Practices to Cultivate Awareness:

It’s no secret that our world is not as it should be. Each new day seems to come with an onslaught of destruction, offense, and pain – it could be something as small and personal as a slight from a coworker, or as large and complicated as war and violence. Look around and the brokenness will soon become apparent.

Our response to the brokenness in the world often takes two forms: either we become so outraged by the wrong that we see around us that our anger blinds us to the ways that we contribute to the brokenness, or we become so overwhelmed by all the injustice in the world, big and small, that we close our eyes and choose not to engage.

But what if there was a third way, a way to be present to the pain around and within us without becoming bitter or discouraged, a way rooted in the love and compassion that Christ displayed when he walked the earth? This third way begins with becoming aware of the immediate need around us and the real people affected by those needs. It begins with becoming aware of the image of God in those who suffer and hurt. It begins with becoming aware of the ways that we may be contributing to the brokenness and of the practical steps we can take toward healing our world.

This week, we challenge you to take time to cultivate your awareness with some of the practices blow:

Prayer of Examen – The examen, also known as the examination of consciousness, is a practice of discernment, a way to evaluate your way of being in the world, and to deepen your awareness of how your thoughts and actions may be contributing or detracting from the healing of the world. Examen can be a helpful way to reflect, alone or with others, on God’s presence in a particular interaction or encounter, or to discern how God might be inviting you to be present to a person or situation in the future. A prayer of examen can be conducted anytime and anywhere, but to begin implementing the practice you may want to use it at the end of the day to reflect on what took place in your life and the lives of those around you. To practice the examen, begin by taking a quick look back at your encounters and activities of the past day.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• For what moment today am I most grateful?
• For what moment today am I least grateful?
• When did I give and receive the most love today?
• When did I have the deepest sense of connection with God, others, and myself?
• When today did I have the least sense of connection?
• When today was I most present to the needs of those around me?
• When was I least present to the needs around me?

Questions for reflection:

• What did you learn about yourself by engaging in the examen practice?
• What was the most difficult or most rewarding part of this practice for you?

Practical Service – Our acts of service do not have to be grand in nature to be meaningful and impactful. As Mother Teresa once said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” This week, begin cultivating awareness with those closest to you (a spouse, roommate, family member, colleague) by asking this simple question: What can I do for you today? Don’t stop by simply asking, though, put this awareness into practice by doing what they ask of you!

Questions for reflection:

• What is it like to intentionally serve those closest to you in a small, simple way?
• What does this reveal about your beliefs or views of serving others?

Fact-Finding – Social justice has become a buzzword in the modern, American church, but often justice is only sought for people in faraway places. We’re quick build wells and houses, join forces to combat human trafficking, and care for orphans and widows in other countries without giving much thought to how these issues might be present in our own community. Spend some time this week becoming more aware of justice issues in our community by engaging in a fact-finding mission. Visit a local shelter, food bank, after school program, or extended care facility, or other community organization or social service agency to learn about the needs represented by these organizations and how you might help meet them.

Questions for reflection:

• How does concern for the injustice you see intersect with your thoughts and actions?
• What’s your first response to the idea of giving of your time or resources to help meet needs in your local community?