My husband recently stopped by a party store to get some balloons for my birthday. He was struck by the New Year section that gave ample opportunity to "bash" 2020.
Why Pray the Examen at Year End?
It's been a long and hard year. Before we bash, trash and set the dumpster to flame, will you take a few minutes to review the year in prayerful reflection with me?
The Examen is one of my favorite liminal moment prayers. As we stand at the threshold of something new, the examen calls us to first look back at where we've come from. We lament (or celebrate) the things we must release (or have been released from) so that we can turn our gaze to the unknown before us. It centers us in gratitude and hope, even during the hardest times.
But most of all, it asks us to notice where God has been moving in our lives. It invites a fresh look back through the eyes of Jesus–through the eyes of Love.
The Examen is a collaborative prayer that joins us to the work of God in our lives and in the world. And perhaps from this place, we can be postured not only for renewal but for meaningful resolution.
Happy New Year everyone!
Kelsie Meyers is a Spiritual Director at Flourish Contemplative Center in central Ohio. Her passion is pastoral care, creating community, and cultivating a culture where people are captured by the Love of God for the sake of the world. Currently, she is pursuing an MDiv from Ashland Theological Seminary and helping to plant an Anglican Mission in Columbus OH.
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