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Monastic Strategies

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January 2020

January 30, 2020

Monastic Strategies: Uninspired and Waiting for Inspiration

Uninspired and Waiting for Inspiration Some days are like a balloon which is losing its...

January 09, 2020

Monastic Strategies: Cinema Divina: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Cinema Divina One of the first contemplative practices I learned from monastic life is...

December 2019

December 31, 2019

Monastic Strategies: Are We Ready to Become Beginners Again?

Are We Ready to Become Beginners Again? There are no tricks and no short cuts....

December 12, 2019

Monastic Strategies: Why Would Anyone Explore Contemplative Spirituality?

Why Would Anyone Explore Contemplative Spirituality? It is easy for us to assume being contemplative is...

December 05, 2019

Monastic Strategies: Living as Lights Shining in the Darkness

Lights Shining in the Darkness We live in a world of deep darkness, searching for...

November 2019

November 26, 2019

Monastic Strategies: Saying Thank You and Saying Goodbye

Saying Thank You and Saying Goodbye It can be challenging for us to say thank...

November 16, 2019

Monastic Strategies: Celebrating a Saturday Morning in November

Celebrating a Saturday Morning in November November can be a particularly contemplative month. It begins...

November 07, 2019

Monastic Strategies: My Stepping Stones from Evangelical to Contemplative

My Stepping Stones from Evangelical to Contemplative I am not a natural contemplative and I...

October 2019

October 24, 2019

Monastic Strategies: When Perfection is Not Enough

When Perfection is Not Enough Some of us seem to believe spiritual life is about being...

October 17, 2019

Monastic Strategies: Where Can We Go To Find Wisdom?

Where Can We Go To Find Wisdom? Some of us experience our lives as never-ending...

October 10, 2019

Monastic Strategies: More Today Than Yesterday and More Tomorrow

More Today Than Yesterday and More Tomorrow Most of us experience times when we feel...

October 03, 2019

Monastic Strategies: Money is How We Keep Score

Money is How We Keep Score I believe Ted Turner said, "Life is a game....

September 2019

September 19, 2019

Monastic Strategies: Knowing and Becoming Our True Selves

Knowing and Becoming Our True Selves How do we ever really know and become our...

September 12, 2019

Monastic Strategies: The Times They Are Changing

The Times They Are Changing I appreciate the time I spend on retreat at New...

September 05, 2019

Monastic Strategies: Heading in a NonDirective Direction

Heading in a NonDirective Direction Some of us grow up believing in the importance of...

August 2019

August 22, 2019

Monastic Strategies: Giving Each Action Its Own Time

Giving Each Action Its Own Time It begins before I lift my head from the...

August 08, 2019

Monastic Strategies: Building Reflective Communities

Building Reflective Communities I know people who seem to assume being part of a monastic...

August 01, 2019

Monastic Practices: Books On Our Summer Reading Lists

Our Summer Reading Lists Do you have a summer reading list of books you hope...

July 2019

July 18, 2019

Monastic Strategies: What We See in Our Own Reflection

What We See in Our Own Reflection We live in a world which discourages us...

July 11, 2019

Monastic Strategies: Speaking Truth in the Face of Power

Speaking Truth in the Face of Power Everyone I know wants to speak truth, but...

July 04, 2019

Monastic Strategies: Celebrating Our Independence

Celebrating Our Independence Today is the anniversary of the day 234 years ago when the...

June 2019

June 20, 2019

Monastic Strategies: What Does a Spiritual Director Actually Do?

What Does a Spiritual Director Do? It is not unusual, when some asks me what...

June 13, 2019

Monastic Strategies: Do Our Rituals Create Us or Do We Create Them?

Do Our Rituals Create Us or Do We Create Them? Are we creatures of our...

June 06, 2019

Monastic Strategies: Appreciating Questions as Much as Answers

Appreciating Questions as Much as Answers Many of us become interested in spiritual life because...

May 2019

May 30, 2019

Monastic Strategies: When We Are Living at the Speed of Life

Living at the Speed of Life Some of us are in a rush to live...

May 09, 2019

Monastic Strategies: Everyday Liturgies For Our Spiritual Lives

Everyday Liturgies for Our Spiritual Lives Some of us believe our calendars are like jigsaw...

May 02, 2019

Monastic Strategies: Do We Need to Be a Mystic to Become a Monk?

Do We Need to Be a Mystic to Become a Monk? Many of us think...

April 2019

April 11, 2019

Monastic Strategies: Setting Free the Dragons Within Us

Setting Free the Dragons Within Us Some of us think spiritual life is about holding...

April 04, 2019

Monastic Strategies: Why Does Lent Have to Last So Long?

Why Does Lent Have to Last So Long? For many of us it seems like...

March 2019

March 28, 2019

Monastic Strategies: Living Into Our Broken Places

Our Broken Places Many of us believe spiritual life is about helping us feel joy....