“Living the Examen” means practicing a daily prayer of reflection, developed by the Jesuit mystic and Saint Ignatius of Loyola, to help one notice God’s presence and discern God’s will in our lives. It involves reviewing the day with gratitude, paying attention to your emotions, and looking forward to the next day with a renewed sense of purpose. The practice can be as simple as a some time of reflection to notice the sacred in the everyday events.  The purpose is of practicing the Examen is to sensitize our hearts and attune our spirit to the language God uses for us as individuals, as God’s beloved one.  It is learning the love language that God uses just for us.

Rev. Joseph Carver is a Board Certified Interfaith Chaplain and Director of Spiritual Health for the Bozeman Health System. Born and raised on a farm in rural New York, his interest in our relationship with creation has deep roots. He was ordained over 25 years ago and he continues to be inspired by the poetry of Jane Kenyon, Mary Oliver as well as the writings of the Jesuit Mystic Teilhard de Chardin. Joseph completed an M.Phil.at Oxford University, and an MA, MTS, M.Div. and STL at the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, CA. Joseph has taught philosophy and ethics in a variety of universities and has worked in a variety of ministries for over 25 years and as a chaplain for 15 years in 4 different hospitals. He regards embodied spirituality as a path into the breadth and depth of instruction unfolding in creation. He feels fortunate to lead an extraordinary pastoral care team at Bozeman Health.

He is delighted to be invited to join the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship this morning in gathering, reflection and prayer.