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Review of The Artist’s Rule at Creative Liberty

Liz Massey at Creative Liberty interviewed me about a year ago and now offers a great review of The Artist’s Rule.  Here is an excerpt: Christine is a master at using texts from other wisdom traditions beyond Christianity to explain the point she is trying to make in each chapter. This broadens the audience that will benefit from this book considerably. It also reinforces a key element in Benedictine thinking, which is to engage the stranger (the person who is not necessarily a member of the same church or subscribes to the same philosophy as the oblate) as a person

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Listen to an Interview with me about The Artist’s Rule

Nathan Rosquist is a member of the Art Monastery, which is a wonderful project based in Italy of artists living together in community exploring what it means to be an Art Monk.  He also blogs at Otherhood where he writes about monasticism and art (yes, my favorite topics).  Nathan was so gracious in inviting me to talk with him about my new book The Artist’s Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom, and our shared passions of creativity and contemplation.  Stop by his post for an interview (about a half hour long).  Leave a comment at his blog for a

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Live it to Give it (guest reflection from Kayce Hughlett)

She had to find it in herself.  —Glinda, The Wizard of Oz (MGM) If someone asked you to describe your relationship to self-care how might you answer? Could you or would you be willing to elaborate on your own soul nourishment practices? Do you even know how to begin? Like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, I’ve discovered the best way is to start at the beginning and follow the yellow brick road. As with Dorothy, my story of change and journey into soulful living began with a catalytic event. In her case the event was being swept up in a

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Sweet Midsummer Blessings (Abbey Sabbatical)

Watermelon  You know what summer tastes like—the pink flesh of a generous earth, this rounded life fully ripe, fully flavored. How could you be ashamed at the tug of desire? The world has opened itself to you, season after season. What is summer’s sweetness but an invitation to respond? There is only one way to eat a watermelon. Bury your face in the wetness of that rosy slab and bite. -Lynn Ungar from Blessing the Bread  I leave on Monday for two weeks away with my beloved in a warm, breezy place with little internet access and nothing but wide

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Everything is holy now

Betsey Beckman and I led the Friday evening plenary session for the Spiritual Directors International conference in Atlanta on “Cultivating the Elements of a Compassionate Heart” where we explored the four sacred elements of water, wind, earth, and fire through visual art, writing, movement, and song.  Below is the visual meditation I created for the opening.  These are my photos which were received in prayer accompanied by Peter Mayer’s beautiful song “Holy Now” (which you can order here).  I am very grateful to Peter for his permission to post this video to the Abbey blog so others can receive its

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The Spiritual Practice of Being Uncomfortable

My latest Seasons of the Soul column at Patheos: Love wants to reach out and manhandle us, Break all our teacup talk of God. If you had the courage and Could give the Beloved His choice, some nights, He would just drag you around the room By your hair, Ripping from your grip all those toys in the world That bring you no joy. Love sometimes gets tired of speaking sweetly And wants to rip to shreds All your erroneous notions of truth . . . The Beloved sometimes wants To do us a great favor: Hold us upside down

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Beginning Again: Benedictine Wisdom for Living with Chronic Illness (Summer 2011)

If you deal with chronic illness or know someone who does, consider joining Benedictine oblate Judy Smoot this summer to form an online community to explore the ways monastic spirituality can support the journey. . . *If you are interested in joining this program, please register soon so that we can determine if we have enough participants to move ahead* This 8-week online course facilitated by Judy Smoot, OblSB , offers participants an opportunity to share with others who live with chronic disease or who support someone with chronic disease. Some illnesses bring little long-term disruption to life.  We may

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The Soul Care Institute is coming. . .

I am getting things ready to travel tomorrow to Atlanta for the Spiritual Directors International Conference where Betsey Beckman and I are leading the Friday night plenary session on Cultivating the Elements of a Compassionate Heart.  We will be engaging the community in visual art, poetry, movement, and song to savor the four sacred elements of water, wind, earth, and fire.  I’ve had several wonderful notes from folks who were offering their prayers while I was away last week on an Abbey dreaming and planning retreat by the sea.  It was a beautiful and inspiring time with lots more details about what

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Easter Blessings

Beyond bunnies, baskets, chocolate, and jelly beans, Easter calls us to the profound practice of resurrection of the body. Resurrection is about entering the fire of our passion and letting it burn brightly.  It is about what enlivens us and makes us feel vital.  It is about feeling the full weight and lightness of our physical being.  What would it mean for you to open yourself fully to the sacred breath moving through and sustaining you moment by moment?  How might you let your dreams and passion be resurrected this season?

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Holy Saturday: The Space Between

My latest Seasons of the Soul column at Patheos: Don’t surrender your loneliness so quickly. Let it cut more deep. Let it ferment and season you as few human Or even divine ingredients can. Something missing in my heart tonight Has made my eyes so soft, My voice so tender, My need of God Absolutely clear. ~ Hafiz Holy Week invites us into a world full of betrayal, abandonment, mockery, violence, and ultimately death. The Triduum, those three sacred days which constitute one unfolding liturgy, call us to experience communion, loss, and the border spaces of unknowing. Holy Saturday is

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