Workshop:
Six Conversations for Writing Creative
Journals
“Without
the radiant beam of light shining into the darkness there is little to be
seen. …… But everything changes with the light.”
Henri Nouwen The Genesee Diary
Devotional
Life
Whatever
we read has the potential to touch our minds, our hearts, and our souls. But
sometimes we desire to go deeper. We specifically look for understanding in a
more thorough study, whether it is how to build a boat or how to nurture our
soul.
Some
seasons offer the opportunity to examine our heart beliefs or desires, and
reset or strengthen spiritual congruence. For Christians the season of Lent
began yesterday, and many choose this time to pursue a focused study through
devotions, or Bible study, or spiritual classics.
Author Ethel Herr said that when we meditate
on Scripture from a devotional perspective, the study, or readings, inspire us
to worship God, give us something practical to live by, and speak personally
and intimately to our hearts.
Connecting
with other experiences across historical time can give us a clearer perspective
to evaluate the way we process both the light and the dark seasons we face
personally.
Each
study can begin with four basic questions (see below) and be expanded as deep
as desired depending on what kind of study or depth we would like to pursue.
For example, in addition to the basics, we can paraphrase Scripture, reflect
devotionally, study stories, parables, biographies, and problems.
Action
Steps:
Choose
a passage of scripture, or other inspirational writing, and apply these four basic
questions as suggested by Ethel Herr.
When
you are done, choose one promise or thought and use it as a prayer guide through
the week ahead.
1. What does it say?
2. What does it mean?
3. What does it mean to me?
4. “How must I live” or “How will my life be
different because I have studied this?”
Share: What shift
from dark to light and insight or hope did you discover?
Read deep, marcy
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