Examen Journaling

Meghan Matthews
Jun 12, 2020
3 min read

Often I hear people talk about the special occasions that God shows up on—like Christmas and Easter, or Sunday morning—and how those are the only times (and places) when they feel God. Why is that? Why do we think that God is only going to be in the special places? Why don’t we believe that he’ll show up more often?

If I’m being honest, it’s because it’s easier to experience God in those times. When I walk into church I’m primed to believe that I’ll have an experience with Jesus at the core of it. And if I’ve been talking and thinking about a specific occasion for a while (i.e. Advent or Lent) then of course I can bank on having some kind of encounter. By the time Easter, Christmas or Sunday roll around I’m ready and prepared to see God. To put it more bluntly, I expect to experience God, at those times and in those places, so I do.

God is always with us, but we don’t usually take the time to notice him. We get caught up in all the stuff (the stuff that needs to get done, that demands our attention, you know… life stuff). This is where the practice of Examen comes in; Examen is simply noticing where God showed up in our daily life.

Examen was created by a guy named Ignatius who lived in the 15th and 16th centuries. He loved God and he loved how Spiritual Practices brought him (and those he taught) closer to God (I think Ignatius and I could have been friends). Ignatius believed that discernment came out of awareness of how God moved uniquely in each soul and that by reflecting daily (yes, daily) we could become more aware of how Jesus was at work in us and through us.

How to Examen:

You’ll just need a couple of things to do this practice,

something to write with

2. something to write on

I do recommend doing this by hand (since it’s something to do later in the day [blue light, amirite] and devices often lead to distraction) but if you must, you can use a device.

Once you’ve got your tools, you’re going to process your day,

Rewind the day in your mind, to start at the beginning. Imagine that Jesus is sitting with you as you prepare to watch the movie of your day. When you “press play” go through your day hour by hour, notice where your emotions come up and ask yourself some questions (these examples may or may not help for your particular memory):

When did I feel most alive today?

What am I most grateful for today?

Who drew me closer to Christ?

Who pulled me away from Christ?

When did I feel closest to God?

When did I feel furthest from God?

Was I fully aware of God’s presence in this moment?

Did I feel drawn to God today?

Why did I pull away from God here?

What do I wish I had done in the last 24 hours?

Is there anything I wish I hadn’t done in the last 24 hours?

Have I let God down today?

Write down the events that stir up your emotions and your reflections on them.

→ sometimes a bowl of cereal is just a bowl of cereal. But sometimes a bowl of cereal is important. Maybe it reminds you of a childhood memory, or maybe you decided to have breakfast for dinner, or maybe you couldn’t afford anything else to eat that day.

The event itself isn’t as important as what (any why) you feel about it.

Once you’ve got the high(and low)lights of your day down, move forward into the presence of God.

Write down one thing about tomorrow that comes to mind, ask God what you need

for the next 24 hours, share how you hope to see him the following day.

God already knows everything, so this practice is about your own reflection on the day and asking God for his wisdom to reveal truths that you may have missed while your day was happening.

Remember what God says about himself: “I am a God who is everywhere and not in one place only.” (Jer 23:23) God is with you, always. Daily Examen will prepare you to recognize His presence in your day, and with practice you’ll learn to see God in regular situations as well as on those special occasions.

Keep Practicing,