Submitted by Donald Welch
Once monthly we met at Judy’s house. It was easily the night of the week I would most look forward to. On the way, we would always stop at Great Harvest Bread Company to see what bread we might bring to the gathering. That was our thing. We brought the bread. Others brought chicken, salad, cheese and crackers, or fruit. Judy always supplied the drinks herself. One time one of our members brought whale blubber for our monthly pot-luck. I regret not trying it—it was a cultural experience I wasn’t quite ready for yet.
We would gather. We would eat. We would catch up with each other, and our children would play with each other. We would spend an hour like this—mingling our lives and weaving our stories together. After that I would start a “holy conversation” with the group gathered. I would always come with a series of 4-5 questions and a scripture reading.
From John 14:26: But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you.
- When I say the words “Holy Spirit” what other words come to your mind?
- How is the Spirit different from God or Christ? How is it the same?
- What does the Holy Spirit do?
- What does the Holy Spirit feel like?
- Have you ever experienced the Holy Spirit and will you share that time with the group?
And that was it. After our conversation somebody would offer a blessing over the group until we met again.
This small group was the highlight of my week because it was simple, genuine, and relational. I drew close to those people because our conversation was uncommon. We talked about things that we did not speak of with others. We learned about each other and about how God was important to each of us. It was simple and it was easy, and I would love to do it more. Why don’t we do it more?