Week 3: Chapter 2 — The Day with Others

1.Bonhoeffer describes the common morning devotion — Scripture reading, singing, prayer — as the irreplaceable foundation of the common day. Why does he insist the day together *must* begin with God's Word, and what happens to a community whose shared life does not have this anchor?

2.Bonhoeffer argues passionately for singing Scripture and hymns *together* in unison, and specifically resists the idea of allowing one gifted singer to carry the congregation. He writes that 'the music is completely in the service of the Word.' What is he protecting against, and do you find his reasoning persuasive?

3.Bonhoeffer is insistent that the community read through *long* passages of Scripture together — not selected verses — in a practice sometimes called *lectio continua*. His reason is that 'we become part of what once took place for our salvation.' What is the difference between reading Scripture to find relevant principles versus reading it to enter a larger story?