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Sacred Artist Interview: Jan Richardson

I have been a fan of Jan Richardson‘s work for a long time.  Her books In Wisdom’s Path: Discovering the Sacred in Every Season and Night Visions: Searching the Shadows of Advent and Christmas are two of my favorites because of their combining of word and image. Unfortunately the latter of those two is only available used through Amazon now as very expensive copies (I helped Jan sell out of her own copies), but she is working on getting it re-printed. I also enjoy Sacred Journeys: A Woman’s Book of Daily Prayer, filled with Jan’s meaningful words.  She also has a

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February 28, 2008

Abbey Bookshelf: Shadow Work

“But when the shadow is given conscious recognition we will find that it has much of positive value to add to our personality, often giving us the earthiness, or instinctuality, or zest for living, or humility that is exactly what we need to complement our personality and become a complete human being.” -John A. Sanford, Dreams: God’s Forgotten Language (originally found at lucy’s) Tending Two Shops Don’t run around this world looking for a hole to hide in, There are wild beasts in every cave ! If you live with mice, the cat claws will find you. The only real rest comes

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February 27, 2008

Notes from New Orleans

I spent the last several days in New Orleans at a meeting for Loyola’s adjunct faculty in their ministry extension program.  I began this role in the fall so this was my first time at their campus, even though I used to do some group facilitation for them while living in the Sacramento Diocese.  It was a great trip in many ways.  There were four new faculty members this year and we were warmly welcomed by returning faculty. So much has been stirred in me from this trip.  Some of it has to do with witnessing the slow work of rebuilding

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February 26, 2008

6 Words

H.M. offered this 6 Word Memoir Meme to his readers: try to write your whole life story in just six words.  I am doing a slight variation, in that trying to encompass the whole of my life so succinctly feels overwhelming.  But while at this conference I am attending, someone asked me what is the fundamental message I try to convey in my retreat work.  I offered a longer version of the words below, and realized this is my own primary practice: making space for newness emerging within I’d love to hear your own six word memoir which you can leave

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February 23, 2008

Visual Meditation: Dropping Keys

* * *  Dropping Keys The small man Builds cages for everyone He Knows. While the sage, Who has to duck his head When the moon is low, Keeps dropping keys all night long For the Beautiful Rowdy Prisoners. -Hafiz * * * * (a simple meditation this week — photo is of a collection I have of old keys from Austria)  -Christine Valters Paintner @ Abbey of the Arts ** Come back Monday for our next Poetry Party **

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February 22, 2008

Sacred Artist Interview: Maggie Yowell

I first met Maggie Yowell when she came to me for spiritual direction and then later she participated in our Awakening the Creative Spirit program.  It was more of a continued nurturing in the program since she had long been awakened through her work in SoulCollage, both as artist and facilitator of the process.  In the last couple of years though, her work has really blossomed as she has been defining her work as a Collage Artist, Spiritual Director, Creativity Coach, Life Enrichment Specialist, SoulCollage™ Facilitator, Veriditas Certified Labyrinth Facilitator, Church School Director, and Doula, all through her website Spirit

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February 21, 2008

Abbey Bookshelf: Poetry Writing Edition

I adore poetry and often find it to be a source of profound wisdom as valuable to me as other sacred texts. I sometimes write them myself and post them, although they often stay tucked in the pages of my journal. I love to lead poetry-writing exercises in some of my retreat and training programs, and of course I adore hosting the Poetry Parties here at the Abbey where you, my splendidly creative readers, share your own poetic gifts so generously with me. I’m feeling inspired to make poetry-writing a more sustained practice in my quiet moments, so I am pulling some good books off of my

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February 20, 2008

Creative Rhythms

The moon will be full this Thursday, February 21st. There are no children in our home (by choice, I might add), and so I gather “the sleeping infant of (my)self” to go out into the dark night and drink in the inky beauty of white rock in a sea of blackness.  My sun sign is Cancer whose planet is the moon.  I have always felt an affinity for the moon and her phases and rhythms, appreciating the profound wisdom of her gentle waxing and waning as a mirror of the movement of the seasons from flowering to death and back to blossoming again. 

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February 19, 2008

Visual Meditation: Birds Being Set Free

Into the Wild The cancer began so small, just a hummingbird caught in the house. It could be gently removed without much fuss, flying from the window, opened. But, a whole other nest was found. Hiding in the corner, this cancer was not so innocent. As the eggs cracked and babies grew, they brought a frenzy and chaos within. Although these were just small wrens, the surgeon wielded his knife. Poison comes next since traces of birds slipped into narrow passageways. I will take this path but still resist my body becoming a battlefield. No wars in my veins. No

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February 15, 2008

Sacred Artist Interview: Tim Mooney

This week’s interview is with artist Tim Mooney. I first met Tim five years ago when he audited a class I co-taught through the San Francisco Theological Seminary on “Freeing the Imagination: Creativity as Christian Spiritual Practice.”  The course was funded by the Practicing Our Faith project and was an exciting opportunity to journey with twelve graduate students and ministers, exploring together the possibilities that creative practice holds for Christian communities.  Tim brought rich reflection from his own experience as an artist, spiritual director, and pastor within the Presbyterian tradition.  Since that time he has developed himself as an artist to the

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February 14, 2008