Spiritual Praxis

Daily Examen | Spiritual Praxis, Episode 4

Host: Steve Macchia

In order for us to be watchful and waiting, we need to be patient.” – Steve Macchia

Noticing God in everything is what fosters a discerning life in Christ. Within the realm of reflection is the ancient practice of Examen. Created initially by St. Ignatius in the 16th Century, it’s found new life in the modern spiritual formation movement. Here Steve Macchia unpacks the discipline by walking through the five big areas of Examen:

  1. Aware of God’s promised presence
  2. Review the day with gratitude (what gifts did you receive?)
  3. Pay attention to our emotions about the day
  4. Pray into one feature of the day that you are highlighting in your reflection
  5. Look toward tomorrow with prayerful anticipation and perhaps even a particular action 

He also introduces a handful of additional questions for individual or group reflection. 

Downloadable Resources:

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Reflective Journaling | Spiritual Praxis: Exploring Spiritual Practices, Episode 3

Host: Steve Macchia

Remembering and giving thanks are good for your soul.” – Steve Macchia

A grateful heart is a God-honoring heart and we want to fill our souls with words of thanksgiving every single day of our lives. The discipline of reflection is what aids us in both remembrance and gratitude, the main themes of reflective journaling. Within the context of our personal prayer closet, where we are in pursuit of a spacious encounter with God, we want to attend to the ways God has been active in our lives. Writing down what we notice in a journal helps us focus on the deeper meaning of life’s ebb and flow. Like rocks of remembrance that God’s people piled high after the parting of the sea, or the significance of the Lord’s Table, we practice reflective disciplines for the sake of pointing to God as the central figure of our relationships and responsibilities. Action without reflection is meaningless action. 

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

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Listening Prayer | Spiritual Praxis: Exploring Spiritual Practices, Episode 2

Host: Steve Macchia

How is it with your soul today, dear friend?” – Steve Macchia

The invitation in today’s episode is slanted toward listening to God in our prayers. Once we’ve settled into a spacious encounter with God, which commences with time in the Word, we enter into our life of prayer. So many ways to pray – upward prayers of praise and adoration, inward prayers of confession and forgiveness, outward prayers of supplication and concern. Regardless of the focus of your prayers, are you attending to the voice of God? Or, are you doing all the talking to God? Steve’s focus is on tilting the balance toward more listening to God than talking to him, simply because of the belief that God has more important things to say to us than we have to say to him. And, because God delights to speak into our lives in transformative ways. Consider adjusting your physical postures of prayer as you discover the joy of listening prayer.

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

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Lectio Divina | Spiritual Praxis: Exploring Spiritual Practices, Episode 1

We need to be biblically centered in our personal spiritual practices.” – Steve Macchia

In Season 20 we will focus on four spiritual practices: Lectio Divina, listening prayer, reflective journaling, and daily Examen.  Steve Macchia is fluent in these practices, having made them an essential part of his regular prayer closet experience as a beloved child of God. He believes firmly in the need for us to keep the Scriptures central to all aspects of our personal devotional practices.  Many of us are taught to study the biblical text in order to teach, preach, or share it with others. But, in our prayer closets we are invited to simply receive God’s Word as a gift for our soul. Here we are fully present to the movement of God’s Spirit, attentive and receptive to the living Word of God. The six major historical movements of Lectio Divina are presented here: Silencio, Lectio, Meditatio, Oratio, Contemplatio, and Incarnatio.  

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

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