Chapter 2 (Hearing God’s voice in the Bible)
Welcome to session two of The Lectio Course. Each session of the course is designed to take around an hour and features:
• A teaching video with Pete Greig and a special interview guest
• Discussion questions for groups
• A practical activity to do together
It can be tempting to linger on the questions or keep the discussion going, but we really recommend prioritising the practical activity; it will help you as a group to practise what’s being explored in each video session.
You might find that there are more discussion questions than you have time for: if that’s the case, choose the ones that feel most appropriate and helpful for your group context.
Hearing God is a concept that many Christians are familiar with, and others are brand new to. We recommend paying attention to the dynamic of your group and being aware of the varying levels of understanding and experience. Unfortunately, some people have negative experiences in this area too, and we recommend being sensitive and aware of this as you lead through the session.
We’d love to hear how you’re finding the course: please do share your experiences with us.
5 mins
In this session, we’ll explore the first step of Lectio Divina, by reading the Bible slowly, prayerfully and reverently.
Intro questions
How do you feel when you think about reading the Bible? What emotions does it spark?
“They asked each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us.’” Luke 24:13-33
15 mins
Summary
“For me, Christianity isn’t hard. It’s only hard when we don’t hear God or half hear Him.” – Helen Berhane
25 mins
Q. What did you find most helpful or most challenging in the video?
Q. How does God typically speak to you? Does this tell you anything about the way you may be wired to hear?
Q. Pete says when it comes to hearing God the Bible is the primary way in which he speaks. What do you love about the Bible and how do you best engage with it?
Q. George Gallup called the Bible the best-selling, least read book. Why don’t we read the Bible more?
Q. How comfortable do you feel reading the Bible prayerfully and intimately, rather than studying it for information?
Q. Pete’s illustration with the picture frame was a challenge to view the whole of life through the life of Christ. Thinking about a difficult situation you’re facing, is there a verse or promise that might help the way you see it?
Q. Helen Berhane said that Christianity is only hard when we don’t hear God, or only half hear him. Describe the last time God spoke to you – how did it impact your faith?
Q. What one thing will you do differently because of this session?
15 mins
Practical prayer activity:
Try reading the Bible prayerfully as a group, using the four steps of Lectio Divina to reflect on Jesus’ teaching about hearing God’s voice:
1. Read (Lectio): Read the passage out loud, reflecting on the passage as you read.
2: Meditate (Meditatio): Read the passage again, and encourage each member of the group to say out loud one word or phrase that jumped out to them (the same word or phrase can be repeated by different people).
3. Pray (Oratio): Read the passage again, and allow space for members of the group to pray out short prayers related to the themes, words or phrases of the passage.
4. Contemplate (Contemplatio): Read the passage a final time, and sit quietly to reflect individually. Each member of the group might like to ask themselves the question, “what’s the one thing from this passage I will take into my week?”
Continue to reflect on the Bible prayerfully and slowly, rather than reading for information. You might like to return to the story of the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:1-33) and reflect on it every day.
