So, I wrote an op-ed piece about the
Prayer-in-Daily-Life Retreat for the
Georgetown Law Weekly. Sharing my spiritual testimony by way of school newspaper is a new experience for me, to say the least, but I'm glad I took the time to organize my thoughts. Here is the article, for the curious. (ADX and Newman kids, be excited--you're mentioned!)
Retreat, finding time for spirituality in law schoolAmanda Stempson
I closed my eyes, and imagined the scene: I was tending a flock of sheep at the base of a mountain. I could hear someone calling my name, but I felt conflicted—should I stay with the flock, or follow the voice?
This was the first of many questions that I faced during the Prayer-in-Daily-Life Retreat offered by Campus Ministry during the first week of November. This particular question arose as I participated in a guided prayer led by Father Alexei Michalenko, S.J., based on Moses’ encounter with God in the form of a burning bush in Exodus, chapter 3. As I put myself in Moses’ shoes (well, sandals), I related to his struggle to choose between his earthly duty and God’s greater calling.
In meeting with a spiritual advisor each day for half an hour, and committing to a half-hour of daily prayer during the week-long retreat, my hope was to renew my prayer life. In undergrad at UC Berkeley, I had been very involved with student ministry at Newman Hall Holy Spirit Parish. I was also in Alpha Delta Chi, a Christian sorority. Starting out at Georgetown Law, I did not know what to expect. Would I find a faith-filled community? Would I be able to strike a balance between the notorious rigors of 1L year and my personal desire for spiritual enrichment? This retreat called out to me as a chance to examine these questions.
My spiritual director was Sister Dorinda Young, who greeted me in her office each afternoon with a peaceful smile. She lit a candle, reminding us of God’s presence, and we quieted ourselves by contemplating ruah, the Hebrew word for spirit or breath. Just as I breathe in and out every moment, ruah seemed to say, so could God’s love be a continual presence in my life.
The challenge as a law student, however, is to find time to acknowledge and appreciate God’s love. For me, making time for God requires both desire and energy: a desire to pursue such a relationship, and the energy to live out God’s love each day.
How, then, to grow in faith during law school, when we are short on desire and energy at the end of a rigorous day? From the Prayer-in-Daily-Life Retreat, I witnessed three ways in which I can further develop my spirituality.
Prayer At the heart of the retreat is a commitment to daily prayer. At first, I wasn’t sure how I would manage to fit the half-hour into my schedule. I tried out different times throughout the day, and learned that evening prayer worked the best for me. When I found myself wearied by my schoolwork, I chose to take a break for prayer. I would close my laptop, turn down the lights, light a candle, and relax in my chair. I tried pre-written prayers, praying with Scripture, journaling, and extemporaneous prayer, but the deepest prayer for me was to simply be quiet and listen.
At the end of a half-hour, or even 15 minutes, I felt calm and rejuvenated. Taking the short break seemed to make the rest of my evening far more productive, instead of slogging through without pause. I was delighted to discover that my spiritual renewal was impacting other aspects of my life, including academics.
Study Spending time with Scripture was another key element of the retreat. One of my favorite things about reading the Bible is that I can read the same passage over and over, and get a completely different meaning out of it each time. The essence of Bible study for me is applicability—how does this passage apply to my own life? The retreat emphasized many methods for connecting with Scripture, including imagining oneself in the scene of the passage, reading a psalm as a prayer, and focusing on any specific words that resonate while reading a passage.
Accountability The week before I left for undergrad, I went to visit my grandmother. At the end of our visit, saying our good-byes, she tearfully embraced me and whispered in my ear, “Don’t lose faith.” Those three little words spurred me on to grow dramatically in my relationship with God, and provided me with a clear model for showing others accountability.
In search of spiritual accountability at the start of my 1L year, I first discovered Catholic Forum, a group of law students that meets monthly to discuss issues relevant to Catholicism while promoting a spiritual community. Coupled with Mass in McDonough Hall’s beautiful little St. Thomas More Chapel on Sundays, it was a good foundation, but I yearned for more. I was searching for the intimate accountability that I had found so readily in my Bible study groups at Berkeley.
Through Catholic Forum, I met Michael O’Rourke, a fellow 1L, who had been similarly involved with Bible study groups at Harvard. Desiring a smaller faith community rooted in accountability, he and I have started the aptly named Small Group Bible Study, which meets each Wednesday at 7:30 pm in Gewirz 1014 to explore the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ by sharing in Scripture and prayer (and baked goods).
The retreat similarly exemplified a small community of personal sharing. I was inspired by the willing vulnerability of my fellow retreatants as we discussed our hopes and struggles during the retreat’s opening and closing gatherings. The group was a composite of several different faith traditions, but we all connected on a more basic level through our desire to know God’s love.
By the end of the retreat, we were asked to sum up our experiences in one phrase or image. My phrase was, “The Lord takes my hand and leads me.” This is the ultimate form of accountability, to allow myself to be led by faith. Through the Prayer-in-Daily-Life Retreat, I am hopeful that prayer, study, and accountability can be fruitful features of my life as a student at Georgetown Law.
Amanda Stempson, 1L, would love to hear how others are balancing the spiritual and the scholastic. She can be reached at als244@law.georgetown.edu.
Absolutely! However, at Berkeley, the speakers are on Sproul Plaza. You don't see them in the quads of the dorms, or on the lawn of a fraternity, or in front of apartment complexes. They are somewhat self-contained. Here in D.C., however, people seem to think that the expanse of scraggy grass that runs along the I-395 off-ramp next to my dormitory, is a great place to express themselves. And, you know, I'm even okay with that. Hand out pamphlets, give speeches, sell things to the cars stopped in traffic... go for it!
