If you missed the virtual launch of The Wisdom of Wild Grace: Poems written by Christine Valters Paintner, hosted by Paraclete Press, and moderated by Mark Burrows, you can watch the replay below. It was a wonderful hour-long conversation where Christine shared many of her poems and some of the inspiration behind them and the book.
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,
Earth Monastery Prayer Cycle: Day 1 Evening Prayer from Abbey of the Arts on Vimeo. Click Here to listen to the Audio Podcast Dearest monks and artists, Celebrate with me! In addition to our Earth Monastery Prayer Cycle being released this fall, I am delighted that my second poetry collection – The Wisdom of Wild Grace – is also launching with an online event hosted by Paraclete Press tomorrow on October 12th. (Register here) I would be most grateful if you would consider writing a review on Amazon or Good Reads. Every review and recommendation helps the work spread. Read
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,
Earth Monastery Prayer Cycle: Day 1 Morning Prayer from Abbey of the Arts on Vimeo. Dearest monks and artists, Happy Feast of St. Francis! It is an especially appropriate day to announce that today we are launching a series of audio & video podcasts for our Earth Monastery Prayer Cycle. It has long been a dream of mine to create a series of morning and evening prayers for the Abbey of the Arts community, prayers that were inclusive and poetic, that celebrated our kinship to all of creation, that encouraged us to sing and dance. This Prayer Cycle really came
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,
What She Does Not Know – Poem Video from Abbey of the Arts on Vimeo. What She Does Not Know (for unsuspecting Selkies everywhere) She does not know there is a reason she always feels out of place her life rigid and small, like living in a doll’s house a marriage more trap than longing and when she chokes on courtesy and convention the salt which burns her throat is not just tears. She does not know that when she stands on the sea’s wild edge and can finally breathe, dream, weep, her body strains forward seawater in her veins,
I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Pastor Tara L. Eastman’s reflection “Car Wash Prayer By.” Recently, when heading to my local gas station to fill up my car, the cashier swiped my “discount card” and said, “Hey there, you have points for a free car wash.” So, with gas tank filled, my reusable coffee mug re-filled and my “Free Car Wash” points in hand – I pulled around to the back of the store. There were lots of things on my mind and
Once – Poem Video from Abbey of the Arts on Vimeo. Once my hands were made of silver, delicate, refined, needing to be polished daily, glinting on sun-heavy days until I made my way into the woods listened for long while, ear pressed to soft earth thirsty for the song I heard among roots and moss, rumors that spring was coming, could even hear the magnolia bud rumbling. I stayed that way for years, prone, breathing in scent of fur and feather until everything silver fell away until flesh rose back up my arms pink covered me like the promise
During these coming months (Oct 2020 – April 2021) I am working with a group of dancing monks from our Abbey community who want to facilitate my book Earth, Our Original Monastery with their own small groups and retreat settings. Below I will be adding the details for those offerings which have open registration in case you’d like to join some folks local to you in making this journey together. Some programs will be entirely online, some a hybrid of live in-person (with social distancing outdoors) and online gatherings. [siteorigin_widget class=”SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget”][/siteorigin_widget] St Bede’s Pastoral Centre in York UK – ONLINE