1. Spiritual Exercise

For this session’s spiritual exercise, undertake the daily examen (p. 137-138). Follow the directions and guidance given by Holt.

For your initial submission to this discussion forum, post a reflection of what you got out of this experience. Stay focused on the uniqueness, spiritual value, and biblical fidelity of the experience rather than on the deep, remedial, or personal work God may have done through the experience. Per previous sessions:

• Do not address any personal information inappropriate for this forum (e.g., “This experience gave me victory over my bad habit of ____________.”). Remain vague on personal information.
• Do quote any pertinent Scripture verses or other source material (e.g., course textbooks) that may deepen the content of your reflection.

• 2. Journal

  Journaling is considered a spiritual discipline. Whether you journal currently or have done so in the past, journal practice is worth your effort. Each session you will create a journal entry (400-450 words/entry), drawing upon your Holt reading and the weekly prayer exercise. Your grade for the assignment will be based on how comprehensively you answer the Holt questions along with how extensively you engage the prayer exercise. Here’s how it works.Part 1: Reflect on the Holt reading by answering the following questions:

  • What was the most profound idea (in terms of applying to your life) and why?
  • What bothered me most in this session’s reading and why?

  Part 2: Practice praying by following the prayer exercise below. Answer the questions in the exercise in the form of a personal, for-your-eyes-only, journal entry. HOWEVER, you should submit for this assignment an abridgement of your full answer. Reflect on the value of the experience in the submitted entry and do not include any personal information that you do not want your instructor to read.(1 Corinthians 13:4-8) ‘”Love is never rude or self-seeking. There is no limit to its forbearance, no limit to its trust, its hope, its endurance.” This is an ideal for which we must continually strive. Talk to Jesus about your failures in [love/]charity and ask him what he wants you to do. Put your own name in the passage each time the word ‘love’ or ‘charity’ is used. How authentic would such words be in your regard? What do you need to change to make them authentic? (from Chester P. Michael and Marie C. Norrisey, Prayer and Temperament [Charlottesville, VA: The Open Door, Inc., 1991], 67.)