Our congregation recently hosted a book group based on Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie’s wonderful book Good Enough: 40ish Devotionals for a Life of Imperfection. We provided it as a Lenten offering, but you can host an event like this at any time.
We agreed to read one short chapter a day and gather as a group one evening a week on Zoom to meet. Even though we are able to gather in person, we decided to use Zoom in order to give the widest possible range of participants in terms of geography, to accommodate those who prefer not to go out at night, and to make it a better fit for people’s busy schedules by giving them the convenience of participating from home.
The Format
We had 40 people register for the book group. Although not everyone came to every session, the group was always large enough that we needed to create self-guided Zoom breakout room conversations. So, I created these discussion prompts. We aimed to have about 5 people in each breakout room, so that each person had time to talk and share. We remixed the groups for each breakout session. Here’s how we organized our time together:
Arrival, Gathering, and Prayer – 10 minutes
First Breakout Session – 20 minutes
Large Group – 5 minutes for any highlights or questions
Second Breakout Session – 20 minutes
Large Group Wrap Up and Prayer – 10 minutes
Our group agreed that this was the right amount of time—not so much that they got off track, but enough to have meaningful conversations.
First Night Welcome
On the first night of the group, I welcomed everyone saying, “Thank you for showing up for yourself. You’ve set some time (our most precious commodity) aside to feed your soul. That is already a big deal. And your presence here reminds us, reminds me, that we are not alone on this journey of Lent or life, that we are not alone in our desire, longing, hope to make meaning in a life that is far from perfect and to know that we are good enough and loved by God just as we are, with all our questions, doubts, scars, grief, longing, laughter, joy, and absurdity of life.
I really see this time as a supportive space, a caring space, and a brave space, where we can bring our full selves, and speak our truth, be heard, seen, and known. Please share as you feel comfortable. A couple tips: Please use “I” statements and don’t generalize. For example, “I think” or “In my experience….” And sometimes “I wonder” is a good way to start a comment, observation, or question. And let us commit to pray for one another through this season.”
First Session Discussion Prompts
First Break Out Group
- By way of introduction: Tell us who you are. Why did you decide to read the book? What has been your experience of the book thus far?
- From “Preface” Through “Shiny Things”
- Buoyed by the Absurd: “Joy is the oxygen for doing hard things” (11). Has joy lifted you in challenging times? How?
- Mourning a Future Self: “Acknowledging ‘this will never be’ is the precursor to imagining what might happen next” (16). Have you ever had to let go of something to move forward? How did you do it?
- Shiny Things: “We fall in love with the things that are almost true” (25). Where do you see that in life, in the world?
- If all else fails, what were your favorite parts of this section?
Second Break Out Group
- By way of introduction: Tell us who you are. Inspired by “The Foundation,” what is something you find yourself grateful for tonight?
- From “Building a Good Day” Through “The Foundation”
- Building a Good Day: “The structure of a good day is simply this: your biggest loves find their way in. God. Friends. Meaning. Family” (30). What is a good day for you? Have you had one recently? How do you make time for the things that matter?
- Small Things, Great Love: “There are many acts of great love that are great because they are massive, monumental, and earth shattering. And some are great because they are incremental. Each small act adds up to something really spectacular. Small acts, great love” (35). When have you been the recipient or giver of this “little way” of love?
- “We marvel at the God who loves us and stays by our side, regardless of how little we understand or how often we wonder if our savior is asleep” (42). Have you ever felt like God was asleep at the wheel?
- The Foundation: “Thank God we are a group project” (53). Who are the people that are your foundation?
- If all else fails, what were your favorite parts of this section?
To download a PDF of the breakout group prompts for each session, click here.
The Response
Our group fell in love with Kate Bowler, Jessica Richie, and Good Enough. Their reflections are rooted in the very real complexities, contradictions, and sometimes absurdity of life. In the preface, they write, “In this book, we hope to carve out the space between despair and hope, between believing everything is possible and nothing is possible. We are on the lookout for beauty and meaning and truth in the midst of lives that didn’t turn out like we thought they should” (xii). Kate Bowler and Jessica Richie certainly did that for us. Our group responded powerfully to the book, often revisiting chapters and buying multiple copies for their friends.
This article contains an Amazon affiliate link that supports Lifelong Learning at Virginia Theological Seminary.
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