a God hunt for 2014...

(all pictures below are from Washington Park on New Year's Day 2014) 

I had some time yesterday to read through the book Opening to God by David Brenner.  In the chapter called “Prayer as Attending”, he references the ancient practice of the examen. 

The examen is a simple practice of reflecting about the day and recalling significant events.  We call it “roses and thorns” with the kids and often discuss these around the dinner table.   (some call it highs/ lows, highlights/ lowlights, praises/ prayers, etc.)

The examen is a way of understanding how God is present and active and is a way of learning to listen and to be attentive to God’s work in our lives.  David Brenner writes that the purpose in looking back over the day “is not self-analysis but God-spotting.”  Yes, I love thinking of it in this way…. A God-hunt each day. A God-hunt for 2014.   

In a book called Sleeping with Bread, the authors discuss the examen in a way that is very helpful.  The title comes from a story about child refugees during World War II. Even after they were safe and had plenty to eat, the trauma of living with severe hunger haunted them so much that they couldn’t sleep. The only thing that gave these children peace was sleeping with a loaf of bread. It gave them security and comfort knowing they would have food when they woke up. The bread gave those children life.

In the same way, we want to hold onto those things that give us life, and the examen is one way to do this.  This simple practice can open our eyes and ears to be more aware of God’s mercies through the day.  What I love about it is that we talk about the good things, but we don’t brush the bad things under the rug. We allow them to be put on the table, and we can invite God’s light to enter the dark places.  

Here is an exerpt from an article that I found that gives a way to use the examen more in depth that I want to try with our family in 2014.

“The Examen is a permanent prayer in my own repertoire, and it is one we want to teach to our children. This is still a new prayer method that we bring in from time to time as part of our nighttime family prayer, and this Examen format is one that a Lutheran friend and mom of two shared with me:

1.               One person names the highs and lows of his/her day.

2.              After that person names the highs and lows of the day, another person in the family says a prayer for that person, thanking God for the highs and asking God to help that person with the lows.

3.              Every family member gets a turn to share the highs and lows of the day, and every family member gets a turn to say a prayer for another person.

4.              Close with an Our Father or other prayer.

I am often speechless at what comes out of my children’s mouths as they share about their day. Listening to them helps heighten my awareness about what is going on in their lives, what is upsetting them, what they are really enjoying about life, and who they are spending time with at school. I am also amazed to listen to the prayers they share for another family member. The Examen heightens their awareness of what is going on in their lives and in others’ lives also. It allows all of us to give God thanks for the gifts in our lives, and it allows us to bring our struggles to God as well.”

http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/17831/praying-the-examen-with-children/

Want to join me in 2014 in an effort to see each day as a God-hunt?  I imagine that we will grow in many ways as our eyes begin to see more of God’s work in the world and as our ears become more attuned to His voice.