Taking Off Our Masks Some of us put a great deal of time and effort into Halloween. We decorate and stock up on extremely sweet treats. Many of us have Halloween traditions we have been looking forward to for almost an entire year. Most significant of all, we choose, put together, and implement our costumes. The most challenging part of many costumes is our mask. Even with an excellent outfit, people can still tell who we are without a good mask.... Read more
Inspiration in the Routine I know people who perceive monastic life as a way to run away from everyday living. They think people become monks to avoid the stresses and strains of what the rest of us do. It appears to them it must be easier to live without needing to make a living or raise children. There are other people I know who think leaders have it made. For them, the world is divided into leaders and people who actually work... Read more
Beneath the Surface We think listening to sacred stillness is like stretching out and lying on the beach. With our eyes closed, we try to clear our minds of everything which distracts us. The immense empty stillness spreads out like the ocean stretches from the beach. If only we could let go of our concerns and assumptions, we could look out to the horizon. But when we stand on the beach looking out over the ocean, we only see the top... Read more
Asking for Directions There is something about me. I may look reliable or like I know where I am going. I walk as much as I can, and it is not unusual that I get stopped and asked for directions. Sometimes it is other pedestrians, or even people driving past. People ask me how to find the freeway or a park, certain streets or restaurants or stores. I am not sure why I am the one they ask. I am often reflecting or trying to work out... Read more
Communities of Strangers Monasteries are like many other organizations in quite a few ways. Organizations attract people from a wide variety of locations and educational backgrounds. People bring their own personalities to an organization. Lots of organizations draw people with diverse strengths and skills. Getting people to work well together is one of the most significant challenges for any organization. Corporations, nonprofits, and other groups look for people who share core values. Even if people have different ways of understanding... Read more
What Our Eyes Can See We trust what our senses tell us and what we experience. The things we can hear and taste, smell and touch and see are the boundaries of our belief. Our lives are shaped by many things which are beyond what our eyes can see. We have heard Seeing is believing. The fact is, though, when we can see we do not need to believe. Belief becomes more important, and more challenging, as we go beyond what we can... Read more
When Spiritual Life Falls to Pieces There are times when everything seems to just fall apart. We were trying to put all the pieces in place and hold them together. If only we worked as fast as we could and solved the puzzle, everything would be alright. We almost had it together when it all fell apart and nothing was the way it was supposed to be. This is not the way we expected things to happen. Spiritual life was going to fill us with joy and... Read more
The Speed of Chanting Many Benedictine monks practice Gregorian chant. The monks at the hermitage where I am an oblate chant together at four services each day. They recite prayers and sacred passages following set rhythms and melodies. Their chanting is slow and reflective, drawing people into contemplation. It is not the chanting of fans at a sporting event or protesters at a demonstration. People purchase and download recordings of monks, and other people chanting. Many people find listening to... Read more
Becoming Open to Hope Being hopeful is not necessarily my first inclination. I often look for problems first and tend to savor a good worst case scenario. Part of my reaction is based in my personality. I was brought up to see people who got too hopeful too quickly as naive. My training was to look for problems I could solve. Identifying challenges and how to meet them was more practical than finding hope. Over time I became indifferent, and then even resistant, to hope.... Read more
Why Are We Still Practicing? Until I finished high school, I was a percussionist. I usually played bass drum in the marching band and tympani in the concert band. At the completion of my musical career I was the percussion section captain. I enjoyed almost everything about being a percussionist except practicing. The percussion was rarely the focus when the whole band practiced. I avoided practicing on my own as much as possible. We would figure out who would play what... Read more
Strategic Monk
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