Introduction
It’s been a joy for me to hear from readers who have been journeying with the characters through the Sensible Shoes Series, and I’m thrilled that the study guides are providing opportunities for individuals and groups to explore the spiritual formation themes in deeper ways.
An Extra Mile: A Story of Embracing God’s Call is the final installment in the series and takes place during the seasons of Lent and Easter. In this eight-week study guide you’ll find weekly spiritual practices, daily Scripture readings, and reflection questions designed to help you be attentive to the work and invitations of the Holy Spirit.
You can decide whether to read An Extra Mile first in its entirety and then return to do a slow study with the guide, or to read it a section at a time, matching your pace to the guide’s daily questions. I recommend keeping a travelogue of your journey. Even if you aren’t in the habit of using a journal, you’ll benefit from having a record of what you’re noticing as you move forward.
Not every question will resonate with you. That’s okay. You don’t need to answer every question every day. But do watch for any impulse to avoid a question because it agitates you or makes you feel uncomfortable. That’s probably the very question you need to spend time pondering! If you don’t have time to answer the questions you want to reflect on, simply mark them and return on the review days.
Some questions and themes are repeated as you journey with the guide, and you may be tempted to say, “I already answered that.” Listen with fresh ears. Is anything new emerging? Shifting? Coming into sharper focus? Use the questions as launching points for your journaling. If something in the chapter speaks to you and isn’t addressed in a question, spend some time journaling and praying about it.
Please note: A couple of the prayer experiences in the book require advance planning. Week four includes the Journey to the Cross, which incorporates art and Scripture. Some individuals or groups may desire to gather art that depicts Jesus’ road to Golgotha and schedule a prayer walk, or take a field trip to a location that includes “stations of the cross” (see the note about this in week four). Week five includes a silence and solitude retreat to be practiced either individually or in community. I recommend marking out a day on your calendar now.
If you’re not already practiced in using the prayer of examen (described in Sensible Shoes), you may want to explore it now. This is a wonderful tool for daily reviewing your life with God and can be incorporated as a short prayer at the end of each day.
I pray you’ll encounter God in significant ways as you read, reflect, and pray. May you discover many opportunities to know God’s love and embrace his call.
Sharon Garlough Brown
May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.