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Contemplative Worship
John of the Cross said that silence is God’s first language. Mother Teresa (who required two hours of silent daily prayer for her Sisters) said that silence is God speaking to us. Isaac of Nineveh advocated loving silence above all things, because it brings you near the fruit, which the tongue is too weak to…
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God and Peace-Making
by Amy Eilberg There are moments when things just come together. Decades of prayer, meditation and personal work converge in some miraculous way, by the grace of God, and for once, we find that we know just what to do. I had such a moment recently. Some years ago I was called to turn my time and attention to…
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Reflections of an Ardent Fundraiser
by June Costa At Shalem I have noticed that my approach to asking for charitable gifts has changed. I now have to view through the prism of the Spirit that motivates the giving, and I have to convey that message to individuals who are experienced with Shalem. At the same time, I need to cultivate new participants and potential…
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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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Battlefields by Moonlight: A Shalem Odyssey
by Carolyn Metzler When I started Lent by offering a conversation about mortality to my congregation, I did not know how close I was to the subject! Subsequent events reshaped me spiritually, brought me face to face with the frailty of the human body and resilience of the human spirit. I was invited into a dark blessing, a holy…
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Be Still and Know that I am God
by Kathleen Moloney-Tarr On this second day of a silent retreat, alone in the North Carolina mountains, a line circles over and over in my mind. “Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10) This becomes the prayer of my day. As the words turn inside my head, they become a ribbon of comfort, an invitation to…