GETTING READY FOR THE WEEK
SUNDAY, MAY 25
READING: ROMANS 12
We are all works in progress, aren’t we? Take a quick stroll through the large self-help section of your local bookstore (yes, those still exist!) or on Amazon and you will find a growing list of offerings to help readers navigate the intricacies of any number of self-improvement projects. In Ephesians 2:10, Paul writes that “we are [God’s] workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” As disciples of Jesus, we are God’s workmanship, His masterpiece. He holds the chisel. He has known how the final product will look for quite some time and that transformation takes place largely at His pace.
This week we will explore God’s shaping and transforming work in our lives and the subtle (and sometimes flagrant) inclination we feel to grab the chisel and take control of our own transformation. This struggle is often rooted in our desire to avoid areas we may not want to give over to His shaping or His timing. Maybe we feel the need to speed up the process! Really, it is a question of trust. Am I trusting God with the chisel for my formation or would I rather have it in my own hands?
What does it look like to partner with God is his work of shaping us? Paul calls us to present our bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). It has been said that the problem with a living sacrifice is the tendency we all have to climb off the altar. This week we will explore the practice of the Examen, a prayerful, reflective spiritual practice developed by Ignatius of Loyola that has been passed through the generations and is gaining a well-deserved revival today.
The Examen involves prayerfully reflecting with God for 10-15 minutes at the end of a day in order to become more attentive and aware of the ways He is pursuing us. We will explore the Examen with 5 simple prayerful movements, introducing one new movement each day building on the day before:
This week we will explore God’s shaping and transforming work in our lives and the subtle (and sometimes flagrant) inclination we feel to grab the chisel and take control of our own transformation. This struggle is often rooted in our desire to avoid areas we may not want to give over to His shaping or His timing. Maybe we feel the need to speed up the process! Really, it is a question of trust. Am I trusting God with the chisel for my formation or would I rather have it in my own hands?
What does it look like to partner with God is his work of shaping us? Paul calls us to present our bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1). It has been said that the problem with a living sacrifice is the tendency we all have to climb off the altar. This week we will explore the practice of the Examen, a prayerful, reflective spiritual practice developed by Ignatius of Loyola that has been passed through the generations and is gaining a well-deserved revival today.
The Examen involves prayerfully reflecting with God for 10-15 minutes at the end of a day in order to become more attentive and aware of the ways He is pursuing us. We will explore the Examen with 5 simple prayerful movements, introducing one new movement each day building on the day before:
- Retreat
- Replay
- Rejoice
- Repent
- Reboot
EXAMEN PRACTICE | RETREAT
As we begin the week, consider pulling away from distraction to be with God for 5 minutes. Ask Him to show you who holds the chisel of formation in your life most of the time.
And that may be just enough for today!
- Do you allow Him to hold it or do you like to make the decision and swing the hammer yourself?
- As you picture Him with full control of shaping you as His workmanship, what feelings or emotions do you sense surfacing in you?
- Honestly name those to Him in prayer!
And that may be just enough for today!