Letter from Amy and Laura: August 19, 2026
- Amy Rowe
- 53m
- 6 min read
Dear friends,
You've probably seen the Ignatian prayer group that we've been advertising for the past few weeks; if not, details below! This group is something new we're exploring/piloting this fall (we love to "just try stuff" at Incarnation!) and is the outgrowth of many months of conversations with Laura Niver. Laura's tenacious desire to grow in prayer is an inspiration to me, and I'm grateful that she's pioneering something new to offer to others who want to grow in this way together. She's written about her journey below, and there are details about the fall group at the end of this post. ~ Amy
Reflection from Laura
Growing up in more rule-bound Christian traditions, prayer felt rigid. As a child, I sat in the pew listening to what seemed like a five minute sermon, otherwise known as “the pastoral prayer.” In middle school, I learned the ACTS method of prayer — Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication. In that order. Do not deviate.
After years of approaching God in this way, I found him to be indifferent and un-relational. Prayer felt like something I was supposed to do, rather than a posture I could settle into. It certainly did not feel like a two-way conversation with a God who wanted to know me as much as he wanted to be known by me.
The Aramaic word often translated as “prayer” conveys an openness to God, an attunement and waiting that is both active and passive. Through several encounters I began to experience this for myself, a slow opening to God where I was learning to listen to my own senses and intuition and to what I perceived to be the Spirit’s presence with me. I participated in two different Ignatian prayer practices, one as a week-long retreat and another as a seven-week practice. These experiences were both rewarding and really, really hard. Sitting silently, imagining God’s loving gaze on me, and using my senses to imagine scenes in Scripture was both welcome and a little terrifying. I realized how afraid of God I felt as if bracing for judgment or expecting nothing at all. Many days I didn’t experience much. I felt like I was conjuring up something “deep” or trying to make meaning out of nothing. Other days a single word or image would stand out to me.
One morning I sat with a reading about Jesus healing a woman disabled and hunched over for 18 years. I imagined her looking down at the ground, unable to see Jesus’s face and only able to see the sandals of those who walked past her. I imagined her surprise when Jesus saw her and then her experience of standing up for the first time in almost two decades and looking straight at his face. I don’t know if she expected to find Jesus at the synagogue that day or was just showing up as she was accustomed to do on the Sabbath, but this was the day that Jesus saw her, and she changed.
Just as the woman saw the face of the Jesus who had just healed her, we are invited to look into Jesus’s loving gaze at the start of every prayer practice. I’m growing in this very vulnerable practice. Earlier this year I was becoming acquainted with a part of me that often feels angry and protective. This part of me is like a five year old running wild and screaming at anyone that gets too close. As I was imagining God looking at me, I saw Jesus spot that angry five year old and chuckle to himself. He was delighted by her tenacity. He wasn’t trying to change her or control her but instead cherished her. Even now, I’m left with this sense of God’s delight in even the parts of me I wish I could change.
Starting in late September, we have the opportunity to pray the Exercises alongside each other. We’ll commit to spending time several days a week praying through various themes using Befriended by Jesus (Dale Gish, 2025). Katie Willett, a spiritual director and friend of mine, who is trained in the Exercises will lead us in monthly gatherings and one-on-one spiritual direction from September to May. For anyone interested, she is happy to talk with you to share more about what to expect and answer your questions. I’m looking forward to praying together and experiencing God’s love alongside you.
~ Laura Niver
More Information
Below is detailed information about the group provided by Katie Willett. If we have critical mass for an Incarnation group, we would likely hold the monthly meetings on weekends — perhaps Sunday night? — at a time and place convenient to all. Because these meetings are monthly (not weekly), they will still allow for participation in regular small groups if folks desire. Please reach out to Laura (lauraniver@gmail.com) or me (amy@incarnationanglican.org) to discuss further and/or to be connected with Katie. We are hoping for firm commitments by September 1, and the group will kick off around the third week of September.~ Amy
You are invited to consider praying the Ignatian Exercises with me this year (September- May). Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuits, developed the Spiritual Exercises, one of the enduring treasures of Christian faith and devotion. The Ignatian Exercises are a classic program of prayer where the participant prays with scripture passages, primarily the life, ministry, and passion of Jesus, using imaginative prayer. Participants encounter Jesus in new and life changing ways. You spend an hour a day, five days per week for 9 months with Jesus. Spending that much time with Jesus is transformational. Participants grow in their knowledge of God’s love and find that their love for God increases. Over the course of 9 months there are 9 group sessions that are 2 hours long and approximately 9 individual check-ins that are an hour in length.
About the Exercises:
The Exercises as originally written and practiced, were engaged in over a 30 day silent retreat. The themes were divided into 4 weeks. Over time Ignatius kept adapting from the original. In his desire to make them possible for the average person who could not commit to an extended retreat away from home, he created the 19th Annotation version. Using this model, we pray through them over the course of 9 months. This annotated version is called “a retreat in everyday life.” We begin with prayers that help us know we are deeply loved by God, and then move through the remaining themes of Sin, The Life of Christ, The Passion, and Resurrection. Through the Exercises, many people encounter Jesus in a profound way, finding their love for him increased, with a deep desire to serve him with joy. The Exercises are also a school of discernment, where we let desire for God lead us as we offer our lives more completely to him.
What to Expect:
Over the 9 months, you will participate in these basic elements: At the beginning of each theme, there will be a video for you to watch that introduces the theme and focus of the current material. Next is your personal time, praying with specific handout material (It is suggested that you commit to an hour a day for 5 days of each week. This can be adjusted to your particular life experience, but the closer you can come to this model will help you experience the depth of this rewarding practice). Then, there is an approximately once-per-month group session where you can share together and learn from one another. Finally, there are nine, one-on-one spiritual direction sessions with me (typically one a month) that provide a place to share more personally about your experiences, to celebrate God’s work in your life, ask questions, and help you go deeper in prayer.
My Training:
I am a trained Spiritual Director through Selah, prayed the Spiritual Exercises through Holy Trinity Catholic Church in 2020 and am currently being trained through The Ignatian Center to give the Exercises. This is my second year leading a group through the Exercises and it has been an absolute delight.
Cost:
The total cost is $900 over the course of 9 months. $100 per month will cover materials, a spiritual direction session, and the group session. Please let me know if cost is a barrier, I never want cost to stand in the way of someone praying the Exercises. [Amy's note: Incarnation can also help cover expenses for those who need it.]
Several weeks ago, I preached about the challenge of being able to say to God, "You love me." I heard from many of you that this sermon struck a deeply personal note. If so, I hope you will consider this opportunity to spend 9 months prayerfully growing in your awareness of God's love for you.
With love,
Amy
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