Acts 1:12-14 Journal or Group Discussion Questions
Like midwives, we as disciples of Jesus are called to journey with others in their times of transition and change as well as in their times of joy and celebration in the fruits of their gifts and growth. The women disciples in this passage were likely mentors for the men in how to wait fully present and prayerful for the newness of life born in the gift of the Spirit Jesus promised.
- Name some liminal spaces or thresholds of transitions that you have faced along your journey. (examples: retirement, illness, loss of a loved one, becoming a parent, changing jobs, shift in beliefs)
- Who are some of the people who have been present and supportive of you during these times? How did they minister to you?
- Who have been spiritual midwives to you? (remember midwife means ‘with woman’ so midwives can be men or women) What have they taught you? How do you pass that wisdom on to others?
- With whom are you laboring now? Who are you coming alongside to be with during a period of great change, transition, challenge, or rebirth? How does the metaphor of midwifery encourage you? Challenge you?
- Read Psalm 22:9 and Isaiah 66:9. In what ways is God like a midwife?
- Are there other stories of scripture that refer to midwives or that show this type of midwifing relationship between two people? (Remember this metaphor can work for men and women. Some examples: John 3:1-4 Nicodemus & Jesus, Mary and Elizabeth in Luke 1:39-ff)
- Most of us have been a part of a community that welcomes a newborn child. What was that like? Darrell Pursiful states, “Childbirth is a liminal experience for the baby, the mother, and the entire community. Everything changes when a new baby is born! Therefore, it is a time of potential spiritual danger as status and relationships get rearranged to accommodate the arrival of a new community member.”
How might like the new baby being born, the arrival of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 1&2 and the rest of Acts) be a rearranging of relationships? Do you see evidence of the Spirit rearranging relationships, systems, and institutions in our world? What is God’s invitation to you in this?
- How did Jesus prepare the disciples for the impending arrival of the Holy Spirit? (John 14:15-31 & John 15:26-16:1-15, Luke 24)
- Do we teach and preach about the Holy Spirit and its important role in our relationship with God and others? Why or why not?
Resources that inspired the sermon:
Holy Listening: The Art of Spiritual Direction by Margaret Guenther (Chapter 3, “The Spiritual Director as Midwife”).
Dr. Platypus, Darrell Pursiful’s Bible and Faith Blog, “Wise Women 3: Midwives” January 2011.
Rev. Cynthia Williams Insko is a spiritual director and Godly Play missioner. She is a member of Faith Baptist Church in Georgetown, KY. For more information on KY BWIM contact Cynthia.insko@gmail.com or visit our facebook page at Kentucky Baptist Women in Ministry.