I have been captivated by heavenly lights in the night sky for as long as I can remember. My fascination was encouraged by an uncle who was a NASA engineer. I was awakened to even greater possibilities by a television show. It presented the stars as the “final frontier” and the chance to “explore strange new worlds.” While I have never left the earth’s atmosphere or gravitation, I still love the idea of exploring. Space is not the only frontier... Read more
We hear a lot these days about being good listeners. Listening is often identified as an essential leadership skill. It is true that listening is more than merely preparing to say something more. Listening well demands we pay attention to different levels of meaning. Some people listen to the words we speak, some listen to a level of meaning deeper than our words. Some listeners are able to listen to what we mean while also recognizing meaning within themselves. Monks are... Read more
I can remember, not so long ago, when my spiritual life was focused on knowing. My spiritual practices were about searching and finding. I was essentially a spiritual detective, looking for clues that would answer questions and solve riddles. It was clear that the active person was me, in pursuit of spiritual life. I was comfortable being a spiritual detective, because I could run my own cases. I had a general understanding of the procedures and was fine as long as I did things by... Read more
Beth Allen Slevcove is a spiritual director who lives with her family in San Diego, California. We became friends several years ago when we both helped facilitate a retreat for urban leaders in Los Angeles. Beth’s book, Broken Hallelujahs, is a powerful and personal reflection on the losses in our lives. She describes the life journey that took her from singing Hallelujah riding a bus to summer camp to singing Leonard Cohen’s “cold and broken hallelujahs” with her brother a few weeks... Read more
We strive to build organizations that will last longer than we do. We try to understand our values, find a vision that expresses them, and put it into practice. We do our best to enlist other people and find healthy ways to work together. We celebrate when we maintain our efforts for five, or ten, or twenty years. Benedictine monastic communities are guided by Benedict’s Rule, written 1,500 years ago. In everyday, practical language, Benedict spells out how monastic community works.... Read more
There are people who are passionate about politics. These people connect strongly to candidates and policies that appeal to their own deepest feelings. They might express their political ideals in strong language and memes on social media. These people are not trying to persuade other people to agree with them. Their political ideas and involvement express their strongest, most personal emotions. They often view politics as a struggle, a conflict, and are campaigning for what they believe is right. There have been times... Read more
Obedience is not generally one of my greatest strengths. I do not expect other people to obey what I say until we understand each other. I do not appreciate being told what to do without a supporting relationship of trust and communication. It is not a challenge for me to work within a structure, when I can see how the structure works. Benedict’s Rule, which guides Benedictine monastic life, has a lot to say about obedience. A vow of obedience... Read more
We tend to forget. Things happen we think we will remember for the rest of our lives, but new experiences crowd them out. Moments we struggle for years to achieve fade into the forgotten past. People who teach us things that change our lives get lost in the crowds that surround us. We become intrigued and distracted. We can lose sight of what is important to us in the swirling tides of urgent demands. We get so caught up in winning and... Read more
We like to think we can plan our way through difficulties. We believe we can assess challenges and, if we are realistic, set goals to overcome them. We are confident we can grow in ways we want to grow if only we clarify our intentions. Our plans and goals are often primarily focused on what we believe we can force ourselves to do. If we stretch a little further, work a little harder, we can perform at a higher level.... Read more
We live in a time when there is nearly always someone or something shouting at us. We are immersed in noise from the time we get out of bed to when we try to go to sleep. People, advertising, websites, podcasts, social networks, music all compete for our attention. It is true. We cannot hear ourselves think. Which does not even mention all the sounds of thinking and feeling inside our own heads. We become accustomed to being overwhelmed by the cacophony of our world. We... Read more
Strategic Monk
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