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Invitation to Lectio Divina: The Deer’s Cry

This month we celebrate the feast of St Patrick, one of Ireland’s patron saints, so we invite you into a lectio divina practice with the words from the first stanza of the song The Deer’s Cry: (you can click the link to see all of the lyrics, you are welcome to pray with the whole text if desired) I arise today through the strength of heaven Light of sun, radiance of moon Splendor of fire, speed of lightning Swiftness of wind, depth of the sea Stability of earth, firmness of rock How Community Lectio Divina works: Each month there will be a passage selected from

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March 4, 2016

Monk in the World guest post: Barb Morris

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 on The Way of No Way: “I hate not knowing — now knowing how to do something, not knowing where I am, not knowing what’s going to happen. Like many of us, I’m attached to competence and control. My spiritual focus these days is being in “not-knowing” and being okay with that. I find this difficult. Is it easy for anyone? In the spring of 2014, my husband and I walked the Camino Francés, an ancient pilgrimage

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March 2, 2016

Embrace a Mindful Slowness ~ A love note from your online abbess

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, I continue my Lenten series at Patheos this week on A Different Kind of Fast. This week I explore fasting from speeding through life on the surface and embracing a mindful slowness: Modern life seems to move at full speed and many of us can hardly catch our breath between the demands of earning a living, nurturing family and friendships, and the hundreds of small daily details like paying our bills, cleaning, grocery shopping. More and more we feel stretched thin by commitments and lament our busyness, but without a clear sense of the alternative.

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February 28, 2016

Invitation to Dance: Return to Me with Your Whole Heart

We continue our theme this month of “Return to Me with Your Whole Heart” which arose from our Community Lectio Divina practice with the Ash Wednesday passage from Joel and continued with this month’s Photo Party and Poetry Party. I invite you into a movement practice.  Allow yourself just 5 minutes this day to pause and listen and savor what arises. Begin with a full minute of slow and deep breathing.  Let your breath bring your awareness down into your body.  When thoughts come up, just let them go and return to your breath. Hold this image of “Return to Me with Your Whole Heart” as the gentlest

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February 26, 2016

Monk in the World guest post: George Angus

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission for the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for George Anugs’ reflection the holy and creative process of working with a lathe: “Although the following spiritual practice is written in the form of a recipe, it’s aim is not to be a how-to-guide. It merely demonstrates that in our spiritual nourishment, often overlooked ingredients can play a major role.   Ingredients: A workshop A lathe (other machinery will do as well, but I find the rhythm and sound of the lathe to be soothing) A turning job (not job

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February 24, 2016

Fasting from Anxiety + Radical Hospitality ~ A love note from your online abbess

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, I have two reflections and two poems for you this week. Read on for more goodness from the Abbey. . . I continue my Lenten series at Patheos this week on A Different Kind of Fast. This week I explore fasting from anxiety and entering into a radical stance of trust through the practice of Sabbath-keeping. Click here to read the article>> I also have a guest post this week at the wonderful website Monasteries of the Heart on the practice of radical hospitality and inviting in holy disruption. Click here read the article>> I

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February 21, 2016

Invitation to Poetry: Return to Me with Your Whole Heart

Welcome to our Poetry Party! I select an image and suggest a theme/title and invite you to respond with your own poem. Scroll down and add it in the comments section below or join our Holy Disorder of Dancing Monks Facebook group and post there. Feel free to take your poem in any direction and then post the image and invitation on your blog (if you have one), Facebook, or Twitter, and encourage others to come join the party!  (If you repost the photo, please make sure to include the credit link and link back to this post inviting others to join us).

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February 19, 2016

Monk in the World guest post: Meg Watson

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission for the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Meg Watson’s reflection initiation & ritual: After 72 years of life, I am finally beginning to understand how important it is to have rites of initiation.  I wrote before about two of the rituals I perform each day, i.e. making my bed and washing dishes.  But as I was remembering a conversation I had with a friend today, I suddenly began to understand what rites of initiation are really about: they are meant to make life sacred. I was thinking

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February 17, 2016

Feast of St Gobnait and a Celebration of Love ~ A love note from your online abbess

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, On the 11th of February this past week was the Feast of St. Gobnait.  I only learned about St. Gobnait after moving to Ireland. She is a 5th-6th century monk who fled her home in County Clare and headed first for the island of Insheer. It is not clear why she fled, only that she was seeking refuge on the Aran Islands. Click here to read my reflection on her at Patheos>> I am delighted to have a poem about St. Gobnait published in the online journal Headstuff here.  Gobnait features in our upcoming online

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February 14, 2016

Call for Submissions: Monk in the World Guest Post Series

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 reflection will be included in our weekly newsletter which goes out to more than 10,000 subscribers. Please follow these instructions carefully: Details: Please click this link to read a selection of the posts and get a feel for the tone

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February 13, 2016