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The Wisdom of Wild Grace: A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

The Wisdom of Wild Grace from Christine Valters Paintner on Vimeo. Dearest monks and artists, In these dark and difficult days the one thing that continues to offer me solace and strength is time spent in nature, in growing intimacy with Earth and her wisdom. We try to make time during our weekly Sabbath for a walk in the forest and I am blessed to be able to stroll daily by the sea. Inevitably I return feeling more grounded and centered, more certain how important this Earth-cherishing work is. It has been the dominant theme in my writing this past

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Monk in the World Guest Post: Kathleen Deyer Bolduc

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Kathleen Deyer Bolduc’s reflection, “Beauty From the Ashes.” I walk around the south pasture of our retreat center grounds, waiting for a photograph to capture my attention. All I can see is the mess behind the barn. I don’t “see” the barn itself—this beautiful, 1880’s barn that we’ve restored for retreats, contemplation, and worship. The mess overshadows the beauty of this place called Cloudland. The burn pile, which is so big we’re afraid to light it. The

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Earth as Original Monastery

Earth Monastery Prayer Cycle ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest monks and artists, We are back after a monthlong break in our email newsletters. It is always good for us to have this sabbatical from our communications, to be able to turn inward a bit more and to give some time and energy to other projects. We are thrilled to be launching our newest offering – a 7-day Prayer Cycle of morning and evening prayer on the theme of Earth as our monastery. Here is an excerpt from our Introduction: Abbey of the Arts is a virtual monastery and global community of monks, artists, and pilgrims dispersed all over

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Join us for a Summer Online Retreat! + Newsletter Sabbatical ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dancing Monks at Abbey of the Arts from Christine Valters Paintner on Vimeo. Dear monks, artists and pilgrims, We are so grateful to the 35 dancing monks who sent us videos telling us what they loved about Abbey of the Arts. We are even more thrilled to have representatives from the United States, Canada, Ireland, England, Scotland, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and the Philippines included! What an amazing global community we are. We have compiled excerpts from these videos into the one we share above to give a window into what nourishes and sustains us. Please pour a cup of tea

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Monk in the World: Creative Joy 6 ~ Reflection Questions and Closing Blessing from Christine

Dear monks, artists and pilgrims, Thank you for journeying with us through the Monk in the World reflections this year while we have been on our Jubilee sabbatical. Today I offer reflection questions and a closing blessing for principle 8. Principle 8. I commit to being a dancing monk, cultivating creative joy and letting my body and “heart overflow with the inexpressible delights of love.”* (*quote from The Rule of St. Benedict.) Questions for Reflection How might a daily practice of gratitude help you to notice the grace of the ordinary in your life? Are there creative pursuits which call

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Monk in the World Guest Post: Sonia Frontera

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Sonia Frontera’s reflection, “Communing with God in the face of illness inspired by Teresa of Avila.” Santa Teresa de Avila opened the door to the magical world of contemplation and, with it, offered me friendship with a God who is as loving as God is accessible. Regrettably, I didn’t go through that door until mid-life. I was barely 16 years old when Teresa’s path crossed mine and planted a seed in my soul that blossomed like a

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Becoming a Holistic Artist: Embracing Body and Soul in the Creative Process ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dear monks, artists and pilgrims, I was commissioned to write the article Becoming a Holistic Artist: Embracing Body and Soul in the Creative Process by Azusa Pacific University. Read the excerpt below then click the link for the full arcticle. The Monk and Artist Archetypes I have spent most of my professional career exploring the connections between two archetypes – the monk and the artist. Archetypes are universal patterns of energy found across cultures. Each of us has an inner monk and artist and we are invited to cultivate those aspects of ourselves. The monk is the part of ourselves that seeks connection with

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Christine Interviewed on Praying at the Speed of Love Podcast

This is the perfect conversation for a time of pandemic and quarantine. Christine invited us to explore how the monastic view embraces all of life—treasures and sorrows, cygnets and compost. She offered rich insights into the practices of Stability, Wild Edges, Grief, and the paradoxical state of Holy Indifference. She took us into a gentle meditation of memory—a heart practice to rediscover the gifts in small experiences. An excerpt from Earth, Our Original Monastery is included as well as a song based on Christine’s poem about St. Columba and his horse. Click here to listen to the podcast>>

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Monk in the World Guest Post: Nancy L. Agneberg

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Nancy L. Agneberg’s reflection, “Release Busyness-Embrace Fullness.” One morning several years ago, while exercising at the gym, a friend, recently retired, shared that her daughter had tried to guilt her into setting aside her own plans to babysit yet again, “You’re not busy. I don’t see what the big deal is,” the daughter said to my friend, who was ambivalent about how to respond. “Should I drop what I have planned to do with my day when she

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Monk in the World: Creative Joy 4 ~ Guided Movement Practice by Christine – A Love Note from your Online Abbess

Dear monks, artists and pilgrims, During this Jubilee year of sabbatical we are revisiting our Monk Manifesto by moving slowly through the Monk in the World retreat materials together every Sunday. This is our eighth and final principle that we will explore for the next six weeks. Principle 8. I commit to being a dancing monk, cultivating creative joy and letting my body and “heart overflow with the inexpressible delights of love.” *quote is from the Prologue of the Rule of Benedict. Movement Practice Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and

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