30 November 2009 / Praying by heart

This week we're going to be working with the curriculum Harris calls leiturgia. There are lots of ways to think about worship and prayer, and indeed you have other classes devoted to these elements of Christian life. In this setting, we're going to focus on some basic ideas about what prayer is, how we experience it, how we can invite people into various practices of prayer, and so on.

Much like last week, the focus situation for this week is a series of songs I'd like you to listen to, and then a set of questions to muse on before your small group work.

My video for this week:

Individual work

Please read the CIQ summary from last week.

I'd like you to try this short physical exercise, which is an embodied -- or kinesthetic -- kind of learning. It will take about 15 minutes to do, and you should try it with enough space around you in front of your computer so that you can move freely. (Don't be alarmed that the page begins by talking about a book that you haven't read. I originally put this exercise together online for a different course.)

One caution before trying this, however: if at any point you feel something that is too difficult to sustain, please do not continue the exercise and seek some appropriate counsel.

The other individual work includes making sure that you've started your portfolio, and in particular, have at least done the basic self assessment on competencies. This week is also a good time to download the piece from Feautor that you want to review, and to start thinking about what you're going to contribute to Feautor.

By Friday, fill out the mid class personal evaluation form and email it to me

By Friday, comment on one of the group summaries (in a way that is more than simply a "verbal bouquet").

On Friday, fill out a CIQ for the past week

Cluster question assignments

One quick note: as with last week, listening to these assigned songs is best done only with adults, and often provokes a lot of feelings. In your small groups you might want to take some time early in the cycle simply to process the feelings evoked by the songs. I am assuming that you will cycle through the cluster questions around the song exercise (NOT the individual physical exercise -- if you want to comment on that, please use the full class discussion thread to do so).

Group one : Learning

Group two : Assessment

Group three : Bible

Group four : Ritual

Group five : History

Your small group summary is due on Wednesday, posted to the course blog.