Listening Spirituality

by Patricia Loring

Printable version of Year-long plan of study

• August 10, 2008 Forum - Introduction

  An overview of personal spiritual practices among Friends. Introductory handout

  • What is "Listening Spirituality?"
  • Brief explanation of Lectio Divinis
    • Lectio/reading
    • Meditatio/reflections
    • Oratio/active prayer
    • Contemplative prayer
  • Patricia Loring's fifth step: Incarnatio/embodying
   

  Notes from August 10, 2008 Forum

  Notes from August 17, 2008 Discussion

• September 14, 2008 Forum - Chapter 1

  Foundational personal practices in support of listening for God. This forum will focus on the first element of Lectio Divinis Chapter 1 Handout

  • Personal spiritual practices in support of the inner life with God
    • Setting aside a time and place of retirement
    • Finding a place in which to mediate or pray
    • Discerning the practice which you are led to at this time
  • Devotional reading
   

  Article Reprint : The Centrality of Listening by Patricia Loring, Friends Journal, August 1997
  ©1997 Friends Publishing Corporation. Reprinted with permission. www.friendsjournal.org

  
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• November 23, 2008 Forum - Chapter 2

  Active meditative personal practices in support of listening for God (the second element of Lectio Divinis) Chapter 2 Handout

  • Forms of discursive meditation
  • Journaling
  
  The Examen, selected focus questions from Listening Spirituality
   

• February 8, 2009 and April 5, 2009 Forum - Chapter 3

  Talking to God: human activity in prayer (the third element of Lectio Divinis) Chapter 3 Handout

  • Prayer
  • seasons in prayer: presence and absence
  • discerning how you are led to pray

• May 24, 2009 Forum - Chapter 4

  Preparing to listen to God : prayer intermediate between Active and Listening prayer (a transition between the third and fourth elements of Lectio Divinis) Chapter 4 Handout

  • prayer grounded in visualization
  • icons and idols
  • prayer of the heart (e.g., chanting, mantras, the Jesus prayer)
  • active meditation in eastern styles
  • Centering prayer
   

  Handout on Chapter 4 and Sufi Practices discussed in forum, July 26, 2009.

• Date TBD Forum - Chapter 5

  Moving toward and away from listening to God in contemplative prayer and in personal retreats (the fourth element in Lectio Divinis)

  • contemplative listening prayer
  • Self-knowledge, confession and transformation
  • personal retreats

• Febrary 7, 2010 Forum - Chapter 6

  Personal practices wich embody and support listening faithfulness to God in the Outer Life (Patricia Loring's fifth element) Chapter 6 Handout

• Date TBD Forum - Chapter 7

  Listening modes of communal support for personal growth.