May 2024

The Secret Sauce of Little Rock Scripture Study: Shared Prayer

By Catherine Upchurch

As our 50^th Anniversary series continues, Cackie Upchurch explores the essential connection between conversational prayer and meaningful group discussion.

Many years ago, I knew a religious sister who was a ball of energy. She was short in stature and wore very thick glasses as well as a mischievous smile. When I knew her, she was probably in her eighties and had been facilitating various small groups using Little Rock Scripture Study for some time.

Sr. Loyola once confessed to me that her groups over the years didn’t like to use conversational forms of prayer. When I probed a little deeper, inquiring if this was true of all of her groups, her “yes” provided an insight. Leaning across the table, with a twinkle in my eye, I asked her, “Sister, who is the common denominator in all those groups?” She sheepishly replied, with her smile getting wider, “Me?”

It was Sr. Loyola who was uncomfortable with prayer that was conversational and shared aloud with others. She was afraid it would put people “on the spot” or that the occasional silences would be hard to manage. In fact, she had not yet tried to pray conversationally in her groups. It was easier for them (for her, to be sure) to use rote prayer and so they began each session with an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and a Glory Be. Mind you, there’s nothing wrong with that at all, but how we pray together sets the tone for the discussion that will follow.

In my experience using LRSS, as well as working with groups all over the United States and in several other countries, Bible study is most alive and productive when group members use the questions provided as a springboard to dive deeper. While rote prayer is helpful and most appropriate in many settings, it does not necessarily create a climate for exploring how our lives intersect with Scripture. If we pray to God in our own words, and if we learn to listen to each other’s prayer, the group dynamics more naturally engage us on the level of faith and not just intellect.

Let me share a couple of examples. In one group, we prayed together using a simple format (see the final pages of each LRSS Bible study book for several formats). Over time, it became clear to me that a woman I’d known for years was deeply committed to finishing her college degree. She was in her seventies and prayed about that educational journey each time we gathered. Knowing her deep desire and acknowledging it in our group led me to also pray for her successful efforts in my daily prayer. It drew our group closer together to support and applaud her successes and opened each of us to share a bit more about our own deep desires or plans. That group became a vital part of my spiritual life, and our discussions of the Scriptures were not only intellectually stimulating but also spiritually moving.

I was once asked to help a group in Virginia that was having a hard time with simple group dynamics. One or two people tended to dominate the weekly discussions; not only that, these individuals also seemed to be self-appointed experts on all things religious, making it hard for others in the group to feel adequate or safe to share emerging insights. The group was floundering. I also discovered that this group had grown lax in their prayer together, assuming they knew each other well enough not to need group prayer and preferring to jump right into the discussion questions. After they got back on track praying together, the changing atmosphere made it possible to talk together about the importance of allowing everyone to share and the need to acknowledge differing life experiences and insights.

Group prayer is not magic; it doesn’t solve every problem or automatically create a perfect atmosphere. But prayer is a vital part of the work of the group, reminding all of us that when we study the Bible we encounter God, and when we pray together as part of that study, we are shaped into communities bound by God’s love and challenged by God’s word.

Catherine (Cackie) Upchurch devoted most of her professional life to developing and promoting the use of Little Rock Scripture Study in Catholic parishes and dioceses. She is the general editor of the Little Rock Catholic Study Bible, a regular contributor to Give Us This Day, and enjoys offering retreats and days of reflection. She is currently the primary caregiver for her mother.

Explore Little Rock Scripture Study Books by Cackie Upchurch

What people are saying about our newest study:

"I love this new study on Women in the New Testament from Little Rock Scripture Study! The cultural background, archaeological information, and extra details like the chart of all the 'Marys' in the New Testament are wonderful! The questions at the end of each lesson are well-written and help us reflect on what we’ve learned. And I especially like the author’s questions found throughout the commentary as they help us be 'in the moment' as we are reading and learning. I can’t wait to see how others in our diocesan women’s ministry respond to this study!"

-Leigh Tenkku Lepper, Facilitator, Women’s Ministry Coalition, Diocese of Jefferson City

It’s time to plan Summer Bible Study!

Summertime is a great time to gather with friends or parishioners for a brief Bible study like one of our 3-Week Biblical Faith-Sharing titles. Each book includes Scripture, brief and insightful commentary, and plenty of questions for group discussion. No advanced preparation is required—just gather, read, and share your faith together. Take a look at our 27 available titles in the series here.

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