Advent Small Group Reflection
This is a discipline for use in relation to the Sundays of Advent, a method of aural reflection on the first reading appointed for the coming Sunday. It follows the pattern found in Becoming the Story We Tell.
Participants may sit in a circle or around a table. In this form of scripture reflection, it is desirable for the group to engage the reading aurally (rather than reading along); only the reader needs to have a copy of the text. The group thus requires a single copy of these procedural and commentary pages (for the leader or host) and a single copy of the readings (to be shared amongst those called upon to read aloud). The leader may need to encourage readers to speak slowly and audibly.
It is recommended that the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible be used for the first hearing of each of the readings. These readings are available at
http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu. In some circumstances it may be desirable to use different translations when the reading is repeated.
This method of group reflection may employ a cross as a ‘talking stick‘ (only someone holding the cross can speak): everyone may be given the opportunity to respond to the current question when handed the cross by the person on the left. See p. 153 of “Becoming the Story We Tell” – http://5062d9ba7ccc362f4859-
cd58abbe0e6243265c5a27e702ee6c8b.r55.cf2.rackcdn.com/The-Primates-Proposal.pdf
One possible setting for this method of reflection is the order for Home Prayers, p. 685 in the Book of Alternative Services.