Articles on Contemplation in Action

  • Ready to Keep Listening

    When my former Senior Rector suggested I sign up for Shalem’s Crossing the Threshold: Contemplative Foundations for Emerging Leaders program, I don’t think he quite knew what this course would come to mean to me and how it would intersect in such beautiful ways in my life. I certainly didn’t. However, I can say without…

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  • Let Your Heartbreak Be Your Guide

    Excerpt from Adam Bucko’s book “Let Your Heartbreak Be Your Guide: Lessons in Engaged Contemplation” pages 34-38. (Used with permission of the publisher, Orbis Books) A few years ago, I was invited to give a talk at an old church in London. This particular church had a very intriguing modern history: in the 1990s, it…

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  • Spiritual Guidance as Love Activism

    In the Northern Hemisphere where I live, we’ve passed the autumnal equinox and are entering one of my favorite seasons – fall. As the days become shorter and the nights lengthen, we’re invited to lean back and settle into this fecund, pregnant, obscure season heading towards winter. During fall our Jewish brothers and sisters celebrate…

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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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  • Life After 50

    In a marriage, a relationship or in one’s personal life, milestones are worth recognizing and celebrating. They are often times to pause, reflect and take stock – where have I been, where am I today, where am I going? What have I done, what is still mine to do? What do I love about where…

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  • The Power of Fasting

    (Roy is co-leading the upcoming Holy Week Fast For Peace with Rev. Dr. Margaret Benefiel) Fasting formerly was a common spiritual discipline dating back to Biblical times. The practice continued through the early church up to the Reformation. During the Middle Ages, however, fasting fell into disfavor as it became linked with excessive ascetical practices,…

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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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