Dec 2023

Give Me a Word: An Advent and Christmas Retreat to Usher in a New Season of Life
with Christine and John Valters Paintner and guest teachers Aisling Richmond, Betsey Beckman, Carmen Acevedo Butcher, Claudia Love Mair, Deirdre Ní Chinnéide, Dena Jennings, Jamie Marich, Jo-ed Tome, Melinda Thomas, Richard Bruxvoort Colligan, and Simon de Voil
Join us for a 33-day retreat that takes us through the seasons of Advent and Christmas, a time to contemplate what holiness we are birthing within our souls. Each day there will be a different practice offered to inspire, challenge, and support you in listening for the word that wants to be spoken to your heart.
Join us for a 33-day retreat that takes us through the seasons of Advent and Christmas, a time to contemplate what holiness we are birthing within our souls. Each day there will be a different practice offered to inspire, challenge, and support you in listening for the word that wants to be spoken to your heart.

Contemplative Prayer Service
with Christine Valters Paintner, Simon de Voil and special guest Polly Paton-Brown
Join us on the first Monday of every month for an online contemplative prayer service. Simon de Voil will be leading music and Christine Valters Paintner will be leading reflection and lectio divina or other meditative practice. Special guest Polly Paton-Brown will share her gifts with us.
Join us on the first Monday of every month for an online contemplative prayer service. Simon de Voil will be leading music and Christine Valters Paintner will be leading reflection and lectio divina or other meditative practice. Special guest Polly Paton-Brown will share her gifts with us.

My Heart Feels Lean: Behold the Darkness, Cradle the Light
with Melissa Layer
Join Melissa Layer, a psychospiritual therapist and interfaith spiritual companion, in listening with the ears of our hearts as we explore how “… the dark, too, blooms and sings” (Wendell Berry). We will open ourselves gently to the graces that conscious grieving can bring through explorations in poetry, writing, and prayer.
Join Melissa Layer, a psychospiritual therapist and interfaith spiritual companion, in listening with the ears of our hearts as we explore how “… the dark, too, blooms and sings” (Wendell Berry). We will open ourselves gently to the graces that conscious grieving can bring through explorations in poetry, writing, and prayer.

Seeing the Light: A Poetry Reading with Kenneth Steven
with Kenneth Steven
Join us for a holy pause as we approach the solstice, with a reading from much-loved Scottish poet and dear friend of Abbey of the Arts, Kenneth Steven. Kenneth will be reading from his newest poetry collection, Seeing the Light.
Join us for a holy pause as we approach the solstice, with a reading from much-loved Scottish poet and dear friend of Abbey of the Arts, Kenneth Steven. Kenneth will be reading from his newest poetry collection, Seeing the Light.

Centering Prayer
with Therese Taylor-Stinson
Centering Prayer is a method of Christian meditation that places a strong emphasis on interior silence or stillness. Our time together will include checking in, teaching on a theme to inspire contemplation drawn from a wide variety of sources, time in silence together, and reflection.
Centering Prayer is a method of Christian meditation that places a strong emphasis on interior silence or stillness. Our time together will include checking in, teaching on a theme to inspire contemplation drawn from a wide variety of sources, time in silence together, and reflection.
Jan 2024

A Different Kind of Fast Book Launch
with Christine Valters Paintner and Richard Bruxvoort Colligan
During this free hour-long event, Christine will share the themes and invitations of her new book A Different Kind of Fast: Feeding Our True Hungers in Lent and lead us in a guided meditation experience. Richard will offer the gift of music. There will also be a chance to win a signed copy of the book or a place in the Lenten online companion retreat for those who are able to join us live.
During this free hour-long event, Christine will share the themes and invitations of her new book A Different Kind of Fast: Feeding Our True Hungers in Lent and lead us in a guided meditation experience. Richard will offer the gift of music. There will also be a chance to win a signed copy of the book or a place in the Lenten online companion retreat for those who are able to join us live.

Contemplative Prayer Service
with Christine Valters Paintner, Simon de Voil, and special guest Jamie Marich
Join us for an online contemplative prayer service. Simon de Voil will be leading music and Christine Valters Paintner will be leading reflection and lectio divina or other meditative practice. Special guest Jamie Marich will share their gifts with us.
Join us for an online contemplative prayer service. Simon de Voil will be leading music and Christine Valters Paintner will be leading reflection and lectio divina or other meditative practice. Special guest Jamie Marich will share their gifts with us.

The Love of Thousands: Honoring Angels, Saints, and Ancestors ~ An Online Companion Retreat to the Book
with Christine & John Valters Paintner, Betsey Beckman, and guest teachers
We will be standing on the threshold between worlds, courting connection with all those well and wise ones who dwell beneath the surface of everyday awareness.
We will be standing on the threshold between worlds, courting connection with all those well and wise ones who dwell beneath the surface of everyday awareness.

Centering Prayer
with Therese Taylor-Stinson
Centering Prayer is a method of Christian meditation that places a strong emphasis on interior silence or stillness. Our time together will include checking in, teaching on a theme to inspire contemplation drawn from a wide variety of sources, time in silence together, and reflection.
Centering Prayer is a method of Christian meditation that places a strong emphasis on interior silence or stillness. Our time together will include checking in, teaching on a theme to inspire contemplation drawn from a wide variety of sources, time in silence together, and reflection.

The Cave of Transformation, Shapeshifting, and the Medicine of Song: A Mini-Retreat on Ireland’s Mermaid Saint
with Christine Valters Paintner and guest musician Te Martin
Join us on the eve of the feast of St. Muirgen, the mermaid saint of Ireland, whose story was written down in the 6th century and is a map for transformation. Through teaching, meditation, reflection, writing, gentle movement, and song we will lean into our own mythical journeys and call on St. Muirgen to help bring us clarity and guidance for next steps.
Join us on the eve of the feast of St. Muirgen, the mermaid saint of Ireland, whose story was written down in the 6th century and is a map for transformation. Through teaching, meditation, reflection, writing, gentle movement, and song we will lean into our own mythical journeys and call on St. Muirgen to help bring us clarity and guidance for next steps.

The Seeds are Rumbling: Calling on Brigid as Midwife, Muse, and Transforming Fire
with Christine Valters Paintner
Through teaching, meditation, poetry, song, and creative exploration, you will be invited to tend to the seeds rumbling within the dark fertile earth of your own spirit and call upon Brigid to help nurture them into new beginnings. (This retreat is hosted by Mercy by the Sea.)
Through teaching, meditation, poetry, song, and creative exploration, you will be invited to tend to the seeds rumbling within the dark fertile earth of your own spirit and call upon Brigid to help nurture them into new beginnings. (This retreat is hosted by Mercy by the Sea.)
Feb 2024

Contemplative Prayer Service
with Christine Valters Paintner, Simon de Voil, and special guest Therese Taylor-Stinson
Join us for an online contemplative prayer service. Simon de Voil will be leading music and Christine Valters Paintner will be leading reflection and lectio divina or other meditative practice. Special guest Therese Taylor-Stinson will share her gifts with us.
Join us for an online contemplative prayer service. Simon de Voil will be leading music and Christine Valters Paintner will be leading reflection and lectio divina or other meditative practice. Special guest Therese Taylor-Stinson will share her gifts with us.

A Different Kind of Fast: Lent Retreat 2024 ~ An Online Companion Retreat to the Book
with Christine & John Valters Paintner, Amanda Dillon, and Jamie Marich
These are fasts from certain ways of being in the world which can deplete us and increase our anxiety and suffering. We don’t just abstain from them, but also embrace their antidote which lead us to identify our true hungers. This Lent we will live more fully into a vibrant state of being so that we are resourced to bring our unique creative gifts into the world.
These are fasts from certain ways of being in the world which can deplete us and increase our anxiety and suffering. We don’t just abstain from them, but also embrace their antidote which lead us to identify our true hungers. This Lent we will live more fully into a vibrant state of being so that we are resourced to bring our unique creative gifts into the world.

Centering Prayer
with Therese Taylor-Stinson
Centering Prayer is a method of Christian meditation that places a strong emphasis on interior silence or stillness. Our time together will include checking in, teaching on a theme to inspire contemplation drawn from a wide variety of sources, time in silence together, and reflection.
Centering Prayer is a method of Christian meditation that places a strong emphasis on interior silence or stillness. Our time together will include checking in, teaching on a theme to inspire contemplation drawn from a wide variety of sources, time in silence together, and reflection.

I Will Live Until I Die: Exploring Thea Bowman as Prophet and Mystic
with ValLimar Jansen
Experience a two-hour retreat with ValLimar Jansen reflecting on the life, the work, the words, and the ministry of Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration, Servant of God, Sr. Thea Bowman.
Experience a two-hour retreat with ValLimar Jansen reflecting on the life, the work, the words, and the ministry of Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration, Servant of God, Sr. Thea Bowman.
Mar 2024

Contemplative Prayer Service
with Christine Valters Paintner, Simon de Voil, and special guest Richard Bruxvoort Colligan
Join us for an online contemplative prayer service. Simon de Voil will be leading music and Christine Valters Paintner will be leading reflection and lectio divina or other meditative practice. Special guest Richard Bruxvoort Colligan will share his gift of music with us.
Join us for an online contemplative prayer service. Simon de Voil will be leading music and Christine Valters Paintner will be leading reflection and lectio divina or other meditative practice. Special guest Richard Bruxvoort Colligan will share his gift of music with us.

The Dance of Conflict Transformation
with Dr. Dena Jennings
In this retreat, explore the components of conflict in our daily lives as illuminated by the lives of mystics and saints. We will examine personal and communal aspects of conflict transformation as we observe how our desert elders and Celtic saints moved through opposition.
In this retreat, explore the components of conflict in our daily lives as illuminated by the lives of mystics and saints. We will examine personal and communal aspects of conflict transformation as we observe how our desert elders and Celtic saints moved through opposition.

Centering Prayer
with Therese Taylor-Stinson
Centering Prayer is a method of Christian meditation that places a strong emphasis on interior silence or stillness. Our time together will include checking in, teaching on a theme to inspire contemplation drawn from a wide variety of sources, time in silence together, and reflection.
Centering Prayer is a method of Christian meditation that places a strong emphasis on interior silence or stillness. Our time together will include checking in, teaching on a theme to inspire contemplation drawn from a wide variety of sources, time in silence together, and reflection.
Apr 2024

Contemplative Prayer Service
with Christine Valters Paintner, Simon de Voil, and special guest Te Martin
Join us on the first Monday of every month for an online contemplative prayer service. Simon de Voil will be leading music and Christine Valters Paintner will be leading reflection and lectio divina or other meditative practice. Special guest Te Martin will share their gift of music with us.
Join us on the first Monday of every month for an online contemplative prayer service. Simon de Voil will be leading music and Christine Valters Paintner will be leading reflection and lectio divina or other meditative practice. Special guest Te Martin will share their gift of music with us.

Animist Christianity: Tending Your Wild Heart with Our Beloved Plant Kin
with Lindsay Sudeikis
We will contemplate and connect with our beloved plant kin, as Jesus, Mary, and so many saints have done for centuries.
We will contemplate and connect with our beloved plant kin, as Jesus, Mary, and so many saints have done for centuries.

Centering Prayer
with Therese Taylor-Stinson
Centering Prayer is a method of Christian meditation that places a strong emphasis on interior silence or stillness. Our time together will include checking in, teaching on a theme to inspire contemplation drawn from a wide variety of sources, time in silence together, and reflection.
Centering Prayer is a method of Christian meditation that places a strong emphasis on interior silence or stillness. Our time together will include checking in, teaching on a theme to inspire contemplation drawn from a wide variety of sources, time in silence together, and reflection.

Awakening the Creative Spirit: Experiential Education in the Expressive Arts (Northwest)
with Kayce Stevens Hughlett and Betsey Beckman
A five-day, in person, experiential intensive exploring tools for integrating the arts and imagination into spiritual direction and other healing ministries.
A five-day, in person, experiential intensive exploring tools for integrating the arts and imagination into spiritual direction and other healing ministries.

Virtual Celtic Pilgrimage: The Wisdom of Irish Saints Colman, Sourney, and Patrick
with Christine Valters Paintner and guest teachers
This year’s pilgrimage celebrates the feast of Bealtaine (or sometimes spelled Beltane) which is the Celtic feast of blossoming and the start of the light half of the year in the northern hemisphere.
This year’s pilgrimage celebrates the feast of Bealtaine (or sometimes spelled Beltane) which is the Celtic feast of blossoming and the start of the light half of the year in the northern hemisphere.
May 2024

Contemplative Prayer Service
with Christine Valters Paintner, Simon de Voil, and special guest Soyinka Rahim
Join us on the first Monday of every month for an online contemplative prayer service. Simon de Voil will be leading music and Christine Valters Paintner will be leading reflection and lectio divina or other meditative practice. Special guest Soyinka Rahim will share her gift of music with us.
Join us on the first Monday of every month for an online contemplative prayer service. Simon de Voil will be leading music and Christine Valters Paintner will be leading reflection and lectio divina or other meditative practice. Special guest Soyinka Rahim will share her gift of music with us.

Centering Prayer
with Therese Taylor-Stinson
Centering Prayer is a method of Christian meditation that places a strong emphasis on interior silence or stillness. Our time together will include checking in, teaching on a theme to inspire contemplation drawn from a wide variety of sources, time in silence together, and reflection.
Centering Prayer is a method of Christian meditation that places a strong emphasis on interior silence or stillness. Our time together will include checking in, teaching on a theme to inspire contemplation drawn from a wide variety of sources, time in silence together, and reflection.

Queering Contemplation: Finding Queerness in the Roots and Future of Contemplative Spirituality
with Cassidy Hall, MA, MDiv, MTS
Our time together in queering contemplation will examine what it means to queer the deserts of our lives, what it feels like to queer our inner sanctuary, and how letting go of the contemplative status quo and trusting our own inner experience can expand our lives into infinite possibility.
Our time together in queering contemplation will examine what it means to queer the deserts of our lives, what it feels like to queer our inner sanctuary, and how letting go of the contemplative status quo and trusting our own inner experience can expand our lives into infinite possibility.
Jun 2024

Contemplative Prayer Service
with Christine Valters Paintner, Simon de Voil, and special guest Dena Jennings
Join us on the first Monday of every month for an online contemplative prayer service. Simon de Voil will be leading music and Christine Valters Paintner will be leading reflection and lectio divina or other meditative practice. Special guest Dena Jennings will share her gift of music with us.
Join us on the first Monday of every month for an online contemplative prayer service. Simon de Voil will be leading music and Christine Valters Paintner will be leading reflection and lectio divina or other meditative practice. Special guest Dena Jennings will share her gift of music with us.

Centering Prayer
with Therese Taylor-Stinson
Centering Prayer is a method of Christian meditation that places a strong emphasis on interior silence or stillness. Our time together will include checking in, teaching on a theme to inspire contemplation drawn from a wide variety of sources, time in silence together, and reflection.
Centering Prayer is a method of Christian meditation that places a strong emphasis on interior silence or stillness. Our time together will include checking in, teaching on a theme to inspire contemplation drawn from a wide variety of sources, time in silence together, and reflection.