Module Two Sessions and Assignments
Saint Benedict Cycle
Benedictine Spirituality: Our DNA (Module Two)
2026 January 9, 16, 23, 30 February 6
Fridays Sessions begin at 9:00 am Pacific (USA). The room opens at 8:50 am
Sessions are all two hours
There will be some revisions to this before we begin and as we move through the module.
Benedictine spirituality is a significant part of our Anglican root system. It’s part of our organizational DNA. If we increase our understanding of Benedictine spirituality it may help us increase our understanding of Anglican liturgy, prayer, and the nature of community life. We may come to better understand and appreciate ourselves as Episcopalians and as parishes in that tradition. We will also use organization development methods and models that we understand to be congruent with a Benedictine spirituality.
1 As often as anything important is to be done in the monastery, the abbot shall call the whole community together and himself explain what the business is; 2 and after hearing the advice of the brothers, let him ponder it and follow what he judges the wiser course. 3 The reason why we have said all should be called for counsel is that the Lord often reveals what is better to the younger. 4 The brothers, for their part, are to express their opinions with all humility, and not presume to defend their own views obstinately. 5 The decision is rather the abbot’s to make, so that when he has determined what is more prudent, all may obey. 6 Nevertheless, just as it is proper for disciples to obey their master, so it is becoming for the master on his part to settle everything with foresight and fairness. … 12 If less important business of the monastery is to be transacted, he shall take counsel with the seniors only, 13 as it is written: Do everything with counsel and you will not be sorry afterward (Sir 32:24). -The Rule of Saint Benedict, Chapter 3
This module will explore both Benedictine spirituality and contemporary ways in which a parish might listen and take counsel.
Readings & Assignments for Session 1
There is a good bit of reading to be done for this session. We suggest you begin reading when you first register.
This session will focus on the Benedictine Promise. In the Order of the Ascension we state the Promise this way - To seek the presence of Jesus Christ in the people, things and circumstances of life through stability, obedience and conversion of life. Three elements – stability, obedience, and conversion of life. How can we better understand the work of the Holy Spirit in our parishes and spiritual life by looking through the lens of the Promise?
Learning objective: To develop an understanding of the Benedictine Promise, its elements and dynamics as a lens to understand our parishes and individual spiritual lives.
1. Read in Fill All Things chapter on Benedictine Spirituality. Then do #2 below.
2. Complete two assessments and bring them to the first session.
Benedictine Promise - a overall parish assessment
Benedictine Promise - personal spiritual life
3. Read in Seeking God: The Way of St. Benedict, Chapters 3, 4 and 5 on Listening, Stability and Change.
4.Print out hard copy of Process for the Benedictine Promise Session for use during the session.
Optional readings (may be done at any time during the module):
1) A series of short postings on “listening.” Fake Listening Lectio Divina Not listening: I have the power; get reconciled to it Seeking parish harmony - Q & A: Take Counsel – Stop Grumbling
2) The Benedictine Spirit in Anglicanism - A Roman Catholic writes on the Benedictine spirit in Anglicanism
3) St. Benedict - Martin Thornton on characteristics of Benedictine spirituality in Anglicanism.
4) Saint Benedict and Anglican Worship - Michael Perham in 2006.
5) Saint Benedict on Leadership - Leadership and listening
Session 1 The Benedictine Promise
Reminder: Bring a hard copy of Process for the Benedictine Promise Session or use during the session. The two assessments Benedictine Promise - a overall parish assessment Benedictine Promise - personal spiritual life
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Time |
Activity |
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9:00 – 9:15
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STP Prayer Overview of the session Other announcements
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9:15 – 10:35 |
Groups. Follow instructions on “Process for the Benedictine Promise Session ” handout – Introduction. Process of going around the circle. Sharing assessment work. Someone in group keep track of time.
Take a 5 minute break during the session
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10:35 – 11:00 |
Q&A around the elements and dynamics of the Promise |
Before Session 2
The session will deal with two behavior science theories. One having to do with how we help individuals and groups develop strong and sustainable internal commitment. The other is a theory about group development – what stages does a group move through toward a collaborative, productive working relationship between the group and leaders.
Learning objectives:
1. Become familiar with the Intervention Theor
2. Become familiar with the Group Development Theory: Leadership Issues model.
Reading & assignments
1. Read “Intervention Theory” in Chapter 6: Implementation and Oversight in Finding God in All Things
2. View Intervention Theory - video presentation
3. Read “The Group Development Theory: Leadership Issues model” in Finding God in All Things, in Chapter 5 Understanding Parish Dynamics [NOTE: in the St. Benedict Cycle you’re exposed to three group development models - this module’s Leadership Issues model, the first module’s I-C-O — inclusion, control, openness, and in module three “The Tuckman Model” ]
4. Read in Done and Left Undone chapter 2 Ascetical Theology for Parish Leadership and Chapter 6 Ascetical Leadership.
5. Summoning the Brothers for Counsel by Philip Lawrence, OSB, Abbot of Christ in the Desert
6. “Levels of consulting in the parish”
Optional Educational Opportunity - Learning to say the Daily Office on your own: You do this on your own. Four options: 1) Identify a parish or cathedral that says the Office on Zoom or Livestream daily. A few possibilities: Grace Cathedral, San Francisco MP 9:00 am, EP 5:30 pm ; St. Michael and All Angels MP 8:00 am Albuquerque; Atonement, Chicago MP 8:30 am; St. John the Divine, NYC MP 8:30 am 2) Identify a parish in your area that does it daily in person, 3) Use one of the web based programs, for example, The Daily Office app 4) Partner with another person or two in STP. Learning process: 1) We suggest you commit to doing it daily, for two weeks. That’s enough time to begin to get a sense of the rhythm of the Office. 2) Read a few short pieces on the office, e.g., The Daily Office – For your reflection, a number of quotes highlighting aspects of the Office, Daily Office Synergy – making the Office sustainable in a parish church. You can also to a “Daily Office” search on A Wonderful and Sacred Mystery. It will generate a number of related articles.
Session 2 Intervention Theory & The Group Development Theory: Leadership Issues model
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Time |
Activity |
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9:00 – 9:10
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STP Prayer Overview of the session Other announcements
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9:10 – 10:35 |
Groups – 1) Using the Intervention Theory — assess the degree of valid and useful information you had available to make a decision on your participation in STP. Also on the extent of free choice you experienced in that decision. Use the go-around-the-room process once. Then open discussion. Note: This is not an attempt to come up with a group assessment. It is each person sharing their experience. 2) Break 3) Using The Group Development Theory: Leadership Issues model. Identify the particular expressions of dependency, and then expressions of counter dependency each has seen in themselves and others, and then the entire group.
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10:35 – 11:00 |
Whole group. . Sharing by participants and/or questions |
Before Session 3
Built into the life of the Benedictine monastery are two elements we’ll routinely return to. First, is the threefold rule of prayer – Eucharist, Daily Office, Personal devotions. Michael Ramsey referred to it as the Benedictine Triangle. The second, is a collection of practices that shape a culture of humility, relationship, communication and decision making. Our focus in this session is about that second element in our parishes.
We are exploring two sets of practices that may help a parish as we seek to:1) better listen to one another, 2) hear a collective voice, and 3) nurture a common language. First, structures and processes that assist us in that work such as those in Group methods, structure, norms for parish faithfulness and health. And second, a variety of assessment forms.
Read
1. Group methods, structures, norms for parish faithfulness and health
The material is from two books. Fill All Things, which you will already be familiar with and In Your Holy Spirit: Shaping the Parish Though Spiritual Practice.
2. Part of the Diagnosis section of in Finding God in All Things, i.e., the introductory material, Diagnostic Process, What are our objectives in diagnosis?, What to diagnose, Data Gathering Methods (about 6 pages)
3. Benedictine assessment – read these pages and consider how you might assess your parish in regard to them. Assessing with the Benedictine Promise, Benedict and the Christian Membrane, A life, not a program
4. Likes - Concerns - Wishes Process
5. Look over two booklets – “Faith Sharing” and the “Parish Assessment Workbook” We want you to have a general sense of the contents of each. You may want to draw on pieces from each in future work. And look over these assessment sheets - Leadership Assessment: Likes, Concerns, and Wishes, Parish Assessment: Likes, concerns, wishes, Response to a report: Likes, concerns, wishes, Meeting assessment: Likes, concerns, wishes
6. Skim and print out a hard copy of the PDF Assessments. We’ll walk through in the session.
Assignment: Out of all that material in the readings, which methods and tools might you make use of in the coming year?
6.
Assignment: Out of all that material in the readings, which methods and tools might you make use of in the coming year?
Session 3 Threefold Rule of Prayer - Practices
Reminder: Print out a hard copy of Assessments. We’ll make use of that in the session.
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Time (Pacific) |
Activity |
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9:00 – 9:10
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STP Prayer Overview of the session Other announcements
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9:10 – 9:50 |
Walk through the Assessments PDF. Look at ways to make use of them.
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9:50 – 9:55 |
Break
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9:55 –
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Groups 1) Each share which methods and processes might you make use of in the coming year? Why? How? 2) Hear any response, concerns, suggestions from the group.
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10:30 – 11:00 |
Total group. Q&A, comments
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Before Session 4
“Moral action only flows from doctrinal truth by grace and faith, that is through prayer.” -Martin Thornton
Our focus will be on two arenas of reflection:
1) Reflection that takes us to moral action and
2) Reflection that results in strategic decisions.
Reading:
1. “Reflection” Chapter 4 in In Your Holy Spirit: Traditional Spiritual Practices in Today’s Christian Life, Michelle Heyne, Ascension Press, 2011. If you want more, you can order the book at Amazon.
2. In Chapter 2 “ Ascetical Theology for Parish Leadership” section titled “Askesis in the Daily Spiritual Practice of Leaders”, Scott Benhase . Done and Left Undone.
3. “John Macquarrie’s Paths in Spirituality” The section “A problem with prayer” explore prayer-as-thinking. Please focus on that (it’s very short). It may be a useful element as you look at how reflection takes place.
[If you want to do more optional reading on his idea: 1) See his chapter on “Prayer Is Thinking” is available on JSTOR. If you have a subscription through your seminary or library you might read the article. It was an article in The Furrow, Vol. 21, No. 11 (Nov., 1970), 2) Prayer as Thinking” chapter 3 in Paths in Spirituality. 3) In Principles of Christian Theology Maquarrie discusses different kinds of thinking in Chapter 4 Revelation.]
4. Read The Threefold Rule of Prayer. Also the PDF on “functions” that is within the article. Our assumption is that our reflection is likely to be more fruitful and grounded when it exists within the Threefold Rule.
1) Complete the Reflection Exercise.. Download the group process for that session.
2) Case study and group process. Read the case and make notes in response to the questions.
Session 4 Reflection: to moral action and strategic decisions.
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Time |
Activity |
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9:00 – 9:10
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STP Prayer Overview of the session Other announcements
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9:10 – 10:35 |
Group 1) Reflection that takes us to moral action – Explore Reflection Exercise. Using this process – Download the group process for that session. 2) break 3) Work on the Case. Case study and group process.
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10:35 – 11:00 |
Shared learnings, Q & A, end of module
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Before Session 5
1. “Benedictine Action Plan” — Draft a very short action plan of some aspect of your parish’s life you’d like to improve by drawing on Benedictine insights about spirituality, worship, oversight, or community life. Note: if you are part of a parish team, each person needs to complete the assignment themselves. The team may want to have a team meeting after Session 5 to share each person’s work.
2. You may want to review an earlier set of readings: Benedictine assessment – read these pages and consider how you might assess your parish in regard to them. Assessing with the Benedictine Promise, Benedict and the Christian Membrane, A life, not a program
3. This may help you focus the above task: Review two sections from The Benedictine Promise in Fill All Things 1) Shaping Parish Culture in Benedictine Spirituality and 2) Define and Shape a Parish Culture with Benedictine Characteristics. Here’s a PDF with a brief section from each noting in bold areas for you to consider.
4. Review Group methods, structures, norms for parish faithfulness and health
5. Read “God’s Workshop” Rowan Williams, from ‘Shaping Holy Lives’, a Conference on Benedictine Spirituality, 2003
6. Read The Threefold Rule of Prayer. Also the PDF on “functions” that is within the article. Our assumption is that our reflection is likely to be more fruitful and grounded when it exists within the Threefold Rule.
Session 5 A Benedictine culture for the parish
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Time (Pacific) |
Activity |
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9:00 – 9:10
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STP Prayer Overview of the session Other announcements
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9:10 – 10:20 |
Groups – remember to take a break 1) Each shares their “Benedictine Action Plan” 2) Responses from others in the group – What I like about the plan is … What concerns me about the plan is .. (This is called “an itemized response”) 3) Open discussion as time permits (assumes that steps 1 and 2 are completed in less time)
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10:20 – 11:00 |
Q&A, comments in whole group Close the module
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