Minor Assessment Task

Gospel of Mark - Solitude Experience

Year Level: 8 Due Date: See SEQTA
Subject: Christian Studies Text Type: Personal Reflection

Nature of Task
Purpose: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off
to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35)

Mark’s gospel points out that at numerous points in his ministry – to recharge, to prepare, to seek out
his Father – Jesus embraced solitude. This task is intended to have students participate in the age-old
Christian practice of doing the same, in order to contemplate and reflect. For Christians, this has
typically been associated with the desire to be alone with God, to pray, to meditate on His Word, or to
simply enjoy His presence. Whilst not requiring students to share this theological outlook, the task
does ask that students to reflect on their own experience of quiet and solitude and the insights this
brings.

Conditions
Length: 200 words (+/- 10%)
Format: Extended Response in first person, hand-written.
Submission: Students submit a hard copy of their reflection to the teacher.
Referencing: Not needed.

Solitude Experience Report

Your hand-written submission should answer some or all of the following questions:

a) When did you conduct your solitude experience?

b) What resources did you take with you and were they helpful?
c) What did you expect to be difficult about it? What was actually difficult?
d) Did you expect to enjoy the experience? Why or why not? Did you actually enjoy the
experience? If so, what parts?
e) What about the experience was unexpected or surprising?
f) Would you seek out this sort of deliberate solitude again in your own time? Why or why not?
g) When you read about Jesus ‘seeking solitude’ now in the Gospel of Mark, what new things do
you know that will help you understand him?
Guidelines for Solitude Experience
OPTION 1 – Solitude with Christian framing

If you intend to complete this task as a Christian, or if you would like to sample what it would be like to
seek solitude with a Christian mindset, try these steps:

 Choose a Quiet and Comfortable Place: Find a place that is quiet, where you won’t be distracted. You
want to be in a place where you can sit comfortably for some time, and that perhaps reminds you of
God’s presence or inspires you to think of Him. Some people even like to have a candle nearby to remind
them of Holy Spirit’s presence!
 Set Aside a Specific Time: Decide on a specific time that you will dedicate to solitude and contemplation.
It could be early in the morning, during the day, or at night. Make sure it's a time when you're least likely
to be interrupted or distracted.
 Bring Your Bible and Journal: Bring your Bible, a notebook or journal, and a pen. You may also want to
bring some worship music or anything else that helps you stay focused.
 Pray and Reflect on Scripture: Begin your time of solitude by praying and asking God to guide your
thoughts and reveal himself to you through his Word. Choose a scripture passage to meditate on, read it
slowly and reflect on what it means to you. Write down any thoughts or insights that come to mind.
 Silence: You might also try just staying silent, resting and being attentive to the promptings of the Spirt –
what might God be prompting you to think about in terms of: your purpose in His plans, areas where you
need His help, people to pray for, things to be thankful for?
 Journal Your Thoughts and Feelings: Use your notebook or journal to write down your thoughts and
feelings as you rest, reflect on scripture and pray. Write down any questions you have, any struggles or
fears you're facing, and anything else that comes to mind. Be honest with yourself and with God.
 End in Prayer: End your time of solitude and contemplation by thanking God for his presence with you and
for anything he revealed to you during your time of reflection. Ask him for strength and wisdom to apply
what you've learned to your life.

Remember, the goal of solitude and contemplation is to deepen your relationship with God, so be
open to his leading and allow him to speak to you through his Word and through the silence.

OPTION 2 – Solitude Experience

If you are not a Christian, you might like to try these steps which mirror the Christian practice but do
not require personal faith:

 Choose a Quiet and Comfortable Place: Find a place that is quiet, where you won’t be distracted. You
want to be in a place where you can sit comfortably for some time, and that perhaps reminds you of
God’s presence or inspires you to think of the bigger things in life.
 Set Aside a Specific Time: Decide on a specific time that you will dedicate to solitude and contemplation.
It could be early in the morning, during the day, or at night. Make sure it's a time when you're least likely
to be interrupted or distracted.
 Bring Materials: Bring your Bible or other inspirational material you may own, a notebook or journal, and a
pen. You may also want to bring some music or anything else that helps you stay focused.
 Reflection moves: You might try some or all of the following:
o Reading a section from the Bible or other inspirational material and writing down what you notice
or wonder about after reading
o Think about things or people you are thankful for and spend some time reflecting on how you
want to show gratitude
o Think about things you struggle with, things you want to improve, or perhaps people you need to
reconcile with. Consider a plan for doing so.
o Think about other people in your life or your world who might welcome your help, thought or
prayer.
 Silence moves: The modern world is a noisy place. Use this time to actually just stay silent, in word and
thought. Take note of what you see, hear or feel as a result of a prolonged time of silence.
 Journal Your Thoughts and Feelings: Use your notebook or journal to write down your thoughts and
feelings as you rest, reflect on scripture or even pray. Write down any questions you have, any struggles
or fears you're facing, and anything else that comes to mind. Be honest with yourself.

Calvin Christian School Humanities Assessment Notice

Assessment Criteria
Cr 3 Contemplate and reflect on ideas and experiences
Cr 4 Engage with experiential learning

CALVIN CHRISTIAN SCHOOL Humanities Assignment