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Lift Every Voice Book Club

Lift Every Voice: Contemplative Writers of Color – August Video Discussion and Book Group Materials Now Available

Join Abbey of the Arts for a monthly conversation on how increasing our diversity of perspectives on contemplative practice can enrich our understanding and experience of the Christian mystical tradition. Christine Valters Paintner is joined by author Claudia Love Mair for a series of video conversations. Each month they take up a new book by or about a voice of color. The community is invited to purchase and read the books in advance and participate actively in this journey of deepening, discovery, and transformation. Click here to view this month’s video discussion along with questions for reflection. This month’s selection is The Spiritual

August 4, 2022

Monk in the World Guest Post Series

Monk in the World Guest Post: Jamie Marich

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Wisdom Council member Jamie Marich’s reflection and poem on healing spiritual wounds. Jamie will be leading a mini-retreat on Healing the Wounds of Spiritual Abuse on Saturday, August 20th. Several years ago during my own trauma therapy, the memory that I share about in this poem came rolling back for me as I worked through the wounds of my own spiritual abuse–specifically experienced for me as growing up with one Catholic parent and one Evangelical Protestant parent.

August 3, 2022

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Lughnasa and Gathering the Fruits ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims Lughnasa (pronounced Loo-nassah) is one of the ancient Celtic feasts celebrated on August 1st marking the time of the beginning of the harvest and the gathering in. It is said to honor the Celtic sun-god Lugh who was an ally to the farmer in the struggle for food. With the Summer Solstice six weeks before, you can start to really feel the shortening of the days in August in Ireland. There is a subtle shift in the light and the air that leans towards autumn’s crispness and cooler days. The energy in the world is changing.

July 31, 2022

Sabbath Rest for Abbey of the Arts ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, Every summer we try to step back from this wonderful work and take a bit of time off for planning, dreaming, and resting. Sabbath is one of the profound gifts of a generous and abundant divine presence who says that work is good and rest is necessary. We are so grateful for all the ways this community supports our work in the world and we are eager to listen more deeply in the coming weeks to what new things want to be birthed through the Abbey in the coming year. We will be taking a

June 26, 2022

Monk in the World Guest Post Series

Monk in the World Guest Post: Natalie Salminen

I am delighted to share a beautiful submission to our Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Natalie Salminen’s reflection on creativity, faith, and painting the liturgy of the hours. I was exhausted in every sense of the word. As a mother to three, foster parent, visual artist, pastor’s wife, school volunteer, and small business owner, I was struggling to keep up with life’s daily demands. In the midst of this busy season, I longed to be true to my artistic practice, knowing well the power of creativity to heal and align. My husband and

June 22, 2022

Prayer Cycle Day 7 Morning and Evening Prayer ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, We conclude our release of the Birthing the Holy Prayer Cycle with an excerpt from Day 7 Evening Prayer honoring Mary, as Mirror of Justice. The video above is for the beautiful song Magnificat which we commissioned from our dear friend Simon de Voil. He created such a moving sung prayer. You are invited to pray with it in the audio podcast of the Prayer Cycle or with the images in the video above. Let this be a time of meditation on Mary’s desire and longing for justice in the world and how we might be empowered

June 19, 2022

Christine Interviewed on Catholic Faith Network Live

Christine was interviewed about her book Birthing the Holy: Wisdom from Mary to Nurture Creativity and Renewal on Catholic Faith Network Live.

June 15, 2022

Monk in the World Guest Post: Lita Quimson

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Wisdom Council member Lita Quimson’s reflection “Dispositioning: Entering the Holy of Holies” which she offers as preparatory guidance for retreats. We are entering into the veil where the Arc of the Covenant (The tabernacle of the Ancient temple of Jerusalem)resides. Disposition The predominant or prevailing tendency of one’s spirits; natural mental and emotional outlook or mood; characteristic attitude: A state of mind regarding something -dictionary.com A day or two before the start of our retreat, we are

June 15, 2022

Abbess love notes

Prayer Cycle Day 6 Morning and Evening Prayer ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, We are delighted to share Day 6 of our Birthing the Holy Prayer Cycle with you which honors Mary as Theotokos (God-Bearer/ morning prayer) and Mystical Rose (evening prayer). The video above is another one created by our filmmaking friends in Galway, Morgan Creative, to bring this beautiful song to life. We invite you to pause for a meditative moment. If you have any rose tea on hand (either rose hips or rose petals or both!) consider brewing a cup to inhale and sip slowly while contemplating the images. The song itself is based on an old traditional German

June 12, 2022

Monk in the World Guest Post: Anne Buck – Awakening the Creative Spirit

I am delighted to share this beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read for Anne Buck’s reflection on finding her creative voice at the Awakening the Creative Spirit retreat. This retreat is being offered live April 21-26, 2024 in the Pacific Northwest with Kayce Stevens Hughlett and Betsey Beckman as facilitators. Thirteen years ago I attended my first Awakening The Creative Spirit at St Andrew’s Retreat Center on the Hood Canal. I was following an interest that began with a couple of on-line courses at Abbey of the Arts with Christine Valters

June 9, 2022

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Lift Every Voice: Contemplative Writers of Color – August Video Discussion and Book Group Materials Now Available

Monk in the World Guest Post: Jamie Marich

Lughnasa and Gathering the Fruits ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Sabbath Rest for Abbey of the Arts ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Monk in the World Guest Post: Natalie Salminen

Prayer Cycle Day 7 Morning and Evening Prayer ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Christine Interviewed on Catholic Faith Network Live

Monk in the World Guest Post: Lita Quimson

Prayer Cycle Day 6 Morning and Evening Prayer ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Monk in the World Guest Post: Anne Buck – Awakening the Creative Spirit

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Monk in the World Guest Post: Sharon Dawn Johnson

Gratitude Blessing + The Love of Thousands Prayer Cycle Day 7~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Monk in the World Guest Post: Janeen Adil

Spirituality of Blessings and The Love of Thousands Prayer Cycle Day 6 ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

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