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Overview

“I live in that life and power which creates the Kingdom of God beneath my feet as I walk.”

What spiritual opportunities were presented to me today?

30 minutes High School and Up Introspection
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Materials & Setup:

You need devices and internet access to read, print, and/or share the essay/s in the Instructions tab.

You may want to print or otherwise share the spiritual practice and queries in the Instructions tab.

Instructions:

If you have 5 minutes…

Consider this reflection by Kody Gabriel Hersh about staying faithful to a ministry despite struggles : Burning: A Reflection on One Morning’s Message

“It is not easy work. I am so imperfect, and the challenges are great. I fail more often than not, and Friends resist the messages even (especially?) at the times I manage to be mostly faithful.”

From Spirit Rising: Young Quaker Voices, copyright 2010. Used by permission of QuakerPress of FGC. Available through QuakerBooks.

If you have twenty minutes…

Read this essay about leadings, faithfulness, and guidance: Leadings by Ashley Wilcox

“One of the hardest parts for me is to not let fear interfere with leadings. It is easy to convince myself something is not a good idea, and leadings usually take me in directions that make my life more difficult.”

From Spirit Rising: Young Quaker Voices, copyright 2010. Used by permission of QuakerPress of FGC. Available through QuakerBooks.

 

Or consider this article about responding to spiritual opportunities:

Holy Yielding – A Lesson from the Gathering – Murray Richmond

“I always thought of obedience as something that is by nature dreary, dull, and painful. But this was a happy yielding, and the fruits were delicious.” Murray Richmond (2008), reproduced with permission from Friends Journal.

Murray Richmond (2008), reproduced with permission from Friends Journal.

Spiritual Practices

ACTIVITY: END OF THE DAY INVITATION

In the spirit of strengthening our capacity to notice, listen, and respond to the nudges of Spirit/God/the Divine, you are are invited to create a nightly ritual this week. Please take a few moments at the close of your day, and reflect back on what events transpired during the course of the day. After doing so, sit with the following queries and pay attention to what rises…

  1. What spiritual opportunities were presented to me today?
  2. Did I yield to those opportunities?
    – If so, what did the yielding look like?
    – If not, why not and what could I have done to seize the opportunity more?

Queries for Reflection and Discussion

  1. Are you currently experiencing any nudges that might call you into being more courageous about some area, aspect, relationship or situation in your life?
    – If you aren’t experiencing any nudges currently, that’s okay! Have you experienced this in the past?
    – What does that “nudge experience” (or what did that “nudge experience) feel and look like for you?
  2. What does being faithful and courageously stepping into your nudge look like?
    – Identify one (or more) small step(s) you might take in the near future to test or live into carrying out this nudge.

Credits: All materials used with permission.

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