Articles on Community
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Thank You, Shalem
by Jean Link As I sit down to write about my experience of leaving the Spiritual Guidance Program staff this year, all that comes to me is to simply say, “Thank You.” Reflecting back on my 25-year experience with Shalem, I remember when I was first introduced to Shalem. Barbara Osborne, a long-time Shalem staff person, brought me to…
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The Congregation as a Place of Spiritual Formation
by Robert Duggan We Americans like to take care of things neatly and efficiently, preferably from a prepackaged solution that can get quick results with a minimum of hassle. Our cultural bias towards action and our get-the-job-done outlook impacts our approach to spiritual formation as much as it does a variety of other areas of life. Communities or individuals who…
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The Imprint of God’s Fingers
by Bill Dietrich “It is not you who shapes God, it is God who shapes you. If then you are the work of God, await the hand of the artist Who does all things in due season. Offer God your heart, soft and tractable, And keep the form in which the artist has fashioned you. Let your clay…
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An Act of Lunacy or Freedom
by Amy Cole On October 21 of last year, I sat down to write a check to a charity that I have followed but never supported financially. In the weeks prior to this, the rumors of financial institutions’ collapse had continued to escalate. I live in Charlotte, NC, which is a financial hub—home to the headquarters of Bank of…
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What is Contemplative Spirituality?
Pulse aquí para leer la monografía de nuestro personal “¿Qué es la espiritualidad contemplativa?” en español. 여기를 누르시면 샬렘 선임연구원들의 논문 “관상적 영성이란 무엇인가?”를 한글로 읽으실 수 있습니다. Printable PDF “What is Contemplative Spirituality?” A generation ago, most people were uncomfortable talking about their personal spirituality. Now, however, people speak of it so freely that…
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Praying About Money
Although I sometimes still find it difficult to pray about money, it’s much easier than it used to be. For a long time, money was one of those islands of life that almost never entered my prayer. Perhaps I would have prayed more about money if I had ever been poor and hungry, but I…