Read, Write, & Pray with The Great Belonging: Part Four
Our Faith in Writing’s Read, Write, & Pray with The Great Belonging series uses themes and excerpts from Charlotte’s first book, The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other.
It’s not necessary to have a copy of The Great Belonging to complete these exercises and prompts. If you’d like a copy, you can purchase one here.
I hope the Read, Write, & Pray series helps you make space to notice God’s presence in your life and creative work. I hope it gives you opportunities to discover how making and engaging with art help you belong to yourself, others, God, and the world.
Learn more about Read, Write, & Pray here.
Read
My Dad Died from Covid-19: My grief is a lonely one
By Charlotte Donlon
Published by The Christian Century
In a voice message from my dad that I saved on my phone, he tells me what I need to do: “Just hang in there. Do what you’re supposed to do. Rest. All that other stuff. Drink fluids. Sleep, sleep, sleep. Love you. Bye.” The message is 15 seconds long. I received it a few years ago while I was sick with the flu.
When I listen to this message, I hear my dad’s accent, formed by his Detroit childhood and his Deep South adulthood. I hear the humor and lightheartedness that could make me smile even while I was ill. I see him in the cozy recliner in a corner of his den, rocking gently, one or two dogs on his lap, his 65-inch TV on but muted.
Write
Think about a major life event you’ve experienced that you want to write about: A move, a marriage, a divorce, a birth, a death of a loved one, starting a new job, etc.
Brainstorm/free-write about that major life event for ten minutes. Set a timer. Write. Don’t edit your mind or your words.
Choose one idea or sentence from your brainstorming notes that might move you in a direction you’re interested in going. Write down that sentence or idea. Then brainstorm/free-write about that one sentence or idea for 10 minutes. Set a timer. Write. Don’t edit your thoughts or your words.
Leave your notes alone for at least 48 hours. Then do one more round of brainstorming/free-writing about that one sentence or idea for 10 minutes.
Leave your notes alone for at least 24 hours. When you return to them, read all of the initial raw material you’ve written about this life event. Then think of one scene connected to this life event. Pick one item from that scene. It can be a lamp, a tree, a car, a dining table, a fence. It can be anything. Imagine it with as many details as possible. Then draw it. It doesn’t have to be a good drawing. Just do the best you can. You don’t have to show it to anyone.
When you think it’s time to begin writing an essay, story, or poem, hopefully you have enough material to get you going.
Pray
Divine Drawing
Supplies: A pencil or a pen and a few sheets of paper (blank paper is best)
Time: It will take 20-30 minutes to complete this exercise.
Reminder: Pray as you do this exercise and give your attention to your surroundings.
Write down seven things that you see right now
Write down seven colors that you see right now
Write down seven words that come to mind while noticing and giving attention to surroundings
Write down three memories that come to mind that are connected to the space you are inhabiting. If you’re in a new space, free-write for a few minutes. If nothing comes to mind, write “I don’t know” continuously until something comes to mind.
Take a few deep breaths.
Ask God to show you what you need to see right now.
Pick something around you and draw it. This can be an entire section of the room or a single sofa cushion. Include as many details as possible. The focus is not on perfecting the drawing, it is on noticing your surroundings and discovering what God might have for you as you give your attention to this place.
Take at least a few minutes to pray or journal after completing this exercise.
I hope you enjoy this free resource for Read, Write, and Pray with The Great Belonging. Additional free resources can be found here:
Read, Write, & Pray with The Great Belonging
Free Resources
Read, Write, & Pray with The Great Belonging Part One
Read, Write, & Pray with The Great Belonging Part Two
Charlotte Donlon helps her readers and clients notice how they belong to themselves, others, God, and the world. Charlotte is a writer, a spiritual director for writers, and the founder of Spiritual Direction for Writers™ and Parenting with Art™. She is also the founder and host of the Our Faith in Writing podcast and website. Her essays have appeared in The Washington Post, The Curator, The Christian Century, Christianity Today, Catapult, The Millions, Mockingbird, and elsewhere. She holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Seattle Pacific University where she studied creative nonfiction with Paula Huston and Lauren F. Winner. She holds a certificate in spiritual direction from Selah Center for Spiritual Formation. Her first book is The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other. To receive Charlotte’s latest updates, news, announcements, and other good things, subscribe to her email newsletter.