We have been taught that being a listener is the first task of the preacher. So, when the St. Mary Magdalene Dominican Laity of Raleigh gather for our monthly meetings, we come first as listeners. We are confident the Word will be made flesh among us—in our brothers and sisters, in our common encounter with Sacred Scripture through lectio divina, and in the practice we have come to call “circle preaching.” We have grown in methods offered us by our mentor friars Brian Pierce, OP and Jude Siciliano, OP. Our practice as lay people has morphed over the years and, through it, we have come to trust that when we ask, the Holy Spirit will be our Teacher and will guide our encounter as promised. (John 14:26)
Circle preaching begins as members prepare ahead of time by praying with the scripture passage chosen for our meeting, usually one of the upcoming Sunday Mass readings. One member designated as the facilitating preacher goes further, studying the passage in depth using a variety of resources: differing scripture translations, biblical commentaries, and Bible dictionaries, for example. Contemplating the particular text and its context—who wrote it, where it appears in sequence to other passages, who was probably the intended audience, and what was the historical and cultural reality of when it was written—the preacher prepares a short reflection to open the text for the group as a whole. The reflection usually ends with an invitation, in the form of a question or two, for members to enter more deeply into the text.
When we come together, our preparation for hearing the Word continues. Our encounter begins as we sit together in silence. The silence quiets us, tilling our hearts to receive God’s Word and sensitizing our ears to perceive the voice of the Spirit. After 5-10 minutes of silence, lectio begins. The scripture passage is read. Members echo a single word or phrase which has touched them in the reading, speaking it aloud. We listen to these echoes of the text and the Word takes shape among us. When the echoing fades again into silence, the passage is read a second time. Another echo and a final moment of silence complete the preparation for the shared preaching.
The facilitator preacher then offers his or her reflection. By this time, we have all been listening a lot! It is finally time for each of us who are moved by the Spirit to respond by sharing the Word we hear, or the Word we are struggling with in our own lives. When our sharing arises out of the text, the Holy Spirit opens the scriptures for us as surely as Jesus did for the disciples on the way from Emmaus.
Different members take on the task of taking notes during the preaching. Then, either alone or in dialog with one or two other members, our scribes write what the community has heard together—a preaching of Good News, the fruit of contemplative study and prayer, communal silence, communal hearing and sharing. The scribe posts the edited preaching online for the group, especially for members who were unable to be with us. We pray that the Word continues to make its home in us during the coming month and that we have the opportunity to share it with those we encounter in our daily lives.
As individuals and as a community, we continue to pray for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit on ALL of us. May we preach the Word of God anew for our time, as Dominic and his community did at the founding of the Order.
Circle preaching begins as members prepare ahead of time by praying with the scripture passage chosen for our meeting, usually one of the upcoming Sunday Mass readings. One member designated as the facilitating preacher goes further, studying the passage in depth using a variety of resources: differing scripture translations, biblical commentaries, and Bible dictionaries, for example. Contemplating the particular text and its context—who wrote it, where it appears in sequence to other passages, who was probably the intended audience, and what was the historical and cultural reality of when it was written—the preacher prepares a short reflection to open the text for the group as a whole. The reflection usually ends with an invitation, in the form of a question or two, for members to enter more deeply into the text.
When we come together, our preparation for hearing the Word continues. Our encounter begins as we sit together in silence. The silence quiets us, tilling our hearts to receive God’s Word and sensitizing our ears to perceive the voice of the Spirit. After 5-10 minutes of silence, lectio begins. The scripture passage is read. Members echo a single word or phrase which has touched them in the reading, speaking it aloud. We listen to these echoes of the text and the Word takes shape among us. When the echoing fades again into silence, the passage is read a second time. Another echo and a final moment of silence complete the preparation for the shared preaching.
The facilitator preacher then offers his or her reflection. By this time, we have all been listening a lot! It is finally time for each of us who are moved by the Spirit to respond by sharing the Word we hear, or the Word we are struggling with in our own lives. When our sharing arises out of the text, the Holy Spirit opens the scriptures for us as surely as Jesus did for the disciples on the way from Emmaus.
Different members take on the task of taking notes during the preaching. Then, either alone or in dialog with one or two other members, our scribes write what the community has heard together—a preaching of Good News, the fruit of contemplative study and prayer, communal silence, communal hearing and sharing. The scribe posts the edited preaching online for the group, especially for members who were unable to be with us. We pray that the Word continues to make its home in us during the coming month and that we have the opportunity to share it with those we encounter in our daily lives.
As individuals and as a community, we continue to pray for a fresh outpouring of the Holy Spirit on ALL of us. May we preach the Word of God anew for our time, as Dominic and his community did at the founding of the Order.