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
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    • About Christine Valters Paintner
    • About John Valters Paintner
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  • 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
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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
    • 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)
    • Lift Every Voice: Contemplative Writers of Color Book Club
    • Community Online Retreats
      • 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
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Monk in the World Guest Post Series

Monk in the World Guest Post: Ray Tetz

I am delighted  to share another beautiful submission for the Monk in the World guest post series. Read on for Ray Tetz's reflection, "Here We Go."

UA 301 LAX to BWI, Early June

The rather elderly couple in line behind me were worried about being in the right line. After listening for a few minutes, I turned and suggested that since he uses a cane, he could probably pre-board, and avoid the line entirely.

“I hate doing that,” he said. “Like getting the senior discount, it’s a little bit embarrassing.”

“Nah,” I said. “It will be so much easier for you. And believe me, every person in this line is trying to figure out how to get on that plane first. Just go for it. (And those senior discounts are great.)”

He mustered the smallest possible smile. His wife grabbed her bag and headed towards the pre-boards. He looked at me with something like resignation. “Here we go,” he said.

Here we go, indeed. There is an Australian couple just one row in front of me that don’t much like flying. I know they are Australian because of their accents and his teeshirt. I know they don’t like flying because of their hushed and worried conversation that is clearly about the airplane and the safety card. The man just got a small stuffed Winnie the Pooh wearing a safari hat out of his carry on and has stuffed it into the seat pocket so the Winnie’s head and hat are sticking out looking at him. He has finally settled back in his seat and is looking intently at the little Winnie. “Here we go,” I want to say. “Just ask that guy over there with the cane in the overhead who is adjusting his hearing aid. He knows all about it.”

There’s a woman traveling by herself worried about her suitcase. She’s trying to rearrange all the other bags in the overhead bins so there will be room for hers. A man with a slightly pained expression has stood up to help her. He’s still wearing his coat and tie, all buttoned up and neat, and has suddenly been transformed from a seriously preoccupied road warrior to a skyhop. He’s pushing the stuff all around, trying to make room, she is directing his every move. Ah, he’s done it—the overhead door closes. His pained expression has given way to a grim little smile of satisfaction. And he’s made a friend for life—or at least the rest of this flight. They are talking now, and he’s got his phone out showing her pictures of his grandkids. She’s leaning forward to see them, her smile is genuine. Here we go.

There are only two empty seats on this plane, and one of them is next to me. I feel very fortunate. The woman in the aisle is very pleased as well, and has started to array her possessions for easy access in the half of the seat closest to her. She looks at me briefly to see if that’s a problem. I smile just enough so she knows that I think we are both lucky. Here we go. It’s alright.

I have my earbuds in, and I’m looking out over the wing at the clouds and the Arizona desert below us. I’m ignoring the folder of work I optimistically brought along. It’s Friday, and I don’t feel much like working. Perhaps I’ll just look out the window. Or write a little. The light coming through the window is almost white, and reflects off of my hands resting on the tray-table. My fingers shine, too.

I gather the unexpected sanctuary that this seat has become around me, and even the steady hum of the engine seems far away. “Here we go,” I repeat to myself, “We go.”

I like to imagine that everyone on this plane is going home to someone they love. Or perhaps they are off on a great adventure they’ve been planning for years. There must be some very important reasons they all got up this morning and got on this plane. I don’t really want to know all of them, not right now. I’ve got my music on shuffle, and Neko Case is singing that old Harry Nilsson song, “Don’t Forget Me,” the one he recorded one drunken weekend with John Lennon. They’re both gone now, but the song is still here. That’s a little sad.

But I’m still here. I’ve got a window in the exit row, and an empty seat beside me. A book half-read and time to reflect.  How cool is that?

By habit I fold my hands and lower my head, and from the corner of my eye I see my seatmate softly smiling. Not at me, particularly. Perhaps she has also found her sanctuary. She takes a long drink from her water bottle and leans her head back against the seat, silently closing her eyes. I go back to my book.

I hope everyone on this plane is going home. Because here we go.


Ray Tetz has been a pastor, teacher, and writer. For 40+ years he has worked with faith-based organizations to communicate their mission and vision to the communities they serve. He lives in Thousand Oaks, California.

 

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3 Comments November 8, 2017

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

  • Celtic Spirituality and the Spiral Way ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess
  • 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

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