Practicing Centering Prayer for Lent Centering prayer is one of my contemplative practices. It is a form of prayer, and a way to learn how to become more open to the presence of the Holy. We understand God is always with us. When we seem to be far from God it is because we are distracting ourselves or getting in our own way. Centering prayer is prayer beyond the thoughts, words, or feelings which tend to draw our attention away.... Read more
Paying Attention Like a Monk Focus is one of my strengths. Concentrating is not generally difficult for me. Some people describe me as having “attention surplus disorder.” An ability to focus and pay attention can give us significant benefits. While I do not have the best eye for detail, paying attention helped me do well in school and practice law. My skill in concentrating was important in remembering facts and dealing with witnesses. We tend to rely on our abilities to... Read more
The Stillness of Lent Are we listening to the stillness of Lent this year? Last Wednesday was Ash Wednesday, the first day of the liturgical season my church calls Lent. Lent is not a season about giving things up. It is not a liturgical second chance when we have not followed through on our New Year’s resolutions. Lent is not primarily about chocolate or caffeine, alcohol or social media. We have begun a season about being honest with ourselves, with... Read more
There is Even More We stand on a beach looking out over the expanse of an ocean. No matter how much water we can actually see, there is even more. Watching wave after wave reach the shore we know there are even more to come. We look up at the night sky knowing no matter how much we can see, there is more. Stars beyond our ability to count and keep track, and there are still more beyond them. It... Read more
Open to Something New Does spiritual life help us become open to something new, or is it all about holding on to what we already have? Last week my father-in-law, who is in his nineties, went to the Apple Store for the first time. We wished we could have gone with him, if only to hear what happened, but we were already busy. He is a retired teacher, and had a great time. His iPhone seems to work better, though... Read more
What is Lent All About? I am a member of a church where one liturgical season ends and another begins next week. Next Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the first day of the liturgical season we call Lent. Lent is not about giving things up. It is not a liturgical second chance for people who do not follow through on their New Year’s resolutions. Lent is not primarily about chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, or social media. We are beginning a season about... Read more
Not All About Sex and Romance Valentine’s Day is not all about sex and romance, but about love. We talk about the power of love. It can be a challenge for us, though, to appreciate the practical, everyday power of love in our lives. Sometimes it is easier for us to see how powerful hate can be. Hate often appears to be better equipped and better organized than love. Love can seem to be warm and gooey, accompanied by... Read more
Do Our Rituals Create Us or Do We Create Them? Are we creatures of our own rituals? Do our rituals make us who we are, or do we make them what they are? I know people who find it impossible to function unless they do certain things in specific ways. Some of us need to begin our mornings with exactly the right type of caffeination. We may have certain routes we follow whenever we go particular places. Some of us... Read more
Are We Ready to Emerge From Hibernation? Some days feel like it is all too much. We need to continue hibernating, spending the day in bed wrapped in our blankets. Other days cause us to wonder whether we might be ready to begin emerging from our winter hibernation. This has been a season of difficulties and challenges for many of us. Each week seems to bring us new reasons to turn over, pull our blankets around us, and continue hibernating.... Read more
Do We See Our Own Shadow? Groundhog Day is one of my favorite traditions. Do we see our own shadow? My understanding is it is all about when a groundhog wakes up from hibernating early in February. If the groundhog sees its shadow it will retreat back into its burrow and winter will persist for another six weeks. When a groundhog cannot see its shadow it is a sign spring will arrive in only another month and a half. The... Read more
Strategic Monk
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