Articles on Nature

  • Reflections on the Camino

    Reflections on the Camino

    I find it hard to believe that it has been two months since a group of seventeen pilgrims met in Oia, Spain to begin a pilgrimage along part of the Portuguese Way of the Camino de Santiago. This weeklong walk changed us all in ways that we’re still processing. I wish to share my experience…

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  • Burning Bushes Everywhere

    Burning Bushes Everywhere

    THE OPENING OF EYESby David WhyteThat day I saw beneath dark cloudsthe passing of light over the waterand I heard the voice of the world speak out.I knew then as I had beforelife is no passing memory of what has been,nor the remaining pages in a great book waitingto be read.It is the opening of…

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  • Beyond the List of “Shoulds”: Receiving God’s Invitation

    Beyond the List of “Shoulds”: Receiving God’s Invitation

    “Many times today I will cross over a threshold. I hope I will catch a few of those times. I need to remember that my life is, in fact, a continuous series of thresholds: from one moment to the next, from one thought to the next, from one action to the next. Help me appreciate…

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  • Blind Hope

    Blind Hope

    Expectancy and joy filled my heart as I arrived at Dayspring Silent Retreat Center to lead our first in-person open retreat since the pandemic closed our doors.  The theme was “seeding hope in transition,” a theme that fired my prayer for a long time preceding this October weekend. What I quickly realized at the start was…

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  • The Isle of Iona: A Thin Place

    The Isle of Iona: A Thin Place

    “I’ve heard it called a ‘thin place,’” he told me. “I’m not sure I believe that so I want to see for myself.” It sounded to my ears as if he’d laid down a challenge — to me or the island; I wasn’t sure which. This apparent skepticism from someone I respect gave me pause.…

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  • Keep Walking: An Invitation to Pilgrimage with Shalem on the Camino de Santiago

    Keep Walking:  An Invitation to Pilgrimage with Shalem on the Camino de Santiago

    Walking has long been a pillar of my spiritual life. As a child, I remember walking with my grandmother around her neighborhood and mine, noticing the rabbits hopping about and the birds whizzing from feeder to feeder. I recall many walks with my mother at the cemetery, laying flowers on her father’s grave and listening…

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Our mission is to nurture contemplative living and leadership.

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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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