Reflections

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission for the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Rev. Mary Anne Dorner’s reflection, Spiritual Strength Training. For years, my primary way of exercising was walking outdoors in the beauty of nature.  Then I read Christine Valters Paintner’s book Eyes of the Heart: Photography as a Christian Contemplative Practice. After that, I began stopping along my path so that I could take photos of flowers and trees, ponds and woods, sunrises and sunsets.  I noticed at times that our neighborhood “crow” would wait for me and accompany me on my walk. 

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission for the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Sharon Perry’s reflection “The Imaginary Candle.” “The men in the jail want you to come and teach them how to pray” the Chaplain requested on the phone. I asked the Chaplain if the men knew that I was a woman. He answered that they did indeed know who I was, and they were waiting for me to come. He explained that, “After you taught the women in the jail how to pray, news traveled to the men, and now they

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission for the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Melissa Layer’s reflection on finding the healing presence of God among the pines. Praised be you, my Lord, with all Your creatures, especially Sir Brother Sun, who is the day, and through whom You give us light. And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendour; and bears a likeness of You, Most High one. Praised be You, my Lord, through Sister Moon and the stars, in heaven You formed them clear and precious and beautiful. Praised be You, my Lord,

This is how to feel the sap rising Walk as slowly as possible, all the while imagining yourself moving through pools of honey and dancing with snails, turtles, and caterpillars. Turn your body in a clockwise direction to inspire your dreams to flow upward. Imagine the trees are your own wise ancestors offering their emerald leaves to you as a sacred text. Lay yourself down across earth and stones.  Feel the vibration of dirt and moss, sparking a tiny (or tremendous) revolution in your heart with their own great longing. Close your eyes and forget this border of skin. Imagine

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission for the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Monette Chilson’s reflection Back to the Garden. I’d like to take you back to the garden. Back to Eden. There’s someone there you need to meet. Someone who has something to teach us all. Her name is Lilith. I tell her story, in her own words, in my new book, My Name is Lilith, but I want to introduce her here. Why? Because her time has come. This world needs her now. We need to remember that the first God-created spark

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission for the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Barb Morris’ reflection emptiness. “To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, subtract things every day.” So says the Chinese prophet Lao Tzu, writing 500 years before Jesus. Maybe it’s my advancing middle age, but the spiritual practice of welcoming emptiness has become more and more necessary to me. As Lao Tzu prescribes, I find myself, after decades of adding things to my life, subtracting in order to find Wisdom. I’m especially drawn to emptiness this Advent – this