Instructions:
If you have twenty minutes…
Read this essay about 18th Century Friend John Woolman’s attention to “the operations of Divine Love in his life,” which lead to a life of powerful witness against slavery: “He simply and humbly attended to Divine Breathings in the variety of means that were available to him. That is why when the moment came for him to speak, or to act, he was already prepared to do so.”
If you have an hour (or more)…
Listen to this interesting interview done by Kristina & Callid Keefe-Perry on their fabulous podcast, On Carrying a Concern: Episode 3 with Melody Brazo. Melanie speaks in depth about following and testing her leading. (Episode length: 1 hour and 24 minutes.)
Or, if you’d rather read the full transcript of this podcast episode, you can find it here.
Spiritual Practices
ACTIVITY: To supplement our exploration of making space for the Mystery this week, consider choosing one new spiritual practice to engage with this week. Then, post a 1-2 minute video, brief written or artistic synthesis, or an audio link, explaining what you tried out and what you discovered from engaging with this new practice. You can post this on the discussion board below. To help you get started, here is a Sampler of Spiritual Disciplines from Lake Erie Yearly Meeting.
Queries for Reflection & Conversation
Part 1: Locate a quiet place for reflection and bring a writing utensil and journal with you. After spending a few moments in settled silence (5 minutes or more), respond in writing to the Queries for Exploration (see below).
1) What does it look like – and mean to you – to make space or create the “inward weather” for hearing the small, still voice of God/Spirit/the Divine?
– How might you already be making space in your day to hear the still, small voice?
– How might you create more spaciousness in your life to become even more receptive to hearing the nudges?
2) What spiritual practices are you currently practicing and how frequently (daily, weekly, monthly, occasionally)?
– Are there additional ways you might strengthen and/or tweak those spiritual practices? If so, explain…
3) Are there any new/different spiritual practices you’d like to explore or are curious to learn more about and experiment with? Say more about what that might look like…
4) Do you need support or accountability with carrying out your practice(s)?
– If so, what might that look like? Who might you ask for support?
Part 2: In the spirit of creating our eRetreat spiritual community, please share some (or as much as you wish) around the discoveries sparked by the Queries. You can do this by posting them on the discussion board.
