Writing exercises

The process of writing begs us to explore and examine our past, present and future; our successes, failures and dreams. Not to be overly melodramatic … but many of us find such in depth analysis and objective study of our lives to be a downright downer.

There are two wood carving images on this page. One is titled Mr. Nobody, and the other, Mr. Somebody. Writing helps us understand in what ways we are both a nobody and a somebody, but when the process becomes prayer, we hear the Lord consoling our ‘nobody-ness’ while He simultaneously asks us to not be some body, but a specific body with hands and feet belonging to Himself.

Writing in the context of prayer communicates to the Lord our willingness to tolerate pain and pleasure alike and our openness to be guided to new insights. Following the fruits of such spiritual spelunking, the Lord is able to offer us forgiveness, mercy and healing … hope, joy and love.

There are so many great resources on writing and prayer, but I’ll mention here a few ways to incorporate scripture, art and journaling into our writing to pray practice.

Scripture

Below are listed some strategies for writing to pray using scripture as the foundation and inspiration.

1) By following the daily readings, (accessible through the US Catholic bishops’ website,) we explore the connections between the readings.

2) In the style of Lexio Divina, we can read one passage several times, narrowing down to a single word which catches our attention, and after meditating upon the one word, stretch upwards towards new understanding.

3) We might choose a particular book, and turn it into a journal retreat. We could create some general questions to ask ourselves, periodically pausing to answer them. Some questions might include– how does this passage make me feel, who am I in this passage, what does this teach me about God, how does the characters’ relationships with each other and the Lord resonate with the relationships in my life?

4) Albeit playful, but always interesting, after literally opening the bible randomly, closing our eyes, and pointing, we read a couple verses above and below. We can then explore how this passage relates to our past, present, future… life’s arenas and sphere’s … dreams, promises, hopes. After this, we search for the threads which connect them.

5) Either by choosing a specific book, or by following the daily readings, we imagine ourselves in the story, or watching the story unfold from nearby. We use all of the senses to capture the scene. Following the experience, we write about it in the present tense.

Art, Music, and Poetry

1) Create a spiritual time-line, or map. We may want to write a list, or draw a map with the twists and turns represented, with symbols and perhaps a key and some color.

2) Listen to a piece of music and respond, maybe an unexplored genre, or several but different versions of the same piece of music.

3) We might represent, either by drawing or sculpting, one or more of the gifts which God has given to us. We can reflect on the question, “What did God make specifically for me to enjoy, completely for my benefit?” Then we might write about the experience of creating a representation of God’s creation.

4) We draw an icon of a personally important Saint. As an alternative, after meditating on a Russian or Greek icon, we might respond in writing.

5) In his site, Prayer Windows, artist Bob Gilroy SJ outlines different activities and questions to encourage the practice of contemplating art as prayer. www.prayerwindows.com/

6) We might write a letter to someone we’ve not connected to in a while or someone we don’t typically write to. Alternatively, we might write someone a thank you note.

Variations on the Journal

Many people keep a ‘free’ journal in which they record events, discuss feelings and explore ideas. There are other styles of journals, which also have merit. Don’t forget to look at the journal retreats on these pages.

Many people suggest creating a routine around journaling, such as writing at the same time every day, setting up a special spot, desk or room, or chair, or using a specific journal or notebook. Some need a mug of fair trade coffee, light a candle or incense, find the perfect pen: establishing a habit is generally helpful.

Many incorporate a vocal or written prayer into the routine. Teresa of Avila suggested beginning prayer with an articulation of who is praying, who he/she is praying to, and what he/she is praying for. This may seem simple, “me, God, wisdom,” however, we have many facets, as does God, and we have different needs at different times.

Some ideas:

1) When we are writing at the beginning of the day, we can imagine the events of the day. Envision our actions, explore our expectations. Where might I see God’s presence today? How might I bring Christ to others?

2) In addition to writing a list of petitions for others, we benefit from looking over past lists, to pay attention to how God has answered past prayers … a prayer of thanksgiving may then be appropriate.

3) At the end of the day, we might want to write a list of the blessings, graces and gifts received throughout the day. These could be written in the form of thanksgiving, with a consistent sentence starter, such as “in thanksgiving for…”

4) At the end of the day, we may conduct an examen. The following format is fairly typical: a) pray for light, b) review the day in thanksgiving, c) replay the day and review the feelings that surfaced throughout the day, d) choose the most dominate feeling, e) pray about it (in thanksgiving, praise, contrition, petition, etc.). We can conclude with looking towards tomorrow or the rest of the day.

5) If time is limited we might initiate a ‘Follow the Thread’ Journal. In this exercise, I would write something which “stopped me in my tracks,” i.e. something that somehow moved me in an unexpected way. After three days or so, I take a bit of time to review them, looking for threads and connections between these events. For my part, I become so cluttered with emotions and ideas I miss overriding patterns. Often God communicates the same thing to me over and over because I’m so slow to catch on.

6) Keep a Divine Providence journal. It is a simple list all the events or interactions throughout the day when we noticed that God had shown up. He is in living color and everywhere, but I miss Him because of my little preoccupations and to-do lists.