Activity 6: Reflecting on Spiritual Moments (12 minutes)
Materials for Activity
- Paper for drawing or writing for all participants
- Drawing and writing implements, such as pencils, colored pencils, markers, crayons
- Bell
- Clock, watch, or timer that shows seconds
Preparation for Activity
- Make sure each participant has a place to sit a table where she/he can write or draw.
- Place paper and drawing/writing implements on a common table or within your own reach for distribution to all participants.
Description of Activity
Invite participants into a time of quiet reflection. Let them know they will have ten minutes for guided reflection and responding.In the quiet, ask participants to read to themselves the "wow words" they circled on their list. Or, if you used the adaptation in Activity 5: Wow Words that involved spoken responses to "wow words," you may now choose to read aloud to the group all of the "wow words" that earned tally marks.
Invite the group to reflect on this question:
What experiences or moments have you had of feeling "wow"—feelings of oneness with the earth, feelings of connection with the mystery and wonder of the universe, or a sense of God or the Spirit of Life? In other words, what experiences or moments have led you to appreciate the "wow words" you chose?
Allow one or two minutes of shared silence. Then, indicate or distribute the paper and writing/drawing implements. Invite participants to write about or draw their memories of, or responses to, those experiences or moments. You may suggest that participants list words or memories, create a poem, write their thoughts in prose, or draw abstractly or realistically.
An invitation to draw can make "art-phobic" participants nervous. Make it clear that this activity presents an opportunity to be creative, which can involve writing or drawing. Suggest that participants try drawing with their non-dominant hands, to free themselves from self-judgment about their drawing ability.
Let the group know that they will have eight minutes for reflecting and responding on paper. After eight minutes have passed, ring the bell and invite participants to return their attention to the whole group.
Including All Participants
Welcome participants who do not wish to or are not able to write or draw to sit comfortably and contemplate in silence. While the objective of this activity is spiritual reflection and expression, neither a specific product nor its quality matter. Invite participants to engage in the form of creativity that most awakens their spirituality in this moment.Last updated on Friday, April 18, 2008.
