Spirituality is a way of life, and as such, it cannot be separated from our everyday activities. John Shea, a contemporary Catholic theologian, puts it this way: "The spiritual life is, at root, a matter of seeing. It is all of life seen from a certain perspective. It is waking, sleeping, dreaming, eating, drinking, working, loving, relaxing, recreating, walking, sitting, standing, and breathing. . . .
Read MoreTurning to the Mystics is a podcast for people searching for something more meaningful, intimate and richly present in the divine gift of their lives. James Finley, clinical psychologist and Living School faculty, offers a modern take on the historical contemplative practices of Christian mystics like Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross.
Read MoreRichard Rohr’s Daily Meditations are free email reflections sent every day of the year. Each meditation features Richard Rohr and guest authors reflecting on a yearly theme, with each week building on previous topics—but you can join at any time! The theme this year is A Time of Unveiling.
Read MoreHere are two short videos from the wonderful spiritual writer and teacher Richard Rohr. Rohr, a Franciscan Friar, created and leads the Centre for Action and Contemplation in Albuquerque. Father Rohr founded the Center in 1987 because he saw a deep need for the integration of both action and contemplation. His centre is a rich resource for those on the contemplative path.
Read MoreMonk: from the Greek monachos meaning single or solitary. A monk in the world does not live apart but immersed in the everyday with a single-hearted and undivided presence, always striving for greater wholeness and integrity. Manifesto: from the Latin for clear, means a public declaration of principles and intentions. Monk Manifesto: A public expression of your commitment to live a compassionate, contemplative, and creative life.
Read MoreHe weeps, the Centurion, for all he could not see, and when, too late, he realized his error. I weep too, for these many years later, my blindness is just as brutal. I like he am covered in the froth and fleck of the blood of the forgotten and maligned, those left to die alone, affliction branding their spirit with the hot poker of chance . . .
Read MoreEveryone loves the Sunday morning party of Easter – what’s not to love about waking up to a day that celebrates spring and new beginnings, with its playful motif of bunnies and Easter egg hunts, awash in shades of buttery yellow and palest mauve and the hope of some kind of confection before the day is through?
Ah, but the two days that proceed the Easter celebration are another matter.
Authors and hosts of Spirituality and Practice, Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, write his wonderful response to the question, What is Spirituality? They offer numerous paths of approach to the topic with their gentle, encouraging vision on the subject.
Read MoreThe Spirituality and Practice Website is an endless resource for those on the spiritual journey. With its up to date movie and book reviews, inclusivity to all faiths and inclinations, and great list of inspiring quotes and articles, you can get lost on this site for days. Why not start bookmarking sites you can turn to for inspiration?
Read More"Dear Virus, Thank you for shaking us and showing us that we are dependent on something much bigger than we think. Thank you for the humbleness that comes with this realization..." So, begins Riya Soko's extraordinary letter of gratitude to the virus that has turned the world upside down. Here it along with Jennifer Henry’s KAIROS Easter message from 2020 and still powerful today.
Read MoreIn his beloved book 99 Blessings: An Invitation to Life, Br. David Steindl-Rast writes, “Blessing, rightly understood, is the invisible bloodstream pulsating through the universe — alive and life-giving.” Each and every moment, we can cultivate deeper awareness of the blessing of simply being alive, greater appreciation for all that works and is sufficient in our lives, and wonder and awe for the miracles that are within and around us at all times.
Read MoreGratefulness.org offers us a meditation awakens us to the wonders of our world, reminds us about what truly matters, and invites us to notice the everyday gifts of our lives. Grateful living is way of life that does all of the above and, in so doing, contributes to a peaceful, thriving, and sustainable world – held as sacred by all. Following the meditation are questions and suggested practices for living out a grateful day.
Read MoreWe have Matthew's creative/fictitious genealogy of Jesus (Matt 1: 1 - 17) and we have Epiphany's story of the wandering Zoroastrian priests and the slaughter that followed (Matt. 2: 1 - 23). In both cases, Matthew is responding to the genealogy that the Roman Empire claimed for Augustus Caesar. Context. Context. Context.
Read MorePete Enns writes in his blog a simple explanation about the ‘history’ of the Bible and how and when it was written. It is a kind of overview understanding, which may help, if this is a new idea to you. Peter Enns has written numerous books, including The Bible Tells Me So, The Sin of Certainty, and How the Bible Actually Works.
Read MoreAn awakening is holy geography. Awakenings imply new awareness, inner transformation, a change in heart and mind, and a reordering of priorities, commitments and behaviours. . . .Awakenings take work, as human beings respond to the promptings of God’s Spirit in the world.
Read MoreGod, as divine, is not a creature, not a created thing. God is not bound by time, not confined by space. God is not part of the continuum of human history as we are. We are not God, but we are of, and in God, enveloped by God, infused with God, our lives embraced, warmed by God.
Kenosis, imagined as holy intimacy, is the fruitful medium in which this rebirth may begin. In response to the gracious invitation of God it provides a hospitable space in order that our truest life may unfold, the life imagined, engineered, and created by divine will, an adventure we are urged to embrace.
Read MoreTrue hope does not move forward in time. Authentic hope stands outside of time, moving between the two parallels of eternity and history. This is brought about only in one way and that is through the compassionate movement of ourselves towards other – Other being God, and other being one another. Paradoxically, as we move towards the other, there is an embracing of our own humanity and a binding to the larger cosmos of which Other/God simply is.
Read MoreThe reformation marked a shift in authority from church leadership to the Bible. Here, Phyllis Tickle and Brian McLauren speak about the new shift in authority in which we currently find ourselves. Phyllis Tickle, who died in 2015, and Brian McLauren, currently still teaching, are considered leading international religious teachers, particularly regarding the emerging church.
Read MoreAngie Thurston is creating spiritual formation experiences for the 21st century. She is dedicated to connecting the inner life of spirit to the outer life of action for social change. Convinced that we need each other to become who we’re meant to be, Angie supports an emerging field of leaders who are deepening community and combating our modern-day crisis of isolation.
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