Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims,
One of my heart’s great joys is the global nature of this community. To know that there are monks and artists spread all over the world who commit to this way of life brings me tremendous comfort and encouragement.
I feel grateful daily for this vibrant and meaningful work and the amazing people I get to collaborate with to help create our programs and offerings. I am thankful every day for you and for the many notes of encouragement I receive about what our work means to you.
In October we will be adding a fifth week to our prayer cycle resources on the theme of honoring angels, saints, and ancestors with audio podcasts for morning and evening prayer. Next spring we will be creating video podcasts for our Soul of a Pilgrim prayer cycle.
I continue to be delighted to partner with Claudia Love Mair for our monthly Lift Every Voice book club where we speak with wonderful authors and invite this community to enrich our perspectives on the contemplative life and ask deeper questions about justice and community transformation.
We plan to continue our daily and weekly email newsletters and Facebook groups as well. All of these programs above are offered without charge so they can be accessible to anyone who desires to join us. We also offer flexible payment plans, sliding scales, and scholarship assistance for any of our online retreats to those in need as well as well as a free registration option for our monthly centering prayer with Therese (returning September 20th) and contemplative prayer services (returning October 2nd).
This is all a part of our commitment to accessibility. We believe in sliding scale models so that those who are able to support us financially do and those who are unable at this time can still participate. We know we are enriched by everyone who wants to be a part of our community and we do not want money to be a barrier.
However, these things we create all cost money. From the technical end of things to the human labor involved that we compensate for (artists and ministers need a living wage!) the expense of running an online Abbey is significant and program fees cover only part of that.
We are inviting those who are able to help support these and other programs to flourish to consider joining our Sustainers Circle for the year ahead (2023-2024). This provides us with a regular stream of income for our many upcoming projects and creates a more solid base for our scholarships. You help us thrive and in return receive access to various programs depending on the level you choose as well as weekly blessings from me.
If you have read this far, extra special thanks for listening to our request and considering your capacity. We are thrilled to continue offering you many rich resources to deepen your contemplative life and creative expression. Together we will bring more depth, presence, and transformation to the world. Simply showing up and doing the inner work demanded by this way helps each of us to be more present for others in a grounded way, rooted in Love.
This image of the Source of Love invites us to see the Divine as the generous abundance and creative upwelling at the heart of everything. We are invited to be co-creators of this magnificent new reality. Abbey of the Arts is one way we can bring a new vision into being in the world. Thank you for being a part of that in whatever way you participate in this vision.
With great and growing love,
Christine
Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, REACE
PS – I will be a part of a public online ritual that Dr. Daniel Foor is hosting on Ancestors of Path and Culture today. Registration is free and there will be a recording available.
