Visit the Abbey of the Arts online retreat platform to access your programs:

Reflections

Filter

Virtual Book Tour: Review at Profoundly Superficial by Annie Wright

Today’s stop on the Virtual Book Tour is a lovely review by Annie Wright at Profoundly Superficial: Picture this. It is full moon and everything is bathed in a silver light. Lying on your back, you gaze upwards while, in a single long exposure, your camera patiently records the stars as they trace their arc across the night sky. You don’t have to do a thing. You can simply close your eyes and find yourself floating between heaven and earth. This is slow photography, something I have little experience of, because professionally I must work with quick decisions and instant

Read More

Virtual Book Tour: Interview at Idealawg with Stephanie West Allen

Stop by Idealawg today where lawyer Stephanie West Allen interviewed me for my Virtual Book Tour: The book shows us why and how the way of seeing facilitated by photography can be valuable. I asked Christine a few questions that may be of interest to conflict professionals. The law can be a very stressful profession. In Todd Kashdan’s book Curious, he talks about the relationship between curiosity and anxiety: the more curious one is, the less anxiety he or she will be experiencing. In your book, you talk about the promotion of curiosity through photography. Will you say more about that, please.

Read More

Virtual Book Tour: Review at Shot at Ten Paces by Kate Kennington Steer

Today’s stop on the Virtual Book Tour is a review by Kate Kennington Steer at her lovely photography blog Shot at Ten Paces: Whether you are experienced DLSR photographer or use your mobile phone camera when and if you remember, this book will open your eyes still further to the possibilities of visualising God’s Spirit moving amongst us. Contemplative photography as a form turns conventional wisdom about how to take a good photograph on its head. Instead of being about ‘pointing-and-shooting’ or a technical exercise in ‘taking’ this form is all about waiting and receiving. It is about the inner

Read More

Virtual Blog Tour: Interview (Audio!) at Sacred Life Arts

I am delighted to share today’s stop on the Virtual Book Tour at Sacred Life Arts where Dana Reynolds interviews me on the contemplative life, my new book, and where this adventure I am on is taking me.  Pour yourself a cup of tea, settle in, and stop by Dana’s sanctuary space for a listen. Click here to purchase a copy of Eyes of the Heart>> Previous Virtual Book Tour Stops: Interview with Christine at Faith Squared “Tending the Moments” Guest post by Christine at June Mears Driedger Interview with Christine at Always We Begin Again “Quieting the Mind through Contemplative Photography” Guest post by Christine

Read More

Virtual Book Tour: Book Review at Provoking Beauty by Leanne Shawler

Today’s stop on the Virtual Book Tour is a review from Leanne Shawler at her blog Provoking Beauty.  Read on for her perspective: As Christine reveals in her book, with photography we shape our world to share who we are, what we believe and think. You see it every day on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. Christine guides us to a different way: contemplative photography asks us to receive images instead of choosing images to take. Through this process, as well as later sitting with the photos, we catch a glimpse of God in our world. Click here to read the

Read More

Virtual Book Tour: Interview at Faith Squared

Today’s stop on the Virtual Book Tour is at Faith Squared, where the lovely Liz Rasmussen interviews me and also is hosting a book giveaway if you leave a comment there before this Wednesday, May 29th: Alizabeth: You’ve said before that writing is your main creative form. How does photography support you in your writing, and vice versa? Christine: When I first started writing my blog, I loved the ability to post images to accompany the reflections I had written.  Somehow, the combination of word and image together seemed to express more than just one or the other. My training in the arts

Read More

Virtual Book Tour: Guest Post at June Mears Driedger – “Tending the Moments”

The next stop on the Virtual Book Tour is at June Mears Driedger‘s blog with a guest post from me on Tending the Moments.  June is also hosting a book giveaway if you leave a comment at her blog before this Wednesday: You have undoubtedly had an experience similar to this: you are moving through a most ordinary day, when suddenly something shifts.  Where there was drudgery and habit, suddenly you become aware of the way sunlight is spilling across the living room rug and your heart breaks open at the splendor of it all.  Or you see a loved one

Read More

Remember (a poem)

Remember Inspired by Theo Dorgan’s poem “The Angel of Days”* And what did you do on earth? I descended daily into the hush – if only for a moment, but sometimes for blessed hours at a time. I followed the shimmering threads which lured me into the night, full of wonder at all that was unfolding. I opened myself wide to gratitude, to the delight that there was anything at all, much less pink-petaled peonies and generous handfuls of red berries, the incredible sweetness of things, or the way dawn and dusk could reveal my own new thresholds, how a

Read More

Earth Your Dancing Place (a love note from your online Abbess)

To receive this love note straight to your in-box, subscribe here (and also receive a free gift!) Earth Your Dancing Place (excerpt) Take earth for your own large room and the floor of earth carpeted with sunlight and hung round with silver wind for your dancing place —May Swenson, Nature: Poems Old and New Dearest Monks and Artists: I have had the great pleasure of sharing Ireland with John’s two sisters these last couple of weeks.  It was their first time here and so everything was a new discovery.  We loved having family so close and exploring this place we have

Read More

Virtual Book Tour: Interview at Always We Begin Again

Today’s stop is for an interview at Always We Begin Again, a wonderful organization founded by Judy Smoot to support those with chronic illness.  Judy is also a Benedictine oblate, and she and her fellow board member Michael Landon both attended Awakening the Creative Spirit a couple of years ago: Some of our readers may not be familiar with your work as an author, spiritual director, retreat leader and online Abbess of Abbey of the Arts; could you share a little about yourself and the many aspects of your ministry? Abbey of the Arts is a virtual monastery dedicated to

Read More