Study
To study effectively, we need to let go of two expectations:
- For many people, "study" evokes images of requirements, examinations and grades.
- "Study" suggests mastering facts or skills and thereby gaining acceptability (for a degree, job or award).
As a spiritual discipline, however, study means activities such as these:
- Sitting with a verse from Scripture and allowing it to speak
- Exploring an idea with a group
- Pursuing an insight in a written journal
- Reading a useful book and allowing it to open one's eyes
- Writing an essay or story that takes one deeper into a thought about God and/or life
Study can be centered in a formal course or a self-designed pursuit. The format matters less than the discipline and determination to keep at it. Where prayer flows as it flows, study seems most helpful when it flows from intentionality.
Study can be an individual or group experience, or a combination of both.
- Individual has the advantage of total freedom to explore, without any concern for affirmation or criticism. It has the disadvantage of being too self-referential and stopping short of uncomfortable discovery.
- Group has the advantage of holding one accountable and stretching one's boundaries. It has the disadvantages common to any group experience, such as conflict, acting out, passive-aggressive behavior, wasting time.
