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February 2026 – Week Two (Continuing Communities)

Open In Prayer 

Begin by praying together – taking some intentional time to breathe, be still, and invite the Holy Spirit to be with you all as you set aside time to be together.


Below is an optional liturgy you could pray: 

As we gather around the table, we thank You Father for the joy of being together and the comfort of friends, new and old. As we enjoy these blessings of food and drink and conversation and laughter, we’re reminded that it's these simple things that are the first fruits of that great glad joy that is to come and that will be unending. Amen. 

Around The Table & Reflect On Last Gathering’s Practice

This is space during your gathering to share a meal, build relationships, and enjoy one another. 


  • What was your experience like when we engaged in silent prayer together last week? How can you find spaces in your life to practice the discipline of silence?


  • What was your experience engaging in the personal Rule of Life practice?


Learning: Holy Listening

We’re going to begin by engaging in silent prayer together again as a Community. Then, we’re going to spend some time engaging in “holy listening” with a partner that shares our same gender. 


You may find it helpful to read through Psalm 62 together, first. Or even just slowly reading Psalm 62:5 together: Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.


Silent Prayer as a Community

  1. Set a timer for five minutes. If that feels too ambitious, set a timer for three minutes. If you want to try for longer, feel free to do so. 


  1. As you all come to quiet, you’re encouraged to close your eyes or open up the palms of your hands…try whatever will help you focus for this time. 


  1. And then as you begin, choose a short phrase to continually go back to whenever your mind drifts to something other than God. It could be a single word like “Jesus” or a phrase like “In you I live.” Anything that anchors and redirects our attention, reminding us of God’s presence.


  2. Finally, persevere. Our fragmented minds often hate the feeling of slowing down and being quiet, itching for noise and distraction. But it’s only by persevering through the awkward restlessness are we able to taste the fruit of Silent Prayer—to rest in the secure attachment of being spoken for by God himself.


Holy Listening Exercise

Jesus often had unhurried conversations with those that He interacted with throughout the Scriptures. Holy listening involves the setting aside of one’s self. The goal isn’t to formulate a response, but to be present with those in front of us. 


Below is a format to guide your conversation. Remember, this exercise is about listening - not offering advice or trying to fix anything. Be sure to practice the moment of silence, even if it feels awkward. You are encouraged to use a timer to help keep track of time. 


  1. Partner A shares for 5-10 minutes about what’s been going on in their life with God recently. 

  2. Partner B listens attentively and notices Partner A. 

  3. All share a moment of silence. 

  4. Partner B responds by: 

    1. Asking an open, non-judgemental question

    2. Making an observation (ie: I noticed that…or “I hear you saying…)

    3. Reflecting back without evaluation or advice-giving 


Then, engage in the practice in the inverse - with Partner B sharing and Partner A listening. 


After both have shared, end your time together praying over one another.


Practice: Creating a Community Rule of Life

Now that you’ve created a personal rule of life, you’re going to collaborate on one for your Ethos Community. The Community rule of life is a way to engage in specific practices together. Although you may not always be physically present together, these are practices that everyone is agreeing to add within their personal rule of life. But, there will be elements, like your biweekly Community gathering, that could be beneficial to include. 


Your Community decides how many elements to include within your Community rule of life. We suggest that you add 3-6 elements and write a short description underneath each for the sake of clarity. 


Below are a few examples from our Ethos Staff rule of life: 

  1. Sabbath

Instead of endless productively, we practice a rhythm of work and rest. We commit to take a full day every week for complete rest from our daily work and commit to make sabbath a possibility for everyone else on our team.

  1. BREAD

Instead of defaulting to our phones & technology after waking from sleep, we practice a rhythm of solitude with the scriptures through BREAD resulting in a non-anxious presence leading into our day. We commit to being solely with the Father, Christ, & the Holy Spirit in the mornings in pursuit of Him and His way of living. 

  1. Community

Instead of individualism and isolation, we pause at 1pm each day to pray together. We practice real presence with each other. We don’t want to be asked to pray, we listen to the stories in the room and pray accordingly. 


On your own, come up with some suggestions for your Community. Then, at our next gathering we will spend some time deciding on which ones we want to include within our Community rule of life. 


End in Prayer

Before you conclude, spend some time as a Community praying for one another.


Below is an optional liturgy you could pray: 

Lord Jesus, There is no greater prayer than yours — make us one as you are one, in devotion, in living, in love. Amen.

 
 
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