Sacred Rhythms by Ruth Haley Barton
Week 6: Chapter 5 — Self-Examination: Reclaiming the Examined Life
Read Chapter 5 of Sacred Rhythms. Key Scripture: Psalm 139:23-24; Lamentations 3:40.
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The examined life is not a project of self-obsession but a disciplined openness to letting God show us what is true about ourselves. Come to these questions with both honesty and mercy.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.Barton distinguishes between self-examination and introspection — the former being a Spirit-guided openness to truth, the latter being a self-focused rumination that can easily become either self-justification or shame. How do you tell the difference in your own experience? Which do you tend toward?
2.She introduces the Ignatian practice of the examen — a daily review of the day in God's presence, noticing moments of consolation (life, joy, alignment with God) and desolation (loss of peace, distance from God, movement away from love). Have you ever practiced anything like this? What did you find?
3.The psalmist prays, 'Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts' (Psalm 139:23-24). This is a prayer of invitation — asking God to show us what we cannot see ourselves. What 'blind spots' do you suspect you have? What do you most resist seeing?
a.What recurring patterns in your relationships or emotional life might be pointing to something unexamined?
b.Is there a trusted person in your life who can speak honestly to you about what they observe? How do you receive that?
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