While it is an unobtrusive and often relaxing activity, spiritual reading does involve a commitment of time and mental energy.

So, take some time to consider the following questions:

• How much time do you have for reading?

Spiritual reading should be slower and more contemplative than normal day-to-day reading. So, if you already do a great deal of reading – for work or for pleasure – it will be very important to designate a special time and place for the reading related to these conversations. This may help you approach these materials with a different mindset and reverence than you normally have toward reading. As you look at your day, consider how much time you already use for reading (of various types, personal and professional) and how much time you will be able to commit to the readings at the heart of our conversations.

As much as possible, your various types of reading should be in balance and complement each other.

• What type of reading do you already do?

The materials that you will discuss during your spiritual conversations should be different from the other books and articles you may already be reading. For example, if you read novels for relaxation, it may not be useful to read novels for these conversations (or at least the same types of novel). This will heighten your emotional responses to each type of reading and accentuate the connections between them.

• Do you have a favorite type of reading or a bias against particular genre?

Each of us has preferences concerning the type of reading that we like to do. Conversely, we may also dislike other types of writing. During the course of these spiritual conversations that involve reading, you may be asked to look at material that you have not engaged earlier. This will be important if you are to expand your horizons. However, if you have a dislike for a particular genre, you need to say this as the conversations begin so that this bias can be "factored in" as we speak.

This does not mean that you will avoid the things that you dislike during the conversations. It simply means that this awareness will help you understand the particular ways in which you are responding to the readings that we will discuss.

• What do you expect from the spiritual conversations?

The conversations will be reflected in the readings that you do. If your goal is to allow you to go deeper into a particular subject, then the reading should be progressively more specific. On the other hand, if the goal is to broaden your horizons, the material you read will be more diverse and address many different topics. By the same token, you may find that you want to engage in these conversations for deeply personal reasons or for profoundly professional reasons. All of these concerns should be discussed as you begin the conversation so the material that is chosen reflects your desires and opens you to hear the presence of God through your reading.

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