Friday the 13,2001
I’m standing in the grand hallway on the cobblestone pathway leadng into the historic chapel. The excitement is mounting all around. Spring Break is soon upon us and today is the grand celebration of the historic founding of Huntingdon College.
I am a junior in college and still have no clue what I want to do with my life. Everyone keeps asking and my answers are proving inept at responding to reality.
I certainly do not imagine that it will come to me in a sudden declaration. I expect many more long nights of tossing and turning.
The Trustees, Professors, President, and Staff line up in full regalia to enter into the historic chapel. Suddenly, I see an old family friend. He’s known me for years and asks after my family. Soon, inevitably, he asks me the question, “So what are you going to do with the rest of your life?” Before I can stop to think what ridiculous answer to give this time I blurt out the words, “I’m going to be a pastor.” The words are met with surprised elation.
From this moment on, my spiritual, vocational, and personal journey shift forever.
The Process Begins
The next week I found myself sitting my home church’s former rectory turned staff offices. Our pastor had welcomed the news when I had called a week before and invited me to return home at my earliest convenience for my first official discernment meeting. After a heart warming and inspiring discussion with the pastor I was handed a notebook the size of a small elephant and told about the discernment process for candidates for ministry. The first step involved reading a special book on discerning the call to full time ministry and the second was the exercise of writing my spiritual autobiography. I had never even heard of such a thing before let alone attempted writing one. The task seemed daunting at first but as the process unfolded it became cathartic then revealing, and ultimately energizing.
It’s a false notion that you have to bee in full time church ministry in order to have a spiritual autobiography worth writing. We all have a story to share about our faith, our trials, and ultimately about God’s work in our lives. Sometimes we just need a nudge or an impromptu question to push us to write our own.
What are you doing next?
How to Write a Spiritual Autobiography:
1.) Grab a piece of paper and a pencil
2.) Start simple, write an outline of your major life events, being sure to leave blank space in between.
3.) In between the outline of major life events add in events that are your favorite memories
4.) In between the outline of major life events and favorite memories add in difficult 
experiences and memories you would rather forget.
5.) Next to each of the three types of experiences and life events write a way you experienced God.
6.) Take this outline and with new paper or on a device of your choice type out the Outlines and begin to flesh it out with connecting experiences.
7.) Read through your spiritual autobiography and fill any blanks you notice.
Application:
L1 : Follow steps 1-7 and share your spiritual autobiography with a trusted friend.
L2: Follow steps 1-7 and share an insight you’ve gained with RevWren’s FB page
L3: Lead a small group through steps 1-7 and lead the group in sharing their final product with one another. Share some of the insights the group learned with RevWren’s FB page
May the Road Rise Up to Meet Y’all,
Rev. Wren Clanton
RevWren 