It is always a blessing to have Sibyl Towner at The Practice, and last night was no exception. We opened with a beautiful liturgy celebrating the risen Christ and entering into the story of Thomas (John 20:19-29) with the Ignatian practice of imaginative prayer.
Then, Sibyl led us into an examination of our stories. “Telling our stories is to the spirit,” Sibyl said, “what the flow of blood is to your body.” We long to live in our stories aware of God’s presence. Sibyl modeled and led us in a practice exploring some of the most influential experiences in our lives.
Because it is impossible to summarize Sibyl, have a listen to the podcast.
Kingdom Practices
Our kingdom practice for the week is to continue listening to your story. Make some time to sit with the final question, “What could have helped you grow even more?” Continue to listen for the presence of God in these moments.
If you would like to go deeper listening for the presence of God in your story, Sibyl has some incredible resources at www.onelifemaps.com.
There is also a four-week class called Learning to Steward Your Story beginning this Wednesday night. It will be led by two members of our community (Joan Kelley and Sharon Swing). In this class with your story in mind, you will learn fresh insights, questions, and direction about how to live a life that is a more full expression of who God created you to be.
You can register for the class at https://portal.willowcreek.org/page/439?EventOccurrenceId=858.
Finally, last night was the start of a three-week build to our next Practice Table. Sibyl helped us learn to listen to our own stories. Next week, David Fitch will teach us how participation in the Eucharist helps us listen well to others, and we will put it all together on May 7th as we share a part of our story around tables and listen well to one another. I hope you’ll join us on the journey.