Several weeks ago I was on a corporate retreat where the topic was peace.
I have thought a lot about my views of peace as it relates to violence and society, to how I view war and the use of force, how the Church is supposed to be a counter-cultural witness to peace in a culture of immense violence, and how the Church and Christianity are often condoning or permissive when it comes to violence.
But peace in my personal life? Not so much.
We were challenged that day to think of how we can remind ourselves to be peaceful people, and what came to mind for me, naturally, as a liturgically minded person, was to develop a practice of peace.
As I jotted down notes on how to practice peace, the practice of the Examen came to mind. I began to form a practice to examine the presence (or lack of presence) of peace in my life that is structured similarly to the Examen.
I have done this several times on my own and have found it especially convicting, especially when we ask ourselves to cede control. It’s so hard, but somehow this process of recognizing our current state of peace allows me to more willingly let go of things and enter a greater peace with God.
I have been doing this practice for 15 minutes, allowing 5 minutes for each step.
The Peace Examen
The goal of this examen is to cede areas of high control, take hold of areas that need leadership and be still in acknowledgement of what God is currently doing in my life, family, church, work and larger community.
Step 1:
Where is there currently tension or anxiety in my life?
Step 2:
Which areas do I prayerfully need to cede control of?
Which areas do I need to cultivate or take leadership in?
Step 3:
What peace does God have for me today?
I welcome your feedback on this spiritual practice. What works for you? What doesn’t? How can it be improved?