Articles on Community

  • Encountering God

    Encountering God is… like meeting a friend or loved one. ~Bernard McGinn

    read more


  • Uselessness and Benefitting Others

    Uselessness and Benefitting Others

    Today’s post is by Shirin McArthur I recently read a Buddhist story, shared by Andō, a Zen poet I follow online, about The Useless Tree. In a nutshell (!), the story is that an oak tree grew so twisted and gnarly that its wood was not considered useful, so it was not disturbed. The point…

    read more


  • Ordinary Life, Extraordinary Grace

    Ordinary Life, Extraordinary Grace

    Today’s post is by Mary van Balen Sometimes an ordinary event becomes an extraordinary grace. That happened to me recently, and I’m grateful. Horrible headlines, day after day, overwhelm. I couldn’t finish reading an article about the violence and abuse that drove Honduran families to risk everything and take a chance on making it to…

    read more


  • Mr. Rogers: Restoring the World to Wholeness One Neighbor at a Time

    Mr. Rogers: Restoring the World to Wholeness One Neighbor at a Time

    Today’s post is by Mary van Balen When my oldest child was three, friends with a son about the same age asked how I liked Sesame Street. I admitted that neither I nor my daughter had seen it. We rarely turned on the television, but after hearing other young parents extolling the show’s merits, I…

    read more


  • Open-Hearted in the Darkness

    Open-Hearted in the Darkness

    Today’s post is by Sarah-Kate Fishback In both joy and pain, love is boundless. Love is open, allowing our hearts to be touched and moved by what exists. Love is honest, willing to be present to life just as it is, in all its beauty and ugliness. True love is not blind at all; it…

    read more


  • May we not

    Though we cannot think alike, may we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion? ~John Wesley

    read more



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.

Cancel