{"id":8189,"date":"2020-04-02T15:57:51","date_gmt":"2020-04-02T20:57:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/adamscenter\/?p=8189"},"modified":"2020-07-06T11:22:08","modified_gmt":"2020-07-06T16:22:08","slug":"spiritual-formation-in-the-online-classroom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/adamscenter\/2020\/04\/02\/spiritual-formation-in-the-online-classroom\/","title":{"rendered":"Spiritual Formation In the Online Classroom"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cCome to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.\u201d Matthew 11:28-30<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A few years ago, I read these verses and they challenged me in a new way. A yoke is not a word or item that finds its way into our current conversations, but the concept intrigued me. A yoke joins two animals together so that they move in the same direction. Jesus reminds us in Matthew that his yoke is easy and light. I can\u2019t imagine that light here means the opposite of heavy or that easy is the opposite of hard, but rather well-suited, fitting, and appropriate. When my direction feels wearisome and ill-fitting, am I actually yoked with Jesus or am I yoked with other things that will never feel easy and light? As we struggle with feeling weary and burdened right now, our students are experiencing similar struggles. Finding ways to connect with students spiritually is more challenging than normal, but might be more important than ever.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">This post offers ideas for facilitating spiritual formation in the online classroom. The video of the online session is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/vimeo.com\/401390954\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. I am appreciative of Houston Heflin for providing the four categories I used to organize the suggestions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Share a Message: Encouragement, Blessing, Song, Prayer<\/b><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As students \u201center\u201d the online classroom space, select a song with or without visuals to play. This simple practice helps calm the spirit and focus each person\u2019s heart toward God.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">There are many ways to collect and share prayer requests. Other ideas are in the final section below under \u201cassignments.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Create a google form for students to submit prayer requests just to you as the instructor.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Provide a space in your Canvas course where students can write prayer requests for you and classmates to see.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Offer readings to your students that they can read on their own or video yourself reading Scripture or other spiritual content.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Divine Hours: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/annarborvineyard.org\/resources\/pray-the-divine-hours\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Pray The Divine Hours<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Daily Devotionals (this is a Lenten calendar through Easter): <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/ccca.biola.edu\/lent\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Lent Project<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lenten Practices (many of these are appropriate for times other than Lent): <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/sarahbessey.substack.com\/p\/40-simple-practices-for-lent\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">40 Simple Practices for Lent<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A chapter of Proverbs a day (read the chapter that corresponds with the day or the month)&#8230;provide guidance by asking questions about which proverb(s) seems particularly relevant for today, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">My Utmost for His Highest<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> by Oswald Chambers<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Morning and Evening<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> by Charles Spurgeon<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Encourage students through a personal video. Consider incorporating someone (or something!) in your house into the video. Have your child read a scripture. Include your spouse or other family member into a reading or prayer. Hold your pet as you talk. Humanize the online space as much as possible.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Begin a synchronous class session with a roll call question. This allows for connection between the students and you and with each other before diving into content. Roll call questions can be serious or light-hearted! \u201cWhat is something in the space you are in currently for which you are grateful?\u201d \u201cWhat is the weirdest thing you\u2019ve done today?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Lead A Guided Experience<\/b><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you schedule synchronous times with students online right now, you might consider leading them in a guided spiritual experience.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The practice of Examen is one that can happen alone or within a group. For more details about this practice, see this <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ignatianspirituality.com\/ignatian-prayer\/the-examen\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">link<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">. Appropriate questions include:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When did I feel close to God today? When did I feel far from God?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When did I encounter God today?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">When did I live up to my calling as a disciple of Jesus today? When did I not?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Guide students to create a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/fulleryouthinstitute.org\/blog\/naming-loss-and-gratitude-with-young-people\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Gratitude and Loss list.<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Coach Them In a New Practice<\/b><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">In this time of uncertainty, students might benefit from some new practices. Choose a practice that you\u2019ve found spiritually meaningful in the past or currently. Here are a few ideas:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">One word prayers<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bustedhalo.com\/ministry-resources\/lectio-divina-beginners-guide\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Lectio Divina<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/bustedhalo.com\/ministry-resources\/praying-with-your-eyes-how-to-get-started-with-visio-divina\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Visio Divina<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Threshold meditation: this practice helps center oneself with four statements through four breaths<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">With one breath say what you are currently leaving<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">With the next breath say what you are coming to<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">With the third breath name what you commit to<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">With the fourth breath commit to being present in that moment<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/biologos.org\/articles\/breath-prayer-an-ancient-spiritual-practice-connected-with-science?gclid=Cj0KCQjwmpb0BRCBARIsAG7y4zYD1c_8QSsh4P4yPx7K0-8lk6jo2IrPsL90wQMYPnI6NE4184etYQwaAgHBEALw_wcB\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Breath prayers<\/span><\/a>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cLord Jesus Christ\u2026 have mercy on me, a sinner.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cWhen anxiety is all around me\u2026 your comfort gives me joy.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cOpen my eyes\u2026 to see what you want to teach me.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Give Them an Assignment<\/b><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Prayer request \u201cassignment\u201d in Canvas\u2026 (obviously not required) Example from Cliff Barbarick<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">As a professor, I care about how students are doing in my class, but I also care about other parts of my students\u2019 lives. If you would like for me to pray for you in some way\u2014class related or otherwise\u2014you can use this space to share your request privately with me. I\u2019m the only one who will see what you submit here, and you can submit requests as many times as you like. (If you have already submitted something, you can click on \u201cRe-submit assignment\u201d and add another request. Your earlier submission(s) will remain available to me.)\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Create a discussion post<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Write a prompt asking students to share their own practices of what is working for them or helping them<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Create a discussion post for a gratitude list<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Create a hashtag and post to a social media platform that everyone can follow together (pictures on Instagram is good for this)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Read a scripture and re-tell it<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Memorize a scripture together<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Reflection assignment about this drastic change to their education and how it has shaped them<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fuller Seminary is offering <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/formation.fuller.edu\/browse\/#120days\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">spiritual formation<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> lessons free of charge through June\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">May God bless you as you teach and guide your students. May you be yoked to Jesus.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cCome to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.\u201d Matthew 11:28-30 &nbsp; A [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15697,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42271,199273],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-8189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-faith-learning","category-rapid-remote-teaching"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/adamscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/adamscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/adamscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/adamscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15697"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/adamscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8189"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/adamscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8189\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8190,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/adamscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8189\/revisions\/8190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/adamscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/adamscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/adamscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8189"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/adamscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=8189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}