Week 1: Introduction — "An Invitation to the Table"

1.Niequist describes writing this book as writing "from the middle" rather than from a place of having it all figured out. How does that posture affect the way you approach what she's going to say? Does it make you more or less inclined to trust her?

2.She frames the book as an invitation — specifically, an invitation away from striving and toward presence. What does the word "presence" mean to you right now, before you've read further? What does it look like in your daily life, or what does its absence feel like?

3.Niequist is honest that she is writing to people who, like her, have traded depth for speed and connection for productivity. Do you recognize yourself in that description? Where in your life do you feel most pulled toward busyness?

4.She uses the image of a table — gathering, feeding, being fed — as a central metaphor throughout the book. Why do you think she chose that image? What does a table represent for you personally?

5.What are you hoping this book will disturb, confirm, or change in you? Write down one honest expectation before you go any further.

6.Niequist is a Christian writer, but this book speaks to a very wide audience. How does your own faith background (or lack of one) shape the lens through which you expect to read her words?