On Sept. 24 ladies gathered in Hart Hall to attend the first meeting of Breaking Bread. The new bible study is led by junior nursing major, Ana Upchurch and sophomore biology major, Emily Harper. Breaking Bread meets on Tuesday nights at 10 p.m. in Upchurch and Harper’s suite.
“We both went to the Bread of Life Bible study that Katie Starr hosted last year, and since she was graduating, she asked us if we wanted to continue it,” Harper said. “We have always wanted to lead a study, so it worked out perfectly.”
Breaking Bread opened with a word of prayer and a time of worship. The group used Harper’s laptop and sang along to the song “O Come to the Altar.”
After worship the group entered into a time of Lectio Divina, which is a monastic practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer. The goal of this practice is to promote communion with God and to have a better understanding of what scripture means to each individual.
“We wanted to continue what Katie started with Lectio Divina because I personally love the style of it, and it is something I have been able to utilize in my own life,” Harper said. “It is so powerful and spirit-led and really based on how each person interprets scripture.”
Following Lectio Divina, the group discussed which verses from Psalm 3 stood out to them and what God was speaking into the lives of the ladies through it.
“Psalms is a great book because there is a lot in there that we can discuss, not necessarily in order which is why we decided on Psalms this semester,” Upchurch said.
Breaking Bread will take place every Tuesday night this semester. Since the Bible study takes place on a night when there are not open dorms, ladies are welcomed to come as they are.
“We picked a night that wasn’t on open dorms on purpose,” Harper said. “Not only does it work for both of our schedules, but we want ladies to feel comfortable and share things they may not feel comfortable sharing otherwise.”
“And they can come as they are and not have to worry about appearances,” Upchurch added.
Even if you were unable to attend last Tuesday’s meeting, it does not mean it is too late to join. “We really love the community and just want to connect with people,” Upchurch said.
If you want more information about the Bible study contact Emily Harper at echarper@my.milligan.edu or Ana Upchurch at alupchurch@my.milligan.edu.
Headline photo: Emily Harper and Ana Upchurch