The words and phrases that especially caught our attention while listening to the story of Jesus’ baptism last fall.

The Circle of the Word approach to engagement with biblical stories creates a safe space where women have the opportunity to find their own voice about and through the stories. Covenant guidelines and a talking piece facilitate this process, giving each woman the opportunity to speak if they choose without worrying about being interrupted, questioned, or critiqued.

An activity I call “The Word I Heard” invites women to identify a word or phrase that caught their attention after hearing the story told with their eyes closed or focused on a candle. Each word or phrase is written on a card and placed by its “owner” into the circle. A second round invites women to share why they chose their particular word or phrase.

I am regularly amazed by the depth of spiritual insight, transparency, and variety of response that is expressed during these rounds. For example, at a Circle this Spring in a woman’s prison which focused on the story of Jesus’ arrest, one woman’s chosen word was “arrest” because, “We have all been arrested.” In a round on the resurrection story, a woman chose “stone” because “many of us carry heavy stones we can’t move, but God can roll them away.”