Examen - 18
November 26, 2024
Examen: Surprise and Awe
SUMMARY: Awe transcends surprise and is a feeling of being in the presence of something beyond us, something only God could create. This Examen encourages us to open our eyes and hearts to moments that sparked awe in our daily lives.
PRESENTER: Justin Hoch, LSW, MA (he/him), Chaplain, Health Sciences Campus Ministry
Transcript
As you prepare for this Examen, find a comfortable position, if you can, and begin to become aware of your body. If it feels right, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths [pause]. Notice your breath, breathing in fully and exhaling slowly. Feel your stomach expand and relax. As you become aware of your body, let go of any tension you might be holding. Slowly start at your feet – wiggle your toes and notice the feeling. Do not make judgment, just notice. Move up through your ankles and into your legs. Observe the sensations in your legs. As you breathe deeply, notice your back and spine. Release any tension. Allow your chest to rise and fall. Next move into your shoulders and neck, and down to your arms and fingers. And then travel up to your head, noticing the air moving through your nostrils and out your mouth. Notice any tension in your jaw and release it. Now bring your whole body into awareness and feel the gentle rhythm of your breath. Open your mind, body, and heart, becoming ready to receive the surprises of God’s wisdom and grace through this time of the Examen.
Poet Mary Oliver wrote three simple instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. This Examen will invite you to pay attention to the ways in which God is moving in your life, to be astonished and surprised and find awe in God’s ways, and to tell about in prayer with God.
As you begin the Examen, remind yourself of God’s presence. Ask for light and clarity to see the day in all its beauty. Free yourself from any judgement or expectation of what this time will hold. Allow the God of surprises to guide you. Ask yourself, Am I ready to see the day with a sense of wonder and surprise?
Ground yourself in gratitude. When you consider the day so far, or the last 24 hours, what are you deeply grateful for? Perhaps it’s a person, a place, a moment, or a feeling. Where did you feel God’s grace today?
As you review your day, what moments stand out to you? What feelings come up for you? Continue to think through your day as if it were a movie. You are the main character and your friends, colleagues, loved ones, and strangers are the supporting cast. What do you remember doing, what do you remember feeling? What got you out of bed? Where did you go? Who did you see? How did you feel today? Simply notice what you remember and discern how it felt to be you today. What moments brought consolation, joy, peace, or levity? What moments brought desolation, challenge, anxiety, or fear?
Going deeper into a moment, was there a moment of your day that surprised you or gave you pause? Was it a moment of amazement or shock? Why did it feel surprising to you? As you think through your day, reflect on how you reacted to any moments that stand out. Were you left speechless or frozen or how did you respond? What might this moment have been trying to say to you? What is its message to you? When you think about a moment of surprise, where did you find God in that moment?
Surprise implies an ounce of doubt as we ask ourselves, “how is this possible?” On the other hand, awe is a response of utter amazement. Awe transcends surprise and is a feeling of being in the presence of something beyond us, something only God could create. Awe doesn’t require understanding; it allows a moment to shine. We are filled with awe when we fully pay attention, have faith, and seek to find God in all things. For you, were your moments filled with surprise or awe? We often find awe in big transformational events, but it can also be found in the simple moments. Were there any moments in your day that sparked awe, that invited celebration, joy, and gratitude? Or were there moments that clouded your sense of awe?
As you look to move forward, reflect on how you hold space for surprise and awe. What would allow you to move from a place of surprise to a place of awe more easily? Do you practice patience and mindfulness allowing God to surprise you? Or do you need to know every next step? Where in your life might you need more patience, openness, or mindfulness?
The feeling of surprise can give way to awe when we think outside of ourselves. Awe acknowledges the other. Where in your life can you celebrate the success of a friend, colleague, or stranger? Where might you find energy to collaborate and work with others? How might you let someone or something capture your attention without assumption or judgment?
And on a personal level, where in your life might you move away from self-doubt, shame, or entitlement to a place of self-compassion, resiliency, or selflessness? In what ways can you stand in awe of yourself?
Rest in this space – in awe of who you are, created by a God who loves you, and in awe of all that you offer the world, gifts meant to be given back to the world. Turn your heart to prayer, offering up a petition of gratitude or for help, healing, or whatever grace comes to mind at this time. As you close your Examen, recall what surprised you over this time of reflection. What word, mantra, moment, person, or feeling do you want to hold onto and take with you?
And when you’re ready, I invite you to take a few deep breaths [pause] and return to your body and to your surroundings.
November 26, 2024
Examen: Surprise and Awe
SUMMARY: Awe transcends surprise and is a feeling of being in the presence of something beyond us, something only God could create. This Examen encourages us to open our eyes and hearts to moments that sparked awe in our daily lives.
PRESENTER: Justin Hoch, LSW, MA (he/him), Chaplain, Health Sciences Campus Ministry
Transcript
As you prepare for this Examen, find a comfortable position, if you can, and begin to become aware of your body. If it feels right, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths [pause]. Notice your breath, breathing in fully and exhaling slowly. Feel your stomach expand and relax. As you become aware of your body, let go of any tension you might be holding. Slowly start at your feet – wiggle your toes and notice the feeling. Do not make judgment, just notice. Move up through your ankles and into your legs. Observe the sensations in your legs. As you breathe deeply, notice your back and spine. Release any tension. Allow your chest to rise and fall. Next move into your shoulders and neck, and down to your arms and fingers. And then travel up to your head, noticing the air moving through your nostrils and out your mouth. Notice any tension in your jaw and release it. Now bring your whole body into awareness and feel the gentle rhythm of your breath. Open your mind, body, and heart, becoming ready to receive the surprises of God’s wisdom and grace through this time of the Examen.
Poet Mary Oliver wrote three simple instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it. This Examen will invite you to pay attention to the ways in which God is moving in your life, to be astonished and surprised and find awe in God’s ways, and to tell about in prayer with God.
As you begin the Examen, remind yourself of God’s presence. Ask for light and clarity to see the day in all its beauty. Free yourself from any judgement or expectation of what this time will hold. Allow the God of surprises to guide you. Ask yourself, Am I ready to see the day with a sense of wonder and surprise?
Ground yourself in gratitude. When you consider the day so far, or the last 24 hours, what are you deeply grateful for? Perhaps it’s a person, a place, a moment, or a feeling. Where did you feel God’s grace today?
As you review your day, what moments stand out to you? What feelings come up for you? Continue to think through your day as if it were a movie. You are the main character and your friends, colleagues, loved ones, and strangers are the supporting cast. What do you remember doing, what do you remember feeling? What got you out of bed? Where did you go? Who did you see? How did you feel today? Simply notice what you remember and discern how it felt to be you today. What moments brought consolation, joy, peace, or levity? What moments brought desolation, challenge, anxiety, or fear?
Going deeper into a moment, was there a moment of your day that surprised you or gave you pause? Was it a moment of amazement or shock? Why did it feel surprising to you? As you think through your day, reflect on how you reacted to any moments that stand out. Were you left speechless or frozen or how did you respond? What might this moment have been trying to say to you? What is its message to you? When you think about a moment of surprise, where did you find God in that moment?
Surprise implies an ounce of doubt as we ask ourselves, “how is this possible?” On the other hand, awe is a response of utter amazement. Awe transcends surprise and is a feeling of being in the presence of something beyond us, something only God could create. Awe doesn’t require understanding; it allows a moment to shine. We are filled with awe when we fully pay attention, have faith, and seek to find God in all things. For you, were your moments filled with surprise or awe? We often find awe in big transformational events, but it can also be found in the simple moments. Were there any moments in your day that sparked awe, that invited celebration, joy, and gratitude? Or were there moments that clouded your sense of awe?
As you look to move forward, reflect on how you hold space for surprise and awe. What would allow you to move from a place of surprise to a place of awe more easily? Do you practice patience and mindfulness allowing God to surprise you? Or do you need to know every next step? Where in your life might you need more patience, openness, or mindfulness?
The feeling of surprise can give way to awe when we think outside of ourselves. Awe acknowledges the other. Where in your life can you celebrate the success of a friend, colleague, or stranger? Where might you find energy to collaborate and work with others? How might you let someone or something capture your attention without assumption or judgment?
And on a personal level, where in your life might you move away from self-doubt, shame, or entitlement to a place of self-compassion, resiliency, or selflessness? In what ways can you stand in awe of yourself?
Rest in this space – in awe of who you are, created by a God who loves you, and in awe of all that you offer the world, gifts meant to be given back to the world. Turn your heart to prayer, offering up a petition of gratitude or for help, healing, or whatever grace comes to mind at this time. As you close your Examen, recall what surprised you over this time of reflection. What word, mantra, moment, person, or feeling do you want to hold onto and take with you?
And when you’re ready, I invite you to take a few deep breaths [pause] and return to your body and to your surroundings.