|
Introductory Topics |
Journaling: Introduction Sometimes, when I pray, I feel something profound is happening. Sometimes, when it's dark out and I'm listening to music in my car, a song will come on that will inspire me through singing to come in contact with an emotion inside myself. Sometimes, when I fully live life, I experience things that touch my soul and cause it to grow. Sometimes, when I'm alone, I wish I could get in touch with these experiences again. And I journal. There is a difference between a diary and a journal. The journal may take as its starting point the same events as a diary, but in journaling, one looks inward to see how one is affected by the events. A diary is a record of daily events in one's own life. A journal is a record of daily events in one's spiritual life. A diary tends to record facts and events. A journal focuses on meanings and epiphanies. A diary tends to be written in the past. A journal might be written in the past, present or future. A diary tends to be a story of the day. A journal may be a story, a poem, a stanza of prose, a discourse, or anything else that conveys meaning. Each of us carries on inner conversations as we sort through our feelings about daily living, our relationships, world events. Journaling is the process of writing down those "talks with ourselves" so that what our mind is thinking and our heart is feeling becomes tangible: ink on paper. Externalizing our inner world often helps us clarify our lives and move forward. Journaling can take on many forms. I like to write poems because I feel they reflect my spirit. I don't have to worry about how good they are, because I will be the only one who ever reads them. I simply have to be open to expressing what is going on inside me. We will go through 3 exercises of journaling. We won't end up with a discussion or with sharing, but hopefully we'll gain a sense of community since we'll all be journaling together. Like all these prayer forms that we're exploring together, I'd encourage you to take this exercise home and continue with it for the next 3 weeks. The awkwardness of writing goes away with time, and writing alone at home can also take away some of the awkwardness of expressing your inner self. To begin journaling, find a good place to write. By that I mean two things. First, find a good journal, be it a piece of loose leaf paper that you then put in a binder, a spiral notebook, or a bound blank book. Second, find a good spot to write, a comfortable, quiet spot where you can relax, think and be alone. We'll cover 3 journaling exercises, but I encourage you to try to carry through with similar exercises during the week. First, we'll journal from the events of daily life. Next we'll journal in response to scripture. Finally we'll journal in response to reading. There are many other means to journaling: in response to meditations, in response to dreams, in response to conversations, in response to music. There are a myriad of topics to journal about: your day, your life, strong emotions the seasons, death, the world, etc. Don't be afraid. Experiment. Journaling is a time-honored tradition. The Psalms, the letters of the New Testament, the writings of the saints. Especially in this century, journals have been important insights into life for people ranging from Ann Morrow Lindbergh to John Steinbeck to Dag Hammerskjold to Pope John XXIII to Henri Nouwen. Why not add yourself to the list? Journaling from the Events of Daily Life After you have thought through the day's events, ask yourself the following questions to start today's journaling. You can either write on this page or choose another page.
If none of these questions sparks ideas, consider the following:
Questions or "thank you's" or explanations may feel appropriate as you seek to come closer to the God of All Days. If none of these work for you, maybe you can just begin writing free form with one of the following starter phrases:
If you're still stuck, maybe switch persons. Perhaps you can write a letter from God to you.
Journaling in Response to the Scripture Here are some suggestions that you may find useful as to prepare to journal in response to scripture:
Readings for the 2nd and 3rd Weeks of Ordinary Time, Year B Journaling in Response to Reading As you read, you may want to keep a pen or marker ready for highlighting words or phrases that leap up at you. The moment of reading may not be the best time for journaling, but an important word underlined in the paper or a dog-eared book page may provide the source for that night's journaling. Here's a suggested approach for entering into this type of journaling. Quiet yourself. Then read the word or phrase or passage over and over. Let yourself ease into further examination of the quote. How do the words challenge, perturb or comfort you? What might you learn of God from this passage? What are you discovering about yourself in your choice of this section of reading? Mama: "there is always something left to love. And if you ain't learned that, you ain't learned nothing...Child, when do you think is the time to love somebody the most; when they done good and made things easy for everybody? Well, then, you ain't through learnin--because that ain't the time at all. It's when he's at his lowest and can't believe in hisself `cause the world done whipped him so. When you starts measuring somebody, measure him right, child, measure him right. Make sure you done taken into account what hills and valleys he come through before he got to wherever he is." Lorraine Hansberry, A Raisin in the Sun What have been some of your hills and valleys? Do particular persons come to mind as those who have experienced hills and valleys that you need to take into account as you relate to them? Write a prayer for these persons and your relationship to them. Here are some suggested quotes for the rest of the week: Day Two Can you remember an experience of starting over again and feeling the grace of a fresh beginning? Day Three In what ways do you "experience the present purely?" Day Four Who have been those brothers or sisters who have made you "feel again the firm ground" under your feet? Day Five How have you felt "comfort in the morning, joy in the noon day?" Day Six From the beginning till now the entire creation, as we know, has been groaning in one great act of giving birth; and not only creation, but all of us who possess the first-fruits of the Spirit, we too groan inwardly as we wait for our bodies to be set free. Romans 8:22-23 Each of us experiences birth pangs. Some of us may actually experience childbirth. an important project or idea may be born through "pangs of birth."? A new self may be the result of long laboring. What has been you most life-challenging birth experience? Day Seven What actions have you taken that have united you to "the flowing stream of the world"?
|