in the passage that stood out for us.
- We each find a person in the group whom we might call “a reasonably friendly-looking stranger”.
- We listen to that person as he or she says what they heard in the passage in a particular verse, phrase or even single word. They may mention something they’d never heard before, something odd or something comforting, or something about which they’d like to ask a Bible scholar.
- Listen well, because your job will be to report to the rest of the group (in fours, sixes or the whole group) what your partner has said, not what you yourself said. Some people even take notes to help them focus and remember. You introduce your partner by name to the group and share what you heard them say, each one takes their turn when they are ready to speak.
- If there is time a conversation develops around what God is saying to us today from the themes arising in the whole group.
- Afterwards, spend some time reflecting on what you noticed and what God might be up to among you through this practice.
