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

Reflections

Filter

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

Read More
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

Read More

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

Read More
Monk in the World Guest Post Series

Monk in the World Guest Post: Elise Ritter

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Elise Ritter’s luminous artworks of angels, saints, and ancestors were featured in our Lent retreat, The Love of Thousands. In this reflection she shares a bit of her process and inspiration in painting.  Luminous Grace:  Why I paint the way I do There are two lessons that I learned throughout my years of painting: Do not give up on your dreams and be open to experimentation. The study of painting, under the right teacher, opened up my world.   I

Read More

Prayer Cycle Day 5: Morning and Evening Prayer

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, We continue to share the release of our 7-Day Prayer Cycle to honor Mary and the sacred feminine with Day 5 which focuses on Mother of Sorrows and Greenest Branch.  The first reading for Morning Prayer on Mary as Mother of Sorrows is from Clarissa Pinkola Estes: Even yet in the midst of all our bandages and broken spirit-bones, [Mary] calls us to stop mis-thinking that we stand alone in our challenges, when in fact, she ever stands with us. We ought ever flee to her side, ever hide under her shoulder, ever shelter under

Read More
Uncategorized

I Am Not a Mistake: A Healing Service for the Queer Soul

Sunday, June 26, 2022 11:00am-12:30pm ET with Rev. Simon Ruth de Voil (he/they) and Dr. Jamie Marich (she/they) The Institute for Creative Mindfulness is happy to invite our friend Rev. Simon Ruth de Voil for this special program that they are hosting for Pride Month. Dr. Jamie Marich spends a great deal of time speaking about spiritual abuse and working with LGBTQ+ persons from a clinical perspective. This year, their clinical training organization wants the Pride Month offering to be something that is much more personal for members of the queer/LGBTQ+ communities and their allies. So many individuals who identify

Read More
Lift Every Voice Book Club

Lift Every Voice: Contemplative Writers of Color – June 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 Staying Awake:

Read More

Monk in the World Guest Post: Laura Musick Wright

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Laura Musick Wright’s reflection, “My Rule of Life – A Daily Prayer.” “Dearest monks and artists, it has been such a privilege and honor to take this journey with you.  It brings me such deep and profound joy to support others in integrating the contemplative and creative paths of life.”  —Christine Valters Paintner, The Artist’s Rule – A twelve-week journey.  Allow me, dear Christine, to thank you!  My participation in your 12-week creative journey, The Artist’s Rule, has brought forth such deep and

Read More

Monk in the World Guest Post: Jo-Ellen Darling

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World Guest post series from the community. Read on for Jo-Ellen’s reflection adapted from her book, Journaling as a Spiritual Path: A Journey to Your True Self  and the Divine (Wild Ginger Press, 2022). Journaling is Primarily a Labor of Self-Love  Journaling is a way to stay close to myself and to the God of my understanding. It is loving  myself enough to want to engage in the deep mystery and truth of my own self, not only things  of the past, but in the here and

Read More