Contemplative Living Archives | Abbey of the Arts

Holiness of Work ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest dancing monks, artists, and pilgrims, Tomorrow Simon and I will be joined by guest musician and Wisdom Council member Jamie Marich for our monthly Contemplative Prayer Service. Our theme this month is the 5th principle of the Monk Manifesto. Here is an excerpt from our Monk in the World self-study retreat. Principle 5: I commit to bringing myself fully present to the work I do, whether paid or unpaid, holding a heart of gratitude for the ability to express my gifts in the world in meaningful ways. Work is an important element of monastic life. Benedict called for his monks to live by the work of their own

February 2, 2025

What I Know + Love of Thousands Video Prayer Cycle Day 5 ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest dancing monks, There is much uncertainty and unknown right now. Many of us are in deep grief and I encourage you to bestow lavish hospitality on all of your feelings – let your rage, sadness, despair, confusion, and more have space in you. Move your body, let her speak its wisdom, and give yourself the gift of as much rest as possible. What I do know is that our commitment to a contemplative path does make a difference. Keep showing up with presence to what is real and true. Cherish what is beautiful and kind. Commit to the slowness

November 10, 2024

The Contemplative Summit hosted by Spiritual Wanderlust

I am delighted to be in such good company for the upcoming online Contemplative Summit hosted by Spiritual Wanderlust including teachers Carmen Acevedo Butcher, Omid Safi, Tia Norman, Kaira Jewel Lingo, and Randy and Edith Woodley. The event is free. When you use the link below to register, Abbey of the Arts receives support for its scholarship fund: https://tinyurl.com/ContemplativeSummit October 24-27, 2024 Whether you’re new to the contemplative path or have been journeying for years, there’s something here for everyone. This Summit is about living the questions: What do the mystics teach us about becoming whole? How can we embody

October 18, 2024

The Cloud of Unknowing and the Greening Power of Contemplation ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dearest monks, artists, and pilgrims, Last spring I received an email from my editor at Broadleaf Books to connect me with Carmen Acevedo Butcher who had a new translation of Brother Lawrence’s writings out. That connection was such a gift as I have been a fan of Carmen’s work for years, having especially loved her work with the women mystics. We went on to record a conversation about The Practice of the Presence for our book club and found Carmen to be not only a wise teacher of contemplative practice, but a beautiful human being full of kindness and enthusiasm. A friendship

August 20, 2023

NEW YouTube Channel!

We have a new YouTube channel! This is another resources we are pleased to offer our dancing monks where you can follow new posts in our Lift Every Voice book club, our Prayer Cycle series, Poetry Videos, and Tea with the Abbess. Subscribe to the channel.

April 6, 2023

Blessing on the feast of Francis of Assisi

Blessings on this feast of Francis of Assisi! In 2019, John and I had the joy of traveling to Assisi on pilgrimage to walk in Francis’ landscape. It was such a gift to connect more deeply to this amazing human being and his sister-in-spirit Clare. Francis witnesses to our call to sacred joy, to holy foolishness, and to a love of all creation. Saint Francis Where there is hatred, let me sow love. —prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi A wolf circles the town walls with jaws ready to tear apart. Francis opens the gate, extends a steady hand,

October 4, 2022

Christine’s Reflection on Honoring the Body

Christine has a new reflection published at Bearings journal online on Honoring the Body: “My story is not a one-way hero’s journey. I have not overcome or done battle; I don’t want to be anybody’s inspiration. Stories that give the impression that one can achieve victory over the body’s vulnerabilities do a great disservice to the collective imagination by pushing away the discomfort of grief. I want my story to reveal that tenderness and surrender instead of fortitude and domination are signs of strength. I want my story to say that yielding to my body’s needs rather than forcing myself

January 26, 2022

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Category: Contemplative Living

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Holiness of Work ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

What I Know + Love of Thousands Video Prayer Cycle Day 5 ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

The Contemplative Summit hosted by Spiritual Wanderlust

The Cloud of Unknowing and the Greening Power of Contemplation ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

NEW YouTube Channel!

Blessing on the feast of Francis of Assisi

Christine’s Reflection on Honoring the Body

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Monk in the World Guest Post: Richard Bruxvoort Colligan

Threshold, Liminality, and the Way of the Mystic ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Monk in the World Guest Post: Betty Vandervest

The Path of Devotion ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

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