Abbey of the Arts

Transformative Living through Contemplative & Expressive Arts

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  • Books
    • Breath Prayer:
      An Ancient Practice for the Everyday Sacred
    • Sacred Time:
      Embracing an Intentional Way of Life
    • The Wisdom of Wild Grace: Poems
    • Earth, Our Original Monastery:
      Cultivating Wonder and Gratitude through Intimacy with Nature
    • Dreaming of Stones: Poems
    • The Soul's Slow Ripening:
      12 Celtic Practices for Seeking the Sacred
    • The Wisdom of the Body:
      A Contemplative Journey to Wholeness for Women
    • Illuminating the Way:
      Embracing the Wisdom of Monks and Mystics
    • The Soul of a Pilgrim:
      Eight Practices for the Journey Within
    • Eyes of the Heart:
      Photography as a Christian Contemplative Practice
    • The Artist's Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom
    • Desert Mothers and Fathers: Early Christian Wisdom Sayings Annotated & Explained
    • Lectio Divina–The Sacred Art: Transforming Words and Images into Heart-Centered Prayer
    • Water, Wind, Earth & Fire: The Christian Practice of Praying with the Elements
    • Awakening the Creative Spirit:
      Bringing the Arts to Spiritual Direction
    • Lectio Divina: Contemplative Awakening & Awareness
  • Poetry | Art | Music
    • Music + DVD
    • Poetry by Christine Valters Paintner
    • Poetry Videos
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      • Monk in the World art series by Kristin Noelle
      • Saints & Animals art series by David Hollington
      • Sacred Time art series by Alexi Francis
      • Mary block print art series by Kreg Yingst
  • Programs
    • Lift Every Voice: Contemplative Writers of Color Book Club
      • Embodied Spirits: Stories of Spiritual Directors of Color (Book Club – March 2021)
      • God Alone is Enough: A Spirited Journey with Teresa of Avila (Book Club – February 2021)
    • Community Online Retreats
      • Harriet Tubman and Howard Thurman-on Being Free
      • Writing Into Bloom
        with Christine Valters Paintner
      • Revelations: The Mysticism of Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe
      • The Wisdom of Wild Grace: A Weekend Retreat Online
      • The Spiral Way:
        Celtic Spirituality and the Creative Imagination
      • Sacred Balance:
        Aligning Body and Spirit Through
        Yoga and the Benedictine Way
    • Self-Study Online Spiritual Retreats
      • Creative Flourishing in the Heart of the Desert:
        An Online Retreat with St. Hildegard of Bingen
      • Dreaming of the Sea:
        A women’s discernment journey through the story of the Selkie
      • Earth, Our Original Monastery
        A Companion Retreat to the Book (SELF-STUDY)
      • Exile and Coming Home:
        An Archetypal Journey through the Scriptures
      • Eyes of the Heart:
        Photography as Contemplative Practice
        (Companion retreat to the book)
      • Honoring Saints and Ancestors:
        Online Retreat for the Season of Remembrance
      • Lectio Divina:
        The Sacred Art of Reading the World
      • A Midwinter God:
        Making a Conscious Underworld Journey (SELF-STUDY)
      • Sacred Rhythms of Sky, Sun, Sea & Stone:
        A Creative Retreat with the Elements (SELF-STUDY)
      • Sacred Seasons:
        A Yearlong Journey through the Celtic Wheel of the Year
      • The Soul of a Pilgrim:
        Eight Practices for the Journey Within
        (a companion retreat to the book)
      • The Soul's Slow Ripening: 12 Celtic Practices for Seekers of the Sacred (a companion retreat to the book)
      • Water, Wind, Earth & Fire
      • Watershed Moments
        in the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures
      • Way of the Monk, Path of the Artist:
        A 12-Week Companion Retreat to The Artist's Rule
      • The Wisdom of the Body:
        A 10-Week Online Companion Retreat to the Book
      • The Wisdom of Mary and the Sacred Feminine
    • Live Programs: Pilgrimage & Retreats
      • Writing on the Wild Edges (Ireland)
      • Hildegard of Bingen (Germany)
      • Awakening the Creative Spirit: Experiential Education for Spiritual Directors in the Expressive Arts (Northwest)
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Monk in the World Guest Post Series

Monk in the World guest post: Shawn Kafader

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission for the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Shawn Kafader's reflection on monastic service and retreat:

I have felt the sense of God’s presence since the earliest memories of my life. As a child I loved to attend church, listen to the stories of the Bible, and share time with God in prayer. By the time I was a teen I knew that I would offer my life to God in some form of vocational ministry. Not always the smoothest of journeys, I can look back knowing that every scene has added a splash of color culminating in a beautiful dance with God.

Euchartist MandalaMy mind is filled with spiritual mentors and companions enriching my journey with God. Pastors and priests, religious and lay, teachers and spiritual directors, friends and strangers, all acting as co-strugglers in uncovering the ever-deepening levels of my contemplative life. A youth pastor inviting me into the world of silent meditation; a college bible study leader challenging me to listen more deeply to God’s Word; a spiritual director encouraging me to attend a Centering Prayer workshop; a religious sister opening the world of journal keeping; a spiritual companion suggesting dreams may speak to my daily life; a friend calling me to create spiritual art expressing my encounters with God; a fellow Monk in the World offering me a ministry opportunity offering my gifts and talents to meet a few needs in the world. These, and so many more, used their passions to call my passions forth.

I currently serve on the Chaplain staff of a large continuous care retirement community. The community was founded in the Christian tradition and has grown over its history into a community of many expressions of faith. Much of my work takes place with individuals. My mantra is, “I am here to minister to you in your faith tradition.” A passion for ecumenical Christian work has blossomed into a rich inter-faith ministry. Monastic contemplative spirituality lends itself to this kind of work. Many of our traditions share some kind of prayer hours throughout the day. Most traditions use some kind of prayer beads assisting us to plunge the depths of the spirit. All can prayerfully choose colors to express spiritual art. If we can do nothing else together, we can sit in the sacredness of silence, listening for the voice of the Divine deep within our hearts. My ministry confirms the fact that although I deeply love my own Christian tradition, those of different faith traditions share much more in common than I once thought possible.

A highlight of my day comes when I can retreat from interaction with others to my office at work or my prayer room at home. If only for the briefest of moments I am surrounded by icons of saints, the symbols of Christ’s life, death and resurrection, prayer beads slipping through my fingers, the familiar words of the Psalms and the renewing peace of sacred silence. Like an electronic device needing to recharge, these moments of retreat allow my generous monastic spirit to take in some nourishment from the One who sustains each moment of life. To be creative in my work, I must take the time with my Creator.

I offer you a recent sacred art creation entitled “Eucharist.” My greatest desire at this time of my life is to feed on the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. As a Monk in the World I desire the Eucharist as often as I can receive. I love to go on retreat where I can daily gather at the table of Christ, often finding the time to linger in the chapel pondering how this feeding represents only a glimpse of how God has fed me throughout my journey and will continue to feed me through all eternity. How great is God’s love for me and the world.

 


Shawn Kafader PhotoShawn Kafader, M.Div., MA, D.Min., LCPC is an ordained non-denominational minister and licensed clinical professional counselor. He serves on the chaplain staff of Friendship Village of Schaumburg, Schaumburg, IL where he ministers to the needs of seniors and supervises mental health and art therapy interns. Shawn enjoys offering contemplative prayer retreats on various topics, wanders in nature, creating mandala art and writing poetry. He and his wife Barbara live in Mount Prospect, IL and are the parents of two young adult children.

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Leave a Comment April 20, 2016

Upcoming Programs

  • Writing Into Bloom with Christine Valters Paintner
    • May 1, 2021
  • Revelations: The Mysticism of Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe
    • May 13, 2021
  • The Wisdom of Wild Grace: A Weekend Retreat Online
    • May 15, 2021 - May 16, 2021
  • View All Upcoming Programs

Recent Reflections

  • St. Kevin Holds Open His Hand and Radical Hospitality ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess
  • Monk in the World Guest Post: Greta Kopec
  • Monk in the World Podcast + Harriet Tubman Mysticism ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess
  • Lift Every Voice: Contemplative Writers of Color – April Video Discussion and Book Group Materials Now Available
  • Hildy Tails 12: Is ait an mac an saol ~ by John Valters Paintner

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