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
    • Lift Every Voice: Contemplative Writers of Color Book Club
      • God Alone is Enough: A Spirited Journey with Teresa of Avila (Book Club – February 2021)
    • 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
      • Sacred Time: Embracing an Intentional Way of Life (Spring 2021)
      • The Two HT’s-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
      • 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
    • 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)
  • Calendar
  • Reflections
  • Contact

Monk in the World Guest Post Series

Monk in the World Guest Post: Heidi Marshburn Massey

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Heidi Marshburn Massey's reflection on contradictions.

For me to be a monk in the world means to take contradictory paths,  the chaos of the work world that surrounds me, marrying it with the stillness and the quiet  that my heart longs for.

Daily I remind myself to allow the latter rule the former.
I am learning in the middle of the day, in the midst of busyness, in the swirling never ending emergencies I am faced with, to stop!

Be still.
Breathe.

Centering my scattered thoughts, bringing them back into oneness with the present.  Beginning again, fresh, focused, ready to forge ahead. I am now able to Weave a beautiful tapestry out of the tragedy that often fills my day.

It is a journey that requires a purposefulness of my words, actions and steps. It takes practice, patience and a downpour of God's mercy laced grace.

I find the more I press in, the more I  learn how to retreat into the cell of my heart.  Even in public places, I am able to bring myself back to the reality of being still, quiet and exuding peace.  I am able to let the peace of God take control and overflow.

In that inner cell I am learning how to give myself permission to invite the hard stuff to have its moment, listening, working through it, then bidding it all farewell.

Through this journey to become a monk in the world,  I am also giving my creative, artist self, permission to explore the depths of its flourishing well.

As I put pen to paper allowing ink to flow onto blank pages,  I know each stroke brings a greater awareness of self and the declaration,  I am free!

I discover as I breathe, I allow things to rise to the surface, skimming off the dross, I am able to release it.The pain of the past no longer has permission to keep me fettered. The chaos of the present no longer has a chain to hold me captive

One of the most treasured lessons I am learning from the school of my inner cell, is to breathe in deeply and exhale fully. Freedom is in each moment—in each cycle of breath.

Through each encountered contradiction along the journey, I strive to let the light shine through my  weathered soul. Like the rays of the sun illuminating the many facets of a stained glass window. This is my adventure of  becoming and of being a monk in the world.

"Contradictions"

Solitude and stillness–clarity of mind
Reaching ahead–old things behind

Peace and tranquility–sought after commodity
In the midst of chaos with stresses bombarding
Breathe deeply-exhale fully-breathe deeply-exhale fully

Sleeping trees–appearing dead
Weathered storms–marred and scarred
Gnarled branches–seeming lifeless
Do you have eyes to see beyond skin that covers?
Breathe deeply-exhale fully-breathe deeply-exhale fully

Buds of life springing forth–covering misshapen appendages
Surrounded by green-new growth awakes
New life beginning to abound
Filling the atmosphere-hope can you hear the sound?
Breathe deeply-exhale fully-breathe deeply-exhale fully

Flowers of spring-new life afresh
Never too late–begin again
A new day that dawns Clean slate–ready A fresh start awaits
Mercy and grace redeeming the realm of time and space
Breathe deeply-exhale fully-breathe deeply-exhale fully


Heidi Marshburn Massey is the Director of The Wake County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Communications Center in Raleigh NC. Although she is new to the contemplative journey, she has always had a heart for being the hands and feet of Jesus among her fellow travelers.

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Leave a Comment October 10, 2018

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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