Day 9: Beauty Project
Morning Prayer
Turn everything off, close your eyes, sit at the window, and listen.
What do you hear outside of yourself? Birdsong? Wind? Rain?
What do you not hear, that you normally would? Traffic? Airplanes? Sidewalk chatter?
What new sounds can you hear that you normally wouldn’t?
What do you hear inside of yourself? Your breathing? Your foot tapping? Your tummy rumbling?
What thoughts do you hear? Are they calm or chaotic? Driving you to action or drawing you to rest?
What beauty is God speaking over you? Can you hear his song?
Take a few moments to rest with God, and to commit your ears to hear what he wants to say today.
***
Midday Reflection
Ageless one,
who never tires of your creation,
but finds joy and beauty throughout,
give us eyes and ears that truly take in the wonders you have made,
that we would be made glad and rejoice in you and your workmanship,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives with you and the Holy Spirit in continuous delight.
Amen.
So much beauty
Adapted from various prayer exercises on noticing beauty.
Read Psalm 8, and notice what it says about God, and what it says about us. What phrases stand out to you? Take some time to let these images wash over you, then write, draw or sing praise to him.
Choose one of the following genres of beauty:
Nature (if you aren’t able to go outside have a look at this.)
A piece of Instrumental music (Bach’s Sleepers Awake, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Phaeme Gow, Piano music, anything that you find beautiful and moving)
Architecture (Here are a few unique pieces)
A piece of art (Here you can find 12 museums you can visit online)
Someone you love (a spouse, a friend, a child)
Spend 15 minutes engaging with the thing of beauty. Just look at/listen to it (or think about a person, if they are not with you), and let it move you. Don’t try to evaluate immediately, simply observe what you see, hear, feel. What do you notice about its beauty?
Reflect for 10-15 minutes about what you notice and how you are moved. You may want to journal your thoughts and observations.
Spend another 15-20 minutes with the piece of beauty. As you re-engage with it, ask God to show you what he sees, feels, and thinks of it. Is there anything he wants to say to you? How will you respond?
***
An evening prayer of examen on the day
Each evening before going to bed, take some time to sit with God, asking him to search your heart and show you:
What has been good today?
Take some time to write down everything you can think of that you are thankful for...the taste of your morning coffee, something that made you laugh, a conversation you had, something you read, anything. And thank God for these moments.
What has been hard?
What feelings came up that were difficult? What unresolved thoughts do you have? What anxieties, fears or worries still cling to you? Speak these out to God, and listen for what he might want to say to you about them.
Ask God to replay the tape of your day with you, to show you how he was with you. Stop with him, and rest in his presence.
What does it look like to trust him for tomorrow?Each evening before going to bed, take some time to sit with God, reviewing the day and considering the following questions:
What has been good today?
Take some time to write down everything you are thankful for...the taste of your morning coffee, something that made you laugh, a conversation you had, something you read, anything. Thank God for these moments.
What has been hard?
When did you feel disconnected? What feelings came up that were uncomfortable? What unresolved thoughts do you have? What anxieties, fears or worries did you encounter? Speak these out to God, and listen for what he might say to you about them.
Ask God to show you how he was with you in the good and the hard today. Thank him for His presence and receive His grace.
What does it look like to trust him for tomorrow?