Reflections

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World  guest post series from the community. Read on for Marianne Patrevito’s reflection, “Contemplative Anxiety.”  I consider myself a contemplative. Committing to being a Monk in the World, I lean in towards the practices of the mystics. Centering prayer, lectio divina, solitude and silence feed my soul. I am most alive wandering in the forest near my home, walking through a field, or breathing the air that dances above a large body of water.  I love to create, especially when I am alone, whether it be painting,

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for CJ Shelton’s reflection, “A Prayer for All of Creation.” Living the quiet and contemplative life of an artist and “monk in the world” in Ontario, Canada, I am blessed to have each distinct and seasonal quarter turn of Nature’s Wheel influence both my art and my prayers. In the winter months, those prayers are often for the birds, animals and trees that must endure the harshness of our Canadian sub-zero temperatures and snowy storms. This winter though,

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. This one comes from Melinda Emily Thomas, Administrative Assistant for Abbey of the Arts, whose new book, Sacred Balance: Aligning Body and Spirit Through Yoga and the Benedictine Way, published by Broadleaf Books will be released October 13th. Studded with illustrations of basic yoga poses and ideas for wellness, prayers, and meditations, this book offers principles and practices that guide us toward peace and wholeness. “In the earliest days of grade school we learn our primary colors: red, yellow, blue. Then the secondary colors: green,

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Liz Hill’s reflection, “Who Needs A Church?” For many years, I was an active member of a Unitarian Universalist congregation, a denomination known for its non-creedal spirituality and its long history of social justice work. Whenever I talked to friends or co-workers about my church, there was curiosity. What did we believe? What kinds of people attend? How do you join? More than once, the conversation ended with the other person concluding, “If I needed a church,