I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Joni Sensel’s reflection, “From Monk to Mummy and Back.” Monks have always interested me; my second novel is set in a tenth-century abbey, and as a long-distance hiker I’ve long considered myself a peregrina, not in medieval robes but in Gore-Tex. So when I discovered Abbey of the Arts a few years ago, I was immediately intrigued. To explore my evolving identity as a monk in the world, I signed up for one of the Abbey’s five-day

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Jennifer Trently’s reflection on finding and extending hospitality in the midst of death. Having committed myself to be a Monk in the World for the past seven years, I have found that at various times, parts of the manifesto are harder to carry out than others.  I like living by the cycle of seasonal liturgical rhythms and for the most part, enjoy a less hurried life. However, as spring began earlier this year and Lent was ending,

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Elaine Pope’s reflection “Looking and Seeing.”  Christine Valters Painter calls photography “the practice of cultivating our capacity to see things as they really are” in her book, Eyes of the Heart: Photography as Christian Contemplative Practice, (Notre Dame: Sorin), 2013. 48]. I have been practicing this new spiritual discipline for a couple of years now, ever since I came across it in one of Abbey of the Arts’ online retreats. I love the idea of walking slowly

We welcome you to submit your reflection for possible publication in our Monk in the World guest post series. It is a gift to read how ordinary people are living lives of depth and meaning in the midst of the challenges of real life. There are so many talented writers and artists in this Abbey community, so this is a chance to share your perspective. The link to the reflection will be included in our weekly newsletter which goes out to thousands of subscribers. Please follow these instructions carefully: Please click this link to read a selection of the posts

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Rich Lewis’ reflection on centering prayer. On workdays my first centering prayer sit is at 5:45 a.m. I always feel some anxiety after I wake. Then I retreat to the basement, light a candle, and sit on a couch. It wakes me up. The anxiety fades. It fills me with interior peace and energizes me for the day. I use the Contemplative Outreach phone app. The timer is set for twenty minutes. I read the opening prayer.

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Elizabeth Brady’s reflection “The Slow Unfurling of a Fiddlehead.” When I reflect on the question of how I live as a monk in the world I think of a fiddlehead. It is a delightful word to say and invites the inevitable question: what is a fiddlehead? A fiddlehead is the furled frond of a young fern. It is largely ornamental and can be eaten as a side dish, but if it were left on the plant to

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Jen Arendt’s reflection, “A Whisper in the Wind.” As I sit in stillness in the sweet little oasis that I call my backyard, I am filled with joy to share the stirrings of my tender, grateful heart. Being outside, in God’s creation, has a magical way of calling forth the deepest parts of my being. It’s as if I truly come alive…it’s where I am most at ease welcoming even the parts of me that are not