Articles on Community

  • St. Clare of Assisi: Leading with Soul

    St. Clare of Assisi (1194-1253), for centuries best known as St. Francis’ “little plant,” eventually emerged as a strong leader in her own right in thirteenth-century Italy and beyond. While St. Francis took center stage with his extroverted charismatic leadership, St. Clare quietly built stronger structures behind the scenes. As I muse on St. Clare…

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  • Deepening Community

    I recognized the growing niggles of anxiety that I had pushed to the furthest corner of my consciousness were growing more frequent. After several years of change and transition, bearing witness to individual and collective trauma and a growing concern for local and global justice – the dashboard of my life was full of flashing…

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  • God Seeks Me, God is Seeking Me This Moment

    Again and again, I am conscious that I am seeking God. There is ever present in me a searching, a longing for some ultimate resting place for my spirit—some final haven of refuge from storms and upheavals of life.  I seek ever the kind of peace that can pervade my total life, finding its quiet…

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  • More Shalem Picks for Contemplative Resources

    Spirituality is for Every Body: 8 Accessible Ways to Connect with the Divine When Living with a Disability By Allison V. Thompkins, Ph.D.Allison V. Thompkins, Ph.D., shares how spiritual practices have sustained her and how the Spirit has guided her to fulfill her purpose of advocating for the disabled. She illustrates each spiritual practice with…

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  • 2024 Shalem Picks for Contemplative Resources

    A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose by Eckhart TolleI’ve enjoyed reading Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth which clarifies very simply the development of consciousness in human evolution and the role of Ego in undermining higher consciousness. Immortal Diamond by Richard Rohr is another book that addresses similar issues as A New Earth but from…

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  • Respect the Past, Represent the Future

    When I was in college banners hung around campus with the phrase, “Respect the past, represent the future.”  This was a reference to a recently reorganized football program.  The university hoped that this reorganization – and marketing campaign – would lead to a better season.  It didn’t.  But the phrase has stayed with me over…

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Mission

Our mission is to nurture contemplative living and leadership.

Vision

In 2025, Shalem will be a dynamic and inclusive community, empowered by the Spirit, where seekers engage in transformation of themselves, their communities, and the world through spiritual growth, deep connection, and courageous action.

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