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. Meditations of the Heart is
Dearest monks and artists, Melinda Thomas has been offering her admin support at Abbey of the Arts for many years now. She is often the warm voice who replies to your emails and she makes sure the daily email newsletter gets formatted and scheduled. She has many more gifts, however, including being a terrific writer and an inspiring yoga teacher. She published a book last fall which brings together principles of yogic teaching with those from Benedictine spirituality, two traditions which have shaped me in significant ways. I am really delighted that she agreed to offer an online retreat for
I am delighted to share this beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series by Lisa Bozarth Ozaeta. Lisa is joining Abbey of the Arts as our new seminary intern for the next two years. She is in training for ordination in the Episcopal church and we are delighted to have her enthusiasm and gifts in service to this community. She will be involved in several of our programs. Here she shares a bit of her own practice of silence: One of my rituals is to plant myself on my back deck early in the morning. I
[siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Button_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] “What is serious to men is often very trivial in the sight of God. What in God might appear to us as ‘play’ is perhaps what He Himself takes most seriously. At any rate the Lord plays and diverts Himself in the garden of His creation, and if we could let go of our own obsession with what we think is the meaning of it all, we might be able to hear His call and follow Him in His mysterious, cosmic dance.” —Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation Dearest monks and artists, We now have morning and evening
I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to our Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Tom (TA) Delmore’s reflection taken from the introduction to his book Crossing up River. A children’s story which is only enjoyed By children is a bad children’s story. ~ C. S. Lewis I have been a shy searcher for a relationship with God most of my life. Different paths have taught me much. This is God and I walking together. St Ignatius of Loyola taught me something about story. He said: “put yourself in the gospel story, imagine what it
