Read the passage
38As they went on their way, he entered into a certain village, and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.
39She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard his word.
40But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she came up to him, and said, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister left me to serve alone? Ask her therefore to help me.”
41Jesus answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,
42but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her.”
01
Agree on a small, clear purpose
Choose one complete passage and say what the meeting is for: understanding it together and considering a response. A first conversation does not need to solve every question about the Bible. Agree on a finishing time and leave room for either person to pass on a personal question.
For this example, use Luke 10:38–42, printed below. Both people can read the same translation so differences in wording do not interrupt a first observation. If you later compare translations, make that a separate step. A shared starting point helps you distinguish a difference in the text from a difference in interpretation.
02
Minutes 1–8: read, then notice
Read the passage aloud once. Leave a short silence, then read it again, perhaps with the other person reading. Each person writes two observations before discussing them. These might concern who speaks, what a person does, a repeated word, or a contrast.
Share the observations without immediately evaluating one another’s lives. In this scene, for example, you can notice Mary’s position, Martha’s work and request, and Jesus’ reply. Those details are a starting point. A claim that one person is always like Martha is already an interpretation and may shut down the conversation before it has begun.
03
Minutes 9–18: explore one question together
Ask what is unclear or surprising. Choose one question rather than racing through every possibility. Return to the words of the passage and its nearby context. Each person can explain which detail supports a reading and where uncertainty remains.
If you disagree, restate the other person’s understanding fairly before responding. Distinguish between what the text explicitly says and what either of you infers. You can leave a question unresolved and identify a sensible next reading. Agreement reached through pressure is less useful than a clear account of why you currently read a line differently.
04
Minutes 19–26: consider a response without assigning one
Invite each person to name something they want to consider. In the Luke passage, a response might concern attention, distraction, resentment, or the way a request is made. It need not be a verdict that practical work is unimportant; the scene deserves a more careful reading than that.
Let each person choose whether to share a personal connection. Do not prescribe what the other must change. If prayer is part of your shared practice, ask what they would like included rather than turning your interpretation of their life into a prayer spoken over them. A brief, freely offered response is enough.
05
Minutes 27–30: close with a record and a next step
Write one observation you want to remember and one question you have not answered. Decide whether to revisit the passage, read its wider setting, or move to another complete scene. End at the agreed time so the practice remains manageable.
Afterward, consider the conversation itself. Did both people have space? Did you return to the text? Did a personal story become the entire discussion, or did a rigid outline prevent a worthwhile question? Adjust one thing for next time. The format is there to support attention and listening; it is not a performance you need to complete perfectly.
FROM READING TO PRACTICE
Try a conversation with two different roles.
Use Luke 10:38–42, the passage above. One person describes an observation while the other asks a question that helps them explain it. Then switch roles. The aim is shared attention, not a debate someone must win.
- Let the first reader identify a detail and point to the verse where it appears.
- Ask a clarifying question such as “What in the scene led you to that reading?” before offering a different view.
- Close with one thing each person noticed through the other, and a question to carry into the next meeting.
See a worked response
One reader notices Martha’s request; the other notices how Jesus addresses her. We can compare those details without assigning either person in our conversation a role in the story. We leave with a question about how the setting shapes the exchange.
An example of personal reflection, not Scripture.Questions along the way
Does one person need to teach the other?
No. You can read as two learners, naming what you notice and what you do not understand. If a question needs further study, write it down and agree how to revisit it.
What if our beliefs differ?
Agree on the purpose of the conversation and allow each person to describe their view without pressure. Start with shared observations of the passage and be explicit when you move into interpretation.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Take one thought into today.
What question could you explore together without requiring either person to have an immediate answer?
Choose one observation from your reading and one response that fits your actual day. A small, specific step is easier to return to than a promise to change everything.
A SPACE FOR YOUR OWN WORDS
A thought to keep.
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Write a few words when you are ready.
