Abbey of the Arts

Transformative Living through Contemplative & Expressive Arts

  • Welcome
    • Prayer Cycle
      • Introduction to the Earth Monastery Prayer Cycle
      • Day 1 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Cathedral
      • Day 2 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Scriptures
      • Day 3 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Saints
      • Day 4 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Spiritual Directors
      • Day 5 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Icon
      • Day 6 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Sacrament
      • Day 7 Morning & Evening Prayer:
        Earth as the Original Liturgy
      • Prayer Cycle Leader Resources
    • About the Abbey
    • About Christine Valters Paintner
    • About John Valters Paintner
    • About the Wisdom Council
    • Monk Manifesto
    • Join the Holy Disorder of Dancing Monks
    • Subscribe to Our Love Notes
    • Website privacy notice
  • Books
    • 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
    • Dancing Monk Icons
    • Other Art Collaborations
      • 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
    • Live Programs: Pilgrimage & Retreats
      • Monk in the World (Ireland)
      • Writing on the Wild Edges (Ireland)
      • Vienna Monk in the World (Austria)
      • Hildegard of Bingen (Germany)
      • Awakening the Creative Spirit: Experiential Education for Spiritual Directors in the Expressive Arts (Northwest)
    • Community Online Retreats
      • Lift Every Voice: Contemplative Writers of Color
      • The Way of the Hermit:
        A Spiritual Survival Guide for Dark Times
        with Kayleen Asbo, PhD
      • The Spiral Way:
        Celtic Spirituality and the Creative Imagination
      • Journey with the Desert Mothers and Fathers (Lent 2021)
      • Dancing with Fear in Troubled Times
      • Novena for Times of Unraveling
      • The Two HT’s-Harriet Tubman and Howard Thurman-on Being Free
      • Writing Into Bloom
        with Christine Valters Paintner
      • Sacred Time: Embracing an Intentional Way of Life (Spring 2021)
      • Poetry and the Sacred Garden of the World:
        An Online Writing Retreat
    • 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
      • 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
  • Calendar
  • Reflections
  • Contact

Monk in the World Guest Post Series

Monk in the World Guest Post: Naomi Kelly

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission for the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Rev. Naomi Kelly's reflection on finding God's grace in the non-anxious practice of visio divina.

IMG_0701Most mornings, when I get up to walk the dog, I take my smartphone with me, keeping the camera poised to snap pictures. What a blessing to have been exposed to the idea of visio divina from Christine and Abbey of the Arts. Everything we pass—trees, rocks, creatures—offers a feeling, a whisper, a message from the Divine.  It’s so much as looking for God to speak to me as it is being present and letting the picture come to you.

Even a short walk around my neighborhood reveals so many gifts of nature. The deer are watching, hoping to receive a hand out. There are drops of water, glistening on the pine needles like diamonds. The promise of spring abounds in the buds, the running water, and in the air itself.

I feel I am one with the earth, human/humus. When I am in the forest, or by a stream, or overlooking a meadow, I feel as though I am part of it—it is home, it is belonging. A gust of wind will get my attention and I can feel the earth breathing with me; I am in awe and at the same time a component of the awe. A drop of dew on a flower petal holds my reflection and the mystery of all reflections.  Just stepping outdoors and breathing in the air of ‘almost spring’ reminds me that I am alive and it energizes me.

There is a story John Philip Newell tells about a dog who went into a church sanctuary, sniffed around and left because there was nothing there that would interest a dog. And what interests a dog? Natural smells – my dog is interested in so many things as the snow recedes, as if there are new found friends being born out of melting ice. That powerful story made me think about our churches: What do our churches offer that the people need? Is a sterile building giving substance to our people to awaken and open our hearts?  Many of Newell’s writings have helped me to reconcile my love of nature with Christianity. Of course, reading the stories of Jesus, we find he is always walking off in the wilderness, meditating outside, telling stories about the weather, or food. He was an outdoors sort of guy.

Because  of the visio divina, I decided to share some of my pictures, so I began to post a picture with a short caption almost everyday on Facebook. I would see a sun rise and the beauty would be breathtaking, and posting it would prompt questions like: ‘Where do you see beauty today?’ The questions helped to focus me. Later, I began to have a theme. One week in particular revolved around a small fern-like plant called lycopodium. We have four species in our area, and while it was fun, I found myself beginning to determine the content instead of letting the content capture me. Later, I decided to follow the lectionary so that my Facebook posts could be related to what I was going to discuss during Sunday morning worship. For a while I felt very confined. ‘Oh no,’ I thought, ‘What if I don’t find a picture that goes along with the lectionary?’ When we try and control the outcome we can get ourselves in some anxious situations. But visio divina is not an anxious practice, it is freeing and surprising. I learned more about the graciousness of God and how, if I make a commitment to show up for this practice, there will be a picture and there will be a question. It is like writing, the more we write, the more we are able to write. This is true with most any practice.

This summer it will be a whole year of this practice. What could I possibly see that will be new? Haven’t I explored my neighborhood enough? Maybe I should move out and see what else the world has to offer. That is the kind of thinking that stops an artist, that stops spiritual growth, too. Better questions for me will be, what does today have to offer? What is drawing my eyes this morning? As we say in our yoga meditation, ‘I am awake, I am alert, I am practicing.’

As I continue to be in the world of nature and let it teach me, I think that my awareness (consciousness) of it will increase my ability to find more wholeness, unity and peace. "


Naomi KellyRev. Naomi Kelly is a pastor, Spiritual Director and retreat leader.

 

 

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Leave a Comment August 31, 2016

Upcoming Programs

The Spiral Way:
Celtic Spirituality and the Creative Imagination

Hosted by the Rowe Center
February 1-21, 2021
with Christine Valters Paintner, PhD

Journey with the Desert Mothers and Fathers
Retreat for Lent 2021

February 17-April 1, 2021
with Christine & John Valters Paintner and Betsey Beckman

Recent Reflections

  • Hildy Tales 3: Ní heolas go haontíos ~ by John Valters Paintner
  • Humility + Join us today for live prayer! ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess
  • Hildy Tales 2: Tús maith leath na hoibre – by John Valters Paintner
  • New Book Club for 2021: Lift Every Voice ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess
  • Hildy Tales One: Dia dhuit, is mise Hildy! by John Valters Paintner, Your Online Prior

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