Contemplative Curiosity: Praying Our Experiences
NOTICING AND WONDERING AS SPIRITUAL PRACTICE
For this practice, settle into your space for 10-ish minutes of presence. Sometimes we can connect to the present moment by noticing what comes up in us as we read, listen, or view a “third thing” and reflecting on it. We may discover insight there, too, but we aren’t approaching the practice with the intention of an outcome. This practice is about entering into what’s happening right now, whatever that is.
Instructions (use them or skip them!):
What is it like inside you and around you in this moment?
What do you notice about your breath?
What do you notice about the physical space you are in?
Is there anything you’d like to attend to before you begin?
Read the following quote (either silently or aloud) 1-2 times. Imagine the words being poured out into your hands. There are so many words; you can’t possibly catch them all. Maybe a couple of words or phrases land in a way that you can turn toward with curiosity.
What do you notice? Are there words or phrases that linger? Or perhaps you have a felt sense of the entire quote.
Read the quote again.
What do you wonder? As you hold what you noticed, or Schmidt’s words, is there a question that comes up in you? Is there a cascade of questions? Sometimes writing these down helps us gently excavate our inner landscape.
Bookmark it. Is there a word, phrase, or question you’d like to carry with you (in a journal, to explore in a conversation with a friend, to spiritual direction)?
Savoring & Appreciation. You took some moments to be present. This was the invitation. Whether or not you experienced something that sticks with you, consider savoring the experience and appreciating yourself for showing up.
“Praying our experiences means being open to seeing ourselves as we are and to seeing our personal history—as it is known to the Lord. This requires an awareness and an honesty that will root us in our actual daily life. It will lead us to talk to God about ourselves because we are in God’s hands, and it will challenge us to growth through purifying self-knowledge. In other words, we recognize the Divine within ourselves rather than engage in some sublime and otherworldly activity of imagining God out there.”
“Saint Paul spoke of glorifying in his weaknesses. He had reached a depth of self-knowledge that permitted him to understand that his righteousness consisted not in freedom from weaknesses and sin but in being able to say yes to his entire self and his whole self.”
“The Lord, as we know, wants the offering of ourselves. We sometimes fail to see, however, that this offering is not made in some abstract way with pious words or readings but is rooted in the acceptance of the concrete details of our life. The offering of ourselves can only be the offering of our lived experience because this alone is ourselves. In our prayer we take ourselves into our hands and offer to God our whole self—our strengths and weaknesses. As Teresa would say so simply, ‘This path of self-knowledge must never be abandoned.’”
Contemplate the image. You may try a similar exercise with the image above. What do you notice? What do you wonder? Are you drawn to the image? Do you resist it?
If there’s resonance for you in these quotes, you may enjoy a prayer I wrote inspired by my experience with Schmidt’s book.
Longing for some company or gentle guidance as you listen for wisdom and explore new ways of engaging with your soul? Kirsten offers spacious accompaniment and trauma-informed spiritual direction. I’d love to hear what’s stirring in you and meet with you for a free exploration session.
