kirby is facilitating socratic midrash?

The foundational catalyst for western philosophy (our common american religious language) came from Socrates - a man who liked to ask questions pertaining to the nature of how we understand truth. A couple hundred years before Jesus, Socrates plopped his butt down in public spaces all across Athens, Greece and invited the public to consider the way in which they consider everything!

A fundamental element of the spirit of Socrates's work speaks to me: asking into the mystery. For as long as I've been alive I have found that I too have an insatiable appetite for drawing our eyes to deep, uncharted territory. This is territory that exists in and around all of us, however we may go decades without calling upon what lies out there! We may go decades without understanding what lies inside of us! Our own hearts and minds! Our own souls!

This is of course a very personal endeavor, with the open invitation to bring to the surface what burdens you, what you wonder about, what it is that you love and care for and how it is that you care. In Socratic Midrash, I invite you to take the risk of being yourself deeply, as you are, where you are. The mystery is in you and is you, yet it is also beyond you! Do you remember what life was like as a child, when you held abounding care in the smallest or largest of things? Maybe you spoke your care aloud, verbalizing what you were in love with, or working out what nagged at you as the most important mysteries are known to nag. In socratic midrash we ask these questions like gifts, and we together engage in the activity of wonder. I am utterly in LOVE with wonder!

We walk these paths amidst other walkers. There is community to be held in our wonder, and the activity it calls us into. There is community to be held in the exposure of our souls, and the relief of laying one's heart down in trust. To me, there is no metric or measure excluding the earnest asker. As deep and wide as you may go intellectually, if you are spiritually ready to play, I am ready!

Over the past many years I have been mentoring under a teacher who hosts deep discussion in the context of Bible studies, Rabbi Alan Ullman. My stepping out into this form of teaching and discussion has been in large part thanks to his work and his encouragement. I am modeling much of what I do here from my experience in his small group Bible studies. This is where I draw in "Midrash", a Jewish mystical practice of reflecting upon the Biblical text so that it may speak and bring revelation. Midrash is, in its inception, an oral tradition, and is a way of gathering around the text with the whole of one's spirit (as opposed to the Greek "exegesis" which focuses primarily on the mind). Midrash is conversation with the living word; God conversation. Socratic Midrash is a blend of both impetises and practices, bringing our spirit to reflect upon the soul of our very own questions so that they may speak to us and bring us revelation. When we come in peace to the mystery, what we have yet to know reveals itself in peace to us. The word is already upon our very lips!

The format of Socratic Discussion, as I host it, opens with prayer and silence, after which I ask the crucial question, "what's on your heart? what is on your mind?" From the following answers (and questions) of those in the room, topics of discussion arise. After all is out on the floor we vote on our favorite starting point, and we begin! I lead the group in drawing threads, making connections, asking questions and zooming into particualr areas of interest. The group flows freely, however if pacing is needed I may offer a rule where we each take turns speaking to the question at hand.

*the suggested donation for a group is $40 per person, $60 for one on one discussion*
I host pop up Socratic Midrash circles at Art House North in St. Paul MN. If you are interested in receiving updates for when these happen, submit your email to my mailing list and check the "i am interested in small group Socratic Midrash" box!
My line is also very open to meet you or a group of yours via personal invitation! If travel is affordable I will come to you, otherwise Art House North is open for our booking! If you are interested in having me in, have any thoughts, questions, or maybe you just want to say hi, please contact me - kgmail@kirbygroves.com
If you live out of range and seek my aid, I am also available via video call. Reach out to me and I will get back to you :)

may loving kindness sustain and surround your days! <3