The Broken Way by Ann Voskamp
Week 4: Chapter 3 — The Communion of Broken Things
Read Chapter 3 of The Broken Way. Key passages: 1 Corinthians 10:16–17; Romans 12:5.
Previewing Week 4 of The Broken Way
Read 3 of 7 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 11-week guide when you’re ready.
Voskamp turns outward in this chapter, arguing that our brokenness, when offered, creates the conditions for genuine community — and that real koinonia (fellowship) is only possible between people who have stopped pretending to be whole.
Discussion Questions
7 questions1.Voskamp uses the Greek word koinonia — often translated 'fellowship' but carrying the deeper meaning of 'sharing in' or 'communion' — to describe the kind of intimacy that becomes possible between broken people. How does her definition challenge the surface-level fellowship most of us experience in church or community?
2.She argues that one of the greatest barriers to real communion is the performance of wholeness — the unspoken agreement in many communities that we will all pretend to be fine. Where do you feel most pressure to perform wholeness? At church? At work? Online? With family?
3.Voskamp writes movingly about her friendship with a woman she calls her 'kindred friend' — the kind of relationship where both people have allowed the other to see the worst of them and stayed anyway. Do you have a relationship like that? If not, what is preventing you from cultivating one?