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Christine’s Prayer Practice

Dear monks, artists and pilgrims, Blessings during this month of remembrance (November) when the veil between worlds is considered to be especially thin and we honor the ancestors of blood and spirit. I love this time of year, especially because we are actively reminded in both Celtic and Christian traditions that we have the love of thousands supporting us and offering us guidance and wisdom for our lives. As many of you know, ancestral healing work, as well as calling on the mystics, has been a central part of my spiritual practice for many years. I sometimes get asked what

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Monk in the World Guest Post: Kirsten Murray-Borbjerg

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Kirsten Murray-Borbjerg’s reflection on God revealed through the stranger. I most often meet God as revealed through the stranger while dancing like a broken windup toy. Dancing is probably not a passion you would imagine a wheelchair user having. But I fell head over heels in love with dancing shortly after the mysterious illness causing me to fall head over heels for no reason at all was finally diagnosed. Despite chronic ill health my passion for music

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Monk In the World: Community 2 – Scripture Reflection by John ~ A Love Note from Your Online Prior

Dearest 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. Each week will offer new reflections on the theme and every six weeks will introduce a new principle. Principle Three: I commit to cultivating community by finding kindred spirits along the path, soul friends with whom I can share my deepest longings, and mentors who can offer guidance and wisdom for the journey. Nehemiah 1:1-11 Nehemiah Prays for His People The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah. In the month of Chislev, in

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Featured Poet: Judyth Hill

Last spring we launched a series with poets whose work we love and want to feature and will continue it moving forward. Our next poet is Judyth Hill whose work is currently centered on honoring the ordinary. Read her poetry and discover more about the connections she makes between poetry and the sacred. Listen below to hear Judyth read her poems: The Hand That Holds the Pen Can Rock the World, On Call for Life, Writing Home, and WAGE PEACE. Wage Peace Wage peace with your breath. Breathe in firemen and rubble, breathe out whole buildings and flocks of red wing blackbirds. Breathe

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Monk in the World: Community 1 – Reflection by Christine with Art ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest 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. Each week will offer new reflections on the theme and every six weeks will introduce a new principle. Principle Three: I commit to cultivating community by finding kindred spirits along the path, soul friends with whom I can share my deepest longings, and mentors who can offer guidance and wisdom for the journey. “To be a monk today or someone seeking to incorporate monastic values into his or her own life presumes being

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Monk in the World Guest Post: Cindy Steffen

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Cindy Steffen’s reflection, “Instead, a Monk.” As I reluctantly walked toward the massive wooden doors of the stone church, every exhausted cell in my body shouted, “I don’t want to be here! I don’t want to do this! I don’t want this life!” It had been just over two months since my husband, Craig, suddenly died of a pulmonary embolism. A month after his passing, we were scheduled to leave on a long-awaited Peregrination; a road trip

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Monk in the World: Hospitality 6 ~ Reflection Questions and Closing Blessing ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest 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. Each week will offer new reflections on the theme and every six weeks will introduce a new principle. Principle Two: I commit to radical acts of hospitality by welcoming the stranger both without and within. I recognize that when I make space inside my heart for the unclaimed parts of myself, I cultivate compassion and the ability to accept those places in others. Spend some time in quiet reflection on the following questions. You

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Featured Poet: Br. Paul Quenon

Last spring we launched a series with poets whose work we love and want to feature and will continue it moving forward. Our next poet is Paul Quenon whose work is inspired by his monastic community, the natural environment, and most recently, personal experiences in meditation.Read his poetry and discover more about the connections he makes between poetry and the sacred. This rather recent poem is based on my meditation practice which is mainly a matter of being present to the moment. God is in the actual and much else too. Seashell of Time This moment, cast up on your

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Monk in the World: Hospitality 5 ~ Suggestions for Practice ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest 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. Each week will offer new reflections on the theme and every six weeks will introduce a new principle. Principle Two: I commit to radical acts of hospitality by welcoming the stranger both without and within. I recognize that when I make space inside my heart for the unclaimed parts of myself, I cultivate compassion and the ability to accept those places in others. Today I offer a suggestion for practicing hospitality in your life. Begin

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Monk in the World Guest Post: Elaine Breckenridge

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Elaine Breckenridge’s reflection “Chickens and Kinship.” A few years ago, I signed the Monk Manifesto and pledged myself to “The Holy Disorder of Dancing Monks.” I took the commitment seriously and adopted the Manifesto as my new Rule of Life. Most recently, the Spirit has given me an opportunity to go more deeply into practicing point four: “I commit to cultivating an awareness of my kinship with creation and a healthy asceticism by discerning my use of

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