I have been loving our current series in the parables but one of the questions I am often asked is how do you read these stories well? How do you notice the subtleties that Jesus embedded in the story? Well, certainly I get the benefit of spending a lot of my week studying and preparing but there are some simple reading practices like lectio divina that can help us become more aware of what is happening in the text as we read. Here's one of the ways I like to approach the Bible when I read. I hope you find it helpful.