About Nouwen Reading Groups
Nouwen readers are getting together! Interesting, thoughtful and inspiring conversations are taking place in people’s living rooms, church halls, school auditoriums, libraries and lunch rooms. Being part of a reading group offers opportunities for community, hospitality, reflection and spiritual nourishment.
It needn’t be a long-term commitment – two hours once a week for 4, 5 or 6 weeks might be the lifespan of your group – or it might blossom into an on-going weekly get-together
Getting Started
Once you’ve gathered a few friends together, agreed on the book you’re all going to read, and decided where and when you’re going to meet, you’re well on your way. If you wish to expand your group you might consider invitations via bulletin board and newsletter notices, announcements at the end of church services or other gatherings you attend or by asking us to post a notice on www.HenriNouwen.org. We have reflections guides for many of Nouwen’s books that can be ordered by writing to nouwensociety@nouwen.net. The guides are distributed by email attachment and some guides are available as downloads.
Your First Meeting
You might like to start by lighting a candle, saying a prayer and inviting each person to introduce themselves, sharing briefly how they first encountered Henri Nouwen’s writing.
Journey of the Heart, a sixty minute film by Windborne Productions, is a good introduction to Nouwen’s life. You may wish to show some or all of this film during your first meeting.
As the group leader, you can invite others to share in leadership tasks such as leading the prayer, reading particular passages from the book or questions from the reflection guide, initiating discussion for particular chapters, organizing refreshments. However, don’t worry about organizing too much. It should be a relaxed and nourishing time for everyone, including the group leader!Resources
Resource materials designed for reading groups have been prepared for the following books and are available free of charge from the Henri Nouwen Society:
- Adam: God’s Beloved
- Behold the Beauty of the Lord
- Beyond the Mirror
- Can You Drink the Cup?*
- Compassion: A Reflection on the Christian Life
- Here and Now*: Living in the Spirit
- In Memoriam
- In the Name of Jesus*: Reflections on Christian Leadership
- Letters to Marc About Jesus
- Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World*
- Lifesigns: Intimacy, Fecundity and Ecstasy in Christian Perspective
- Making All Things New*: An Invitation to the Spiritual Life
- Peacework
- The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey Through Anguish to Freedom
- The Way of the Heart*
- The Wounded Healer: Ministry in Contemporary Society
- Reaching Out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life*
- The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming*
- With Burning Hearts*
- With Open Hands*
*Available as a download
These resource materials include a brief biography of Henri Nouwen, a scheduling chart and a feedback form. We hope you and your group will share with us your experience of participating in a Nouwen reading group by completing and returning the feedback form. Any comments or suggestions you have regarding the reading group materials would also be much appreciated.
If your group is interested in singing together, you might wish to suggest music from the Taizé community. Henri often led Taizé songs during the mass and other gatherings such as his classes at Yale and Harvard.
For prayer selections for your group you might wish to have a look at The Only Necessary Thing: Living A Prayerful Life, by Henri Nouwen, compiled and edited by Wendy Wilson Greer.
Available at www.HenriNouwen.org/shopcart.
Journey of the Heart: the life of Henri Nouwen is available in DVD and can be purchased from www.HenriNouwen.org/shopcart.
