If you click on the picture below, you will be able to access my spiritual autobiography, which I wrote for Dr. Wray’s spiritual formation class. As the document is 19 pages long, I will forgo the typical practice of posting the text here as well.
This spiritual autobiography is intended to demonstrate MDiv outcomes 8abcd, 9ab, and 10ab, which deal largely with spiritual formation, ministerial identity, and discipleship.
While writing the autobiography required a large investment of time, it was a particularly enjoyable and worthwhile investment. It was a blessing to be allowed (even assigned!) to spend time in reflection on how God has moved in and around me throughout my lifetime, and I savored every moment of the writing process.
As you read my story, you will see how I have discerned my own spiritual formation, how I have wrestled with and finally embraced my identity as a minister, how I have welcomed opportunities for growth and further formation (both individually and as part of faith communities).
In the few months since writing this autobiography, I have continued to reflect on my formation throughout life, recognizing both ways in which I have grown and ways in which I need to continue to grow. For example (though this could take up a whole post of its own), I have come to the realization that I am a codependent person who was raised in a family full of codependent people. As you can imagine, there is a lot of damage there that must be undone for me to have a healthy understanding of life. And I have been purposefully trying to address that issue by practicing assertiveness and healthy conflict with family and friends, among other things.
But perhaps all that is leading us too far astray from the topic at hand. So, for now I’ll just leave you with the pages of my spiritual autobiography…
Spiritual Autobiography
Jack Reese
9:39 pm, 04.10.12
Laura, I was very moved by your spiritual autobiography, for several reasons. In part, I identify with some of your experiences growing up in a Christian home such as yours. Your descriptions of your spiritual journey tugged at my heart. I was drawn all the way in as you described your experience at the University of Arkansas. I have vivid memories of my work at two state universities–Oklahoma and Iowa. These were wonderful experiences for me. Two of my three children played on drumlines, by the way. I know the significance of that! I loved your comments about Scott Karnes. It was hard not to reflect on what it was like having him as a student, then watching him turn the world upside down, in the Czech Republic and then in Fayetteville. But I was gripped at your description of your battle with depression. I know this battle up close and personal. I know the pain, the sense of shame, the emotional paralysis. I’m so proud of how you’ve dealt with it. You are a woman of great strength precisely because of your deep awareness of your brokenness. God has prepared you for an extraordinary ministry. You are God’s humble and powerful servant in whom, I know, God is most pleased. As am I. Blessings to you, Laura.