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Humility + Join us today for live prayer! ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

The Way of the Hermit with Kayleen Asbo from Abbey of the Arts on Vimeo. Dearest monks and artists, * * * * * Please see the note below about joining us today for our live prayer service (we love gathering together in real time). The video above is from Dr. Kayleen Asbo who is offering a retreat on The Way of the Hermit next weekend. * * * * * This year of pandemic, political instability, and continued climate crisis has shaken most of us. We feel unsteady, overwhelmed, perhaps struggling to find hope in the midst of continual difficult news,

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January 17, 2021

Hildy Tales 2: Tús maith leath na hoibre – by John Valters Paintner

Hello, gentle readers! This series of 12 essays were composed during John & Christine’s Jubilee Year (which began pre-pandemic, but some of which was written during varying degrees of lockdown). They were dictated to John by the Abbey’s mascot, Hildy the Monk-ey. Hildy is a bit of a free spirit who likes to entertain and doesn’t normally feel constrained by conventional story structure . . . or grammar, in general. She lives by the motto that “all stories are true; some actually happened.” We wanted to share them with you, our wider Abbey community, to give you a small monkey-sized

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January 13, 2021

New Book Club for 2021: Lift Every Voice ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Earth Monastery Prayer Cycle: Day 7 Evening Prayer from Abbey of the Arts on Vimeo. Listen to the Audio Podcast Earth Monastery Prayer Cycle: Day 7 Evening Prayer Dearest monks and artists, We have lots of wonderful things in store for you this year! Lift Every Voice Book Club One of our new offerings will be a monthly book club called Lift Every Voice: Contemplative Writers of Color. The Christian contemplative tradition is largely dominated by the European mystics. With the rise in awareness around the rich diversity of voices available to us, we wanted to explore what our understanding

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January 10, 2021

Hildy Tales One: Dia dhuit, is mise Hildy! by John Valters Paintner, Your Online Prior

Hello, gentle readers! This series of 12 essays were composed during John & Christine’s Jubilee Year (which began pre-pandemic, but some of which was written during varying degrees of lockdown). They were dictated to John by the Abbey’s mascot, Hildy the Monk-ey. Hildy is a bit of a free spirit who likes to entertain and doesn’t normally feel constrained by conventional story structure . . . or grammar, in general. She lives by the motto that “all stories are true; some actually happened.” We wanted to share them with you, our wider Abbey community, to give you a small monkey-sized

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January 6, 2021

Celebrate the Earth Monastery Prayer Cycle podcast with us!

Our final episode of the Earth Monastery Prayer Cycle will be available Sunday, January 10th! We are so thrilled to now have a full week of morning and evening prayers Abbey-style available for you to pray with on your own or with your community as a free resource. I am especially grateful to Betsey Beckman, Simon de Voil, and Richard Bruxvoort Colligan, without whom these audio and video resources would not be possible. We are hosting a live event Sunday, January 17th at 8 pm Ireland/UK time (3 pm Eastern / 12 noon Pacific) to celebrate the completion of this

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January 5, 2021

Join us for A Midwinter God & Epiphany! ~ A Love Note from Our Online Abbess

Earth Monastery Prayer Cycle: Day 7 Morning Prayer from Abbey of the Arts on Vimeo. Day 7 Morning Prayer: Earth Monastery Pray Cycle Audio Podcast Day 7 Morning Prayer: Earth Monastery Prayer Cycle Dearest monks and artists, Happy New Year! We begin our Midwinter God online retreat tomorrow. I offer you this reflection on the spiritual practice of being uncomfortable which is at the heart of the journey of descent: Part of my daily contemplative practice these last several years has been yin yoga. In yin yoga, the poses are held for long periods of time (anywhere from 3-20 minutes).

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January 3, 2021

Solstice and Christmas Blessings ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Earth Monastery Prayer Cycle: Day 6 Evening Prayer from Abbey of the Arts on Vimeo. Day 6 Evening Prayer: Earth Monastery Prayer Cycle – Audio Podcast Day 6 Evening Prayer: Earth Monastery Prayer Cycle Please note that we are taking a 2-week break from our weekly love notes (including next Sunday) and we will return on January 3rd. Dearest monks and artists, It has certainly been a disorienting year for us all. So much grief and loss. So much change. So much uncertainty. It is challenging to make room for it all when we likely just want to hold onto

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December 20, 2020

Monk in the World Guest Post: Jenine Baines

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Jenine Baines’ reflection, “Hail Mary, Full of Grace and Surprises and Smiles.” When I was twelve, I wanted to be a movie star or a nun. And while, outwardly, I’ve become neither, I carry the spirit of both within me. I believe with the fervor of a nun (or Monk in the World). Except when I don’t. When the doubts return and the ghost of the late renowned atheist Christopher Hitchens haunts me. Then I take a

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December 16, 2020

Prayer Cycle Podcast + Midwinter God ~ A Love Note from Your Onliness Abbess

Earth Monastery Prayer Cycle: Day 6 Morning Prayer from Abbey of the Arts on Vimeo. Click here to listen to the audio podcast  Earth Monastery Prayer Cycle: Day 6, Morning Prayer So don’t be frightened, dear friend, if a sadness confronts you larger than any you have ever known, casting its shadow over all you do. You must think that something is happening within you, and remember that life has not forgotten you; it holds you in its hand and will not let you fall. Why would you want to exclude from your life any uneasiness, any pain, any depression,

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December 13, 2020

Monk in the World Guest Post: Lisa Deam

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Lisa Deam’s reflection about inner pilgrimage in this time of pandemic. Thanks to the pandemic, we’ve all become a little monkish, whether we want to or not. I’ll admit that the recent months of isolation haven’t always felt very sacred to me. As I continue to restrict my movements out of extra caution, I’ve deeply missed the ordinary activities of daily life, such as gathering with friends and writing in coffee shops. And I mourn the loss

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December 9, 2020

Upcoming Programs

Contemplative Prayer Service: Conversion
Contemplative Prayer Service: Conversion
7 Apr 25
Ripened (S)aging: A Good Friday Invitation for Exploration of Grief, Loss & Mortality in Our Wisdom Years
Ripened (S)aging: A Good Friday Invitation for Exploration of Grief, Loss & Mortality in Our Wisdom Years
18 Apr 25
Ancestors & Archetypes: A Journey Through the Expressive Arts (Pacific Northwest, U.S.)
Ancestors & Archetypes: A Journey Through the Expressive Arts (Pacific Northwest, U.S.)
21 Apr 25

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