Journaling as a Sacred Practice in Spiritual Direction

Journaling as a Sacred Practice in Spiritual Direction

Journaling is one of the simplest and most powerful tools we have for spiritual reflection and discernment. There’s something about putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) that slows us down, opens up space for wonder, and invites a deeper conversation—whether with ourselves, with a Divine, or with the great mystery of life.

For those of us engaged in exploring our spiritual direction as seekers, or accompanying a the exploration as companions—journaling can be a lantern along the path, helping us listen more deeply, notice where Spirit is moving, and sit with the questions that matter most.

This isn’t about keeping a perfect, leather-bound diary (unless that’s your thing). It’s about playing with words, thoughts, and images to discover what wants to emerge. I saw the most beautiful hand-made leather-bound journals at a recent medieval faire here in Portugal. It feels good to choose and use something soft to the hand and tied to rhe past. But most of my own journaling is on scratch paper pulled from my printer.

Hand-made leather-bound journal CC0

Let’s explore a few ways to bring journaling into your spiritual life.

1. What Kind of Journaling Are We Talking About?

Not all journaling serves the same purpose. If you’ve ever tried to start a journaling habit and abandoned it, it might not be that journaling “isn’t for you” but rather that the format wasn’t a fit. Here’s a quick way to think about it:

• Journals for Recording Life – These are classic diaries—places to capture daily events, emotions, or milestones.

• Journals for Organizing Life – Bullet journals, planners, and goal-setting notebooks help bring order and structure.

• Journals for Spiritual Reflection – This is where we linger today—writing not just to remember or organize, but to attend, discover, and grow.

For spiritual direction work, we focus on journaling as a practice of reflection, discernment, and inner exploration—a way to notice where Spirit is moving and where we are being called.

2. Journaling as a Spiritual Practice

Journaling can be a form of prayer, a way of sitting in sacred presence with ourselves and with the Divine. It doesn’t have to be formal. It doesn’t even have to make sense. It just has to invite us deeper.

Some ways to make journaling a spiritual practice:

• Write as a conversation with the Sacred – Imagine you’re speaking with the Divine, your deepest wisdom, or a compassionate guide. What would you say? What might they say back? (Explore nurturing relationship with your divine(s) in this blog post.)

• Engage with sacred texts or poetry – Read a verse, a quote, or a song lyric that stirs something in you. Sit with it. Then write whatever comes. (Read more about Lectio Divina in spiritual direction work in this blog post.)

• Use colors, symbols, or drawings – Not all journaling has to be words. Sometimes our hearts speak best through image, shape, or color. (Explore more about symbols and doodles in spiritual direction work in this blog post.)

• Create a ritual around your writing – Light a candle, take a deep breath, or find a spot that feels peaceful. Let your journaling be a time of sacred pause. (Learn more about ritual-making as spiritual direction work in this blog post.)

Journal Page in Progress by artjunkgirl CC2.0

3. Playing with Prompts & Freewriting

If you’re someone who stares at a blank page and panics, prompts and freewriting exercises can help.

• Freewriting – Set a timer for five or ten minutes, start writing, and don’t stop. Even if all you write is “I don’t know what to write,” keep going. It’s about bypassing the inner critic and letting deeper wisdom rise.

• Guided prompts – Sometimes, a question or phrase can open a doorway. Here are a few to try:

• Where do I sense the Sacred moving in my life today?

• What am I longing for right now?

• What wisdom does my body hold in this moment?

• If I could ask my future self one thing, what would it be?

There’s no right or wrong way to do this. Write what feels true. Notice what surprises you.

Cup, Computer, and Snacks CC0

4. Deep-Dive Journaling for Spiritual Growth

Some seekers long for a more immersive approach to journaling, one that unfolds over time. If that’s you (or someone you companion), you might explore structured journaling methods that guide seekers through life patterns, inner dialogues, dreams, and spiritual autobiography.

One approach, Ira Progoff’s Intensive Journal Method, offers a deep and non-directive way of working with journaling for personal and spiritual growth. He proposes taking a full two days writing on each of four explorations:

• Life History – Exploring personal history through life mapping, key events, and patterns. (Explore mapping, or life review, in spiritual direction work in these blog posts.)

• Dialogue Dimension – Writing conversations with different parts of ourselves (our inner wisdom, our doubts, even past versions of us), significant people, the Divine, or symbolic figures.(Explore how to dialog with parts of self in spiritual direction work in this blog post.)

• Depth Dimension – Paying attention to the symbols, stories, and spiritual invitations in our dreams and intuition. (Explore DreamWork in spiritual direction work in this blog post.)

• Meaning Dimension – Looking back to see how our relationship with the Sacred has evolved. Reflecting on purpose, spiritual direction, and the unfolding of one’s life path. (Take a deeper dive into spiritual autobiography in this blog post.)

Life Map by Simon Brown CC0

These aren’t assignments—they’re invitations. If a method speaks to you, follow it. If it doesn’t, let it go.

Bringing Journaling into Spiritual Direction

If you are a seeker, consider how journaling might support your journey. It doesn’t have to be daily. It doesn’t even have to be structured. But having a place to explore, question, and listen can open new doors.

If you are a spiritual companion, you don’t have to prescribe journaling to everyone. But you might offer it as a tool—especially to those who process through writing or who struggle to put their experiences into words in the moment. A simple “Have you ever tried writing about this?” can be a gentle invitation.

Journaling isn’t about creating something polished or profound. It’s about showing up on the page with an open heart and seeing what emerges. Sometimes, that alone is enough.

What about you? Have you ever used journaling as a spiritual practice? What has it opened for you?

You are whole, holy, and worthy.

Rev Amy

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A Simple Journaling Practice to Try

If you’re curious about journaling as a spiritual practice but don’t know where to start, here’s a simple process to experiment with. Set aside 15–20 minutes, find a quiet space, and try this gentle rhythm:

1. Set an Intention – Before you begin writing, take a moment to pause. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and invite yourself into a space of curiosity. You might whisper a simple prayer, set an intention (“I am here to listen”), or light a candle to mark this time as sacred.

2. Start with a Prompt – Choose one that resonates, or use this:

• What is stirring in me today? Where do I feel longing, resistance, or gratitude?
• If you prefer something visual, choose an image, a piece of art, or a symbol and let it spark your reflections.

3. Write Freely – Let your pen (or keyboard) move without overthinking. If you feel stuck, write whatever comes: “I don’t know what to say, but I am here.” The goal isn’t perfection—it’s presence.

4. Pause & Notice – After writing, sit with what emerged. Does anything surprise you? Do any words or phrases stand out? Rather than rushing to interpret, simply notice what is asking for your attention.

5. Close with Gratitude – End with a small gesture of gratitude. Maybe that’s a deep breath, a hand over your heart, or a few words of thanks: “Thank you for this time. Thank you for what was revealed—and for what is still unfolding.”

6. Reflect Later – Return to what you wrote in a day or two. Sometimes wisdom surfaces not in the moment, but as we revisit our words with fresh eyes.

Try this once and see how it feels. If it nourishes you, keep going. If not, adjust—this practice is meant to serve you, not the other way around.

Would love to hear—if you try this, what arises for you?

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Ready to explore more? Here are some references that align with the different journaling approaches mentioned above:

• Letter to the Divine – Writing to God: 40 Days of Praying with My Pen by Rachel G. Hackenberg offers a beautiful framework for using written prayers as a spiritual practice.

• Free Writing – The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron is a classic resource on creative free writing and the power of “morning pages” for self-discovery and spiritual connection.

• Writing with Ritual – A Sacred Voice Is Calling: Personal Vocation and Social Conscience by John Neafsey explores how ritual and reflection can help us discern our calling. Also, Writing Down Your Soul by Janet Conner provides practices for turning journaling into a deep, intuitive ritual.

• Writing with Art – Visual Journaling: Going Deeper than Words by Barbara Ganim and Susan Fox introduces techniques for combining art and writing as a path to insight and healing.

• Writing in Response to Sacred Texts/Poetry – Writing to Wake the Soul: Opening the Sacred Conversation Within by Karen Hering is an excellent guide to journaling with sacred texts, poetry, and meaningful quotes as prompts.

Bearing Witness to Moral Injury

Bearing Witness to Moral Injury

Moral injury isn’t just a concept for soldiers returning from war. It happens when we see— or participate in— actions that violate our deepest sense of right and wrong. It’s the wound left behind when the moral order we trusted collapses before our eyes.

David Brooks, longtime conservative commentator, recently put words to this experience:

“I just think shame, moral shame. It’s a moral injury to see the country you love behave in this way.”

He was responding to the mistreatment of Ukraine’s president in the White House, but his words speak to a broader experience many are feeling. Whether through political betrayal, institutional failure, or even personal relationships, people are struggling with the pain of witnessing what should not be.

Danaid (The Source), artist: Auguste Rodin 

When Integrity Meets Betrayal

Moral injury is not only a psychological wound but a spiritual one. It shakes our trust in what is good, in what is just, in what we thought was sacred. It can leave us feeling cut off—not just from our communities, but from the sacred, from meaning, from the very ground of our being.

It can show up as:

• Shame (“I should have done more.”)
• Grief (“This is not the world I believed in.”)
• Disillusionment (“Everything I trusted feels false.”)
• Isolation (“No one else seems to feel this as deeply.”)

For those rooted in faith or spirituality, moral injury can become a crisis of belief. Where is the Divine in all this? How can goodness still hold when corruption, cruelty, and injustice seem to thrive?

 Damage inside capitol building from Jan 6 2021 CC0

How We Can Support Those Experiencing Moral Injury

Moral injury can affect anyone—spiritual seekers, caregivers, activists, people working in institutions they once trusted, or simply those paying attention to the world.

If you are a spiritual companion, chaplain, or caregiver, you may find yourself sitting with people who are struggling with these wounds. If you are a friend or family member, you may notice loved ones withdraw, struggle with despair, or wrestle with what it means to live with integrity.

Regardless of your role, there are ways to offer presence and support:

• Naming the wound – Acknowledging that moral injury is real and valid helps people feel less alone.
• Honoring values – The pain of moral injury comes from a place of deep integrity. Helping someone reconnect with what matters to them can be grounding.
• Creating space for lament – Grief needs expression. A lament practice can allow for the mourning that moral injury requires.
• Encouraging action – For some, healing comes through renewed purpose—whether activism, service, or simply small acts of integrity. Exploring one’s way of making a difference can be a powerful path forward.
• Inviting connection to the Sacred – Whether through prayer, ritual, scripture, or personal experience, people may need to rediscover where the holy is present—even in the midst of brokenness.

Tikkun Olam Painting by Dorothy Zhu

Healing in a Broken World

Moral injury doesn’t always resolve neatly. The world remains wounded. But healing can come through companionship, through finding meaning in the struggle, and through choosing—again and again—to live with integrity, even in the face of betrayal.

For those experiencing moral injury, the invitation is not to deny the wound but to bring it into relationship—with the Divine, with trusted companions, with the deeper truths that sustain life.

None of us have to carry moral injury alone. When we travel, whole-hearted, with each other, healing—imperfect though it may be—becomes possible.

You are whole, holy, and worthy,

Rev Amy

Holding the Light: Peak Experiences

Peak, Flow, Plateau: Holding the Light

Many years ago, I traveled to the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico, and had an experience I will never forget. A small group of us sat quietly as our boat slipped into the lagoon on a dark night, heading toward the bioluminescent bay.

Then—oh! A flash of blue-white light beneath the water—a fish passing by. Far from the lights of houses and the military base, the boat stopped, and we slid into the water. We were giggling like children, giddy, ecstatic. The water glowed with every movement. Fingers trailed through it like golden ribbons. Droplets gleamed like tiny stars as they fell from our hair.

We were weightless. Time stopped. And I knew—beyond thought or reason—that I was a part of those microscopic, glowing water-creatures, and they were a part of me. We were flowing with the ocean, and the dance lived in us.

To this day, the memory of that place fills me with joy.

" Bioluminescence while kayaking at night " by Marco Verch 👨‍🍳 via ccnull.de , CC-BY 2.0

The Challenge of Returning

Moments like this—what psychologist Abraham Maslow called peak experiences—can transform us. He described them as "rare, exhilarating, deeply moving experiences that reveal a more expansive reality." Some call them mystical. Some call them magic.

Peak experiences are closely related to the psychological state of flow, where you are fully immersed in what you are doing, a sense of effortlessness and rightness carrying you forward. Unlike peak experiences, which are often sudden and intense, flow can be sustained—an ongoing sense of being in harmony with life. Plateau experiences are quieter still—moments of deep peace and wholeness that arise from living in alignment with your values. Each of these—peak, flow, and plateau—can nourish us in different ways.

A central quality of these experiences is at-one-ness—a deep sense of interconnectedness with all that is. Hindu philosophy speaks of Atman, the formless being into which we are all absorbed, like drops of water merging into the ocean. The Buddhist metaphor of Indra's Jeweled Net describes a vast web where each jewel reflects all others, illustrating our interdependence. Science, too, reminds us that our actions send unseen ripples into the world. This profound awareness of unity can sustain us and give us courage, just as it did for Gandhi.

Bringing the Experience Home

So how do we integrate a peak, flow, or plateau experience instead of chasing after it or letting it slip away?

1. Honor It. Speak of it, write about it, let it live in you. These moments are real, even if they can’t be fully explained.
2. Find Small Anchors. A song, a scent, a symbol—something that helps you return, in spirit, to what you felt. For me, hearing Ode to Joy brings me back to a moment when music cracked my heart wide open.
3. Allow It to Change You. You don't have to force life-altering decisions, but notice what the experience is asking of you. More openness? More presence? More awe?
4. Share It with the Right People. Not everyone will understand, and that’s okay. But finding a community, or spiritual compaion, that does can help the experience take root.
5. Accept the Ordinary. Life is made of both the mystical and the mundane. Learning to carry the peak experience within daily life allows it to become a source of ongoing nourishment rather than a lost high.
6. Trust the Unfolding. A peak experience is like a stone dropped into water; its ripples continue to shape your journey long after the moment itself has passed.

• 

Meaning and Action

Mahatma Gandhi’s courage to change the world was founded in his deep belief that he was part of the whole. These beliefs arose from his peak experiences, giving him both the motivation and the power to act.

Our own peak, flow, and plateau experiences can support us in becoming more wholehearted—deeply engaged with life without being broken by the pain in the world. They remind us of what is possible. They root us in what is real. They sustain us when we need to keep going.

Living in the Glow

Not every moment will be luminous. But you have been lit up before, and that light doesn’t leave you.

You don’t have to cling to the past or chase the next high. The experience lives in you. Like bioluminescence that glows with each motion, like a song that echoes through memory, it moves with you.

So I invite you to reflect:

• What moments have illuminated your life?
• How do they continue to shape you?
• What joyful or meaningful thing is giving you life as you slog through the overwhelm and pain of the world?

Your journey unfolds, and you are whole, holy, and worthy.

Rev. Amy

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A Guided Meditation for Integrating a Powerful Spiritual Experience

Let's begin by finding a comfortable position, whether seated or lying down. Gently close your eyes, or soften your gaze. Allow your body to settle, releasing any tension you might be holding.

Simply notice your breath. Feel the gentle rise and fall of your chest or belly. With each breath, invite a sense of calm to wash over you.

Now, bring your awareness to your the lowest part of your body. Feel the connection between your body and the ground beneath you. Imagine roots extending down, reaching deep into the earth. Feel the stability and support of this connection. Allow these roots to anchor you, grounding you in the present moment.

Next, bring your awareness back to your breath. Simply notice the gentle rhythm of your inhale and exhale. Notice how each breath connects you to the flow of life, a constant, gentle current that moves through you.

Now, let's bring to mind a moment of profound connection. It might be a time when you felt deeply at peace, a moment of intense joy, a sense of being completely in the present, or a feeling of unity with something greater than yourself. It might be a time when you were in a state of flow, completely absorbed in an activity. It might be an experience, where you felt completely at one with the world.

Allow this memory to surface gently. You don't need to analyze it or understand it fully. Simply let the feeling of that moment wash over you. Notice the sensations in your body. Perhaps a warmth, a lightness, or a sense of expansion.

Feel the connection between this memory and the present moment. Know that this feeling of connection, of flow, of at-one-ness is always available to you, within you. It is a part of your being, a natural state.

Now, bring your attention back to your breath. Simply notice the gentle rise and fall of your chest or belly. Feel your roots grounding you to the earth.

When you're ready, gently begin wiggling or contracting muscles to become aware of various parts of your body. Slowly open your eyes, and come back to awareness of this place and this time.

Blessed Be