Blog Archive
Contemplation in Action – Community – Prayer – Listening – Spiritual Direction – Nature
-
Compassion through Contemplation
Article by Catherine Kerr (featured in November 2017 eNews) Compassion means to understand another’s pain at such a deep level that it’s like feeling it yourself. Many mentors have told me over the years that the essence of pastoral ministry is connection and presence, being with. One seminary professor liked to say that the most…
-
The Gift of Contemplative Awareness
Today’s post is by Liz Ward “In God we live and move and have our being.” Acts 17:28 Voices on television, computers and in newspapers expose us to heartbreaking tragedies all over the world; taking in even a tiny fraction of the pain and suffering of creation can seem overwhelming. We see images of pain and…
-
New Movements of the Spirit
Article by Margaret Benefiel (July 2017 eNews) What is the Spirit doing now? This question frames the New Contemplative Exchange, a gathering of 19 young contemplative leaders with Thomas Keating, Tilden Edwards, Richard Rohr, and Laurence Freeman, occurring next month at St. Benedict’s Monastery in Snowmass, Colorado. Fifty years ago, the Spirit stirred Keating, Edwards,…
-
Grounded in Love: Creative Leadership for our Times
Article by Margaret Benefiel (May 2017 eNews) Marches. Online petitions. Letters to the editor. “Am I doing any good?” I ask myself. “Am I making a difference? Is there another way?” In the face of injustice, wars, and humanity’s inhumanity to humanity, I long to be faithful to doing my part to heal the world. As…
-
Streams of Water
Today’s post is by Maria Cristina Borges Alvarez, a Cuban priest serving in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego As the deer pants for the water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. ~Psalm 42, 1-2a How my soul has longed for those streams of water…
-
Inner Authority
Today’s post is by Lerita Coleman Brown For Howard Thurman an important principle linking contemplation to social activism was the notion of Inner Authority. …Both Jesus and Thurman believed that no matter how repressive external circumstances become, as children of God, we are each created with this inner sanctuary. Thus, being aware of one’s inner…