Today, I invite you into an imaginative prayer exercise. I encourage you to read each paragraph slowly, taking in each question, one at a time, and considering your response before moving on.

Imagine yourself sitting on a bench with Jesus right now. Where is the bench? What kind of material is it made out of? What is in the environment surrounding you on that bench?

Now consider yourself on that bench with him. What are you wearing? How are you sitting? What are you doing with your hands? Do you have a sense of any feelings at work in you as you are aware of sitting next to Jesus on the bench?

Now look at Jesus on that bench. What does his face look like? What is he wearing? How is his posture as he sits there with you?

Look closely at his eyes, then. What are they like? What do they say?

As you sit on this bench with Jesus, what do you say? How does he respond?