Paying Attention to Spring It can be a challenge for us to pay attention to spring. For many of us, our lives have become long strings of days following each other. It can be difficult to distinguish one day from another. Some of us tend to forget which day it is today. The pandemic has made it hard for us to pay particular attention to each day. We might not have noticed when spring began, in this hemisphere, a few... Read more
Are We Having a Good Lent? We are almost two weeks into the liturgical season of Lent. How are we doing? Will it be a good Lent? Fortunately, if it is not, we still have plenty of time to make it a good one. What does it mean for us to have a good Lent? For some of us, it is a matter of feeling particularly sorry and penitent. Some of us prepare for Easter by stocking up on eggs... Read more
Stillness Before Daylight Saving Dawn Mornings last week were beginning to show the first omens of spring. Light was starting to shine through those chilly winter mornings. This week, daylight saving time has pushed that light back into its box. Those of us who remembered to spring forward find ourselves emerging into mornings which are once again dark and still. It generally takes my mind and body a few days to adjust after each change. Nearly 70 countries in the world... Read more
When This World Breaks Our Hearts We live in heartbreaking times, filled with painful news from around the world which breaks our hearts. Though we are able to talk face to face with people on the other side of the earth, we cannot resolve long term problems. War, hunger, disease, and hopelessness show themselves again and again. What does spiritual life have to offer us in these times other than easy platitudes and unfulfilled promises? It is not as if spiritual life provides... Read more
Where Do We Go to Get More? We live in a world where almost everyone wants to get more. Some of us want to get more money or more time. Many people are desperate for more celebrity, particularly on social media. We want bigger and smarter houses or faster cars. Some of us hope to spend our vacations in more relaxing places. Almost everyone seems to be looking for more of something. Where are you looking for more? We seem... Read more
Practicing Lent as Contemplatives I am a member of a church where one liturgical season ended and another began this week. Wednesday was Ash Wednesday, the first day of the liturgical season we call Lent. how are we practicing Lent as contemplatives this year? Lent is not a season about giving things up. It is not a liturgical second chance for people who have not followed through on their New Year’s resolutions. Lent is not primarily about chocolate, caffeine, alcohol,... Read more
Discerning Guidance in the Stillness What is guidance and why would we listen to stillness to find it? How do we discern guidance in stillness? We find looking for knowledge or information less challenging than seeking guidance. Our culture seems to value being informed and knowing things more than discerning guidance. Some of us assume we need to grow old in order to discern. We like to believe experience automatically helps us find guidance. We might try discerning guidance from... Read more
Crying Peace When There is No Peace We live in a world where peace is elusive and difficult to find. Our world is one of conflict and aggression, full of wars and rumors of wars. We hear news several times each day about how someone is pushing someone else around. Even when we get together and try to work things out, our efforts often end in pain and grievance and frustration. It feels like those of us who want peace... Read more
Facing the Secret Darkness Within Us Many of us see ourselves as beings full of light and life who need to embrace the light within us. Some, though, believe there is secret darkness within us. When I was a child I was told there was darkness within all of us. Spiritual life seemed to me to be a struggle between good and evil, light and darkness. Nobody was perfect, but it sure seemed like appearing to be perfect was... Read more
When We Are Too Tired to Listen I believe it is important for us to follow our contemplative practices regularly. The practices themselves help us learn how to be open to the sacred stillness within us and around us. Our contemplative practices help form a framework for spiritual life. Even when we are too tired to listen. It helps us when our intentional practices become habits and we find ourselves at home in them. When we begin a new spiritual... Read more
Strategic Monk
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