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Abbey of the Arts Welcomes New Wisdom Council Members!

Abbey of the Arts is extraordinarily delighted to welcome four new members to our Wisdom Council!

Carmen Acevedo Butcher, PhD is an amazing scholar and translator of mystical texts (including most recently Practice of the Presence from Brother Lawrence and she will be leading a program for us on The Cloud of Unknowing in August). We were introduced by our mutual editor and discovered we were both fangirls of one another’s work. She has a beautiful warmth and is rooted deeply in the wellspring of Love.

We also invited three young adult members recently to expand perspectives on our council and welcome in their wisdom. We are thrilled to have people in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s helping support this work in this way! We are only enriched by diversity.

Jo-ed Cabezudo Tome lives in the Philippines and recently launched his wonderful page Millennial Tito Monk (Tito is a term of endearment meaning uncle). Jo-ed is trained in spiritual direction and has almost completed his Masters degree in transpersonal psychology.

Te Martin (they/them) is a gifted singer and songwriter. We first encountered Te at our virtual Celtic pilgrimage at Imbolc last year. They graced us with song and we were smitten with their beautiful voice and joyful presence. Te has a degree in theology and leads community singing, and is featured on our upcoming compilation album this fall.

Cassidhe Hart is a talented writer and liturgist who creates beautiful prayers and liturgies at the intersection of faith, ecology, community, and ritual. She wrote some of the prayers for our Soul of a Pilgrim prayer cycle and will be sharing more of her gifts with us in the months to come.

What is a Wisdom Council?

The Wisdom Council formed to create some more formal structures of support for the work we do. Each member has a strong kinship with the monk and artist path. We call on them for wisdom when creating new programs, considering new ideas, or navigating challenges. They offer their time and guidance to us and so are also in loving service to the wider community. Many of the members also help facilitate or teach portions of our programs, both live and online. We are so grateful to have this vibrant gathering of both spiritual and practical support for the contemplative and creative programs we offer.

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Monk in the World Guest Post: Dena Jennings

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Wisdom Council member Dena Jennings’ reflection on making and sharing music as a spiritual practice. I was 12 years old in 1976.

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