We welcome you to submit your reflection for possible publication in our Monk in the World guest post series. It is a gift to read how ordinary people are living lives of depth and meaning in the midst of the challenges of real life.
There are so many talented writers and artists in this Abbey community, so this is a chance to share your perspective. The link to the reflection will be included in our weekly newsletter which goes out to thousands of subscribers.
Submit your own post from one of the following categories on the general theme of “How do I live as a monk in the world? How do I bring contemplative presence to my work and/or family?” It works best if you focus your reflection on one aspect of your life or a practice you have, or you might reflect on how someone from the monastic tradition has inspired you. The Monk Manifesto is another source of inspiration. We invite reflections on the practice of living contemplatively.
Post categories:
- Photo or visual art essay – Please include a one paragraph introduction about what inspired you and how the images relate to contemplative practice. You may submit 3-5 photographs with an optional 100-150 word description of each image. All work must be your own. Please make sure the image size is smaller than 1 MB.
- Poetry – Please include a one paragraph introduction to your poem or poems about what inspired you and how they relate to contemplative practice. You may submit up to 3 Haikus, 2 short poems (20 lines or less) or one long poem (up to 40 lines). You may also include 1 photograph or illustration. All work and images must be your own.
- Written reflection – Submit your post of 700-900 words. Please write from your own perspective and experience rather than offering instructions for others to follow. You may include 1-2 images if they help illustrate your reflection in meaningful ways. All images should be your own. Please make sure the image size is smaller than 1 MB.
Please follow these instructions carefully:
- Please click this link to read a selection of the posts and get a feel for the tone and quality.
- Please include a head shot and brief bio written in the third person (50 words max).
- If your reflection is specific to a season, feast day, or liturgical point in the year, please note that in the subject line of your submission.
- We will be accepting submissions between now and June 10th for publication sometime in the late summer and fall of 2024 and beyond (depending on the number of submissions). We reserve the right to make edits to the content as needed (or to request you to make edits) and submitting your reflection does not guarantee publication on the Abbey blog, but we will do our best to include as many of you as possible.
- Email your submission to Melinda by June 10th and include the reflection pasted into the body of your email and attach your photo(s). (Please do not embed your photos in a Word document.)
We will be back in touch with you by late August to let you know if your post is accepted, if edits are needed, and/or when we have scheduled your post to appear.
