Pilgrimage: Going and Returning
Today’s post is by Carole Crumley Happy are the people whose strength is in you! Whose hearts are set on the pilgrims’ way. –Psalm 84 Pilgrimage is one of the spiritual practices that is common to many of the great faith traditions. Muslims, Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists and many others find their common ground in […]
Cultivating Contemplative Conversations
Article by Margaret Benefiel (December 2018 eNews) In conversations with our “contemplative cousins,” both in follow-up discussions since the August 2017 Snowmass gathering where 20 young contemplatives gathered and in other settings, the question often arises, “What method of prayer does Shalem teach? Contemplative Outreach teaches Centering Prayer, World Community for Christian Meditation teaches the […]
The Intimacy of Transition
Article by Ann Dean (September 2018 eNews) September rains bring cool crisp air, soften the fragrance of the last white rose at the garden gate and splatter the pathways with acorns and the first shiny gold leaves from the tulip poplar overhead. Old pines whisper wisdom in the quiet of the morning breeze. Multitudes of wings […]
Calm, Open and Harmonious
Today’s post is by Bryan Berghoef The current stage of life I’m in is busy. I have four active kids in elementary and middle school. Daily I find myself driving them to practice, to track meets, to school activities. I work as a pastor in a new church setting in which I am the only […]
Contemplative Leadership: Born of Compassion
Today’s post is by Leah Rampy When compassion fills my heart, free from all desire, I sit quietly like the earth. My silent cry echoes like thunder throughout the universe. – Rumi What does it mean for us to be called to compassion, graced with the capacity and the desire? What do we notice about […]
Children, Chaos, and Contemplation
Today’s post is by Bryan Berghoef
There is never a dull moment at our house. My wife and I have four children—amid the flurry of homework assignments, birthday parties, sibling spats, and dinnertime squabbles—there’s a lot of constant noise and movement.
One of the delightful things about having young children is their unbridled enthusiasm and overwhelming energy. They are fully present, without a sense that there is anything else to be. They are fully in the moment. This is a gift of being a child, not being weighed down by thoughts of the future, or by a sense of responsibility, or worry. They are right here, right now.
The downside is that everything is so important, and when something doesn’t go their way, right now, it’s reason for complaining, crying, sometimes even—panic. Spilling milk really is something to cry over. A favorite toy breaking feels like the apocalypse. Even as I write this there is fighting in the sandbox. (Don’t worry – we have plenty of moments of calm and laughter as well in our household!)
I long as a parent to be able to maintain an inner calm amid all this outer chaos and confusion. I find that I very seldom am able to cultivate that on the spot. It is something I need to consciously develop in other moments, so that when the chaos comes, I have a reserve of calm from which to draw. It might be a daily time of prayer and silence, a quiet walk outside, Scripture reading, or some other practice.
Grounded in Love: Creative Leadership for Our Times
Today’s post is by Margaret Benefiel 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 […]
The Birthing of a New Earth Consciousness
Article by Ann Dean (April 2018 eNews) I am the rain coming from the dew that causes the grasses to laugh with the joy of life. I am the yearning for good. Hildegard of Bingen The quality I most […]
The Power of Being Present
Today’s post is by Bryan Berghoef “Hello? Are you there, Dad?” I am awakened from my thoughts by my youngest child poking me, as I had apparently gone somewhere else while playing a game with her. This is a less common experience than it used to be, but still happens from time to time. We […]
Contemplatively Oriented Intercession
Article by Tilden Edwards (March 2018 eNews) Through all our clarity and unclarity about particular actions in terms of call and their alignment with God’s Shalom, there is one particular practice that can thread its way through our time, and that is contemplatively oriented intercession. If I suspend any sense of what “I” (my little […]