There are people who believe spiritual practices are serious business. They see them as spiritual disciplines, and are convinced spiritual life needs to be disciplined. Some people almost believe the best spiritual practices for us are nearly painful, filled with struggle. It is almost as if they they think we are not being serious enough if our […]
Humor as a Spiritual Practice Read More »
There are people who believe monks are running away, trying to escape from the real world. Some people see monks as trying to protect themselves with rules and vows, hiding from real life. Some people think monks are people who cannot handle the challenges of life as we know it. They think monks live a truncated, limited
Monastic Life in the World Read More »
Some people believe this weekend is about celebrating the past. Some of us will spend time this weekend remembering how our country began. We will pay tribute to men and women who sacrificed for the sake of independence. We will feel nostalgic for what we think were simpler, better times. We will be grateful for generations before
Celebrating Who We Are Becoming Read More »
Our understanding of recruiting tends to be based in giving people something they want. We try to entice people into our organization or company. We want to give them a package of salary and benefits to persuade them to join us. We work to reward their potential contributions to our efforts. Some people receive bonuses above and
Monastic Recruiting Read More »
I have been practicing for almost as long as I can remember. My parents believed practicing and repetition were the best ways to learn things. There was practicing multiplication tables and book reports for school. There was practicing my lines for programs and plays. When I was in the school band, I practiced. All with the understanding
Do Spiritual Practices Make Us Perfect? Read More »
Gary asked me, “Do you know about Michael Camp? You might like his book.” This was the first time I had talked with Gary, and my introduction to Craft Brewed Jesus. Craft Brewed Jesus tells the story of Michael’s exploration of his faith and spiritual life. Michael’s discoveries along the way convinced him we need a
Book Review: Craft Brewed Jesus Read More »
In his Rule, Benedict sets a challenging standard for monastic hospitality. Chapter 53, on the reception of guests, specifies all guests are to be welcomed as Christ. We tend to think of hospitality as making ourselves look good. When we invite people to stay with us, we hope they feel impressively welcomed. We hope our homes will seem even
Monastic Hospitality Read More »
I have been captivated by heavenly lights in the night sky for as long as I can remember. My fascination was encouraged by an uncle who was a NASA engineer. I was awakened to even greater possibilities by a television show. It presented the stars as the “final frontier” and the chance to “explore strange
Exploring Strange New Worlds Read More »
We hear a lot these days about being good listeners. Listening is often identified as an essential leadership skill. It is true that listening is more than merely preparing to say something more. Listening well demands we pay attention to different levels of meaning. Some people listen to the words we speak, some listen to a
Monastic Listening Read More »
I can remember, not so long ago, when my spiritual life was focused on knowing. My spiritual practices were about searching and finding. I was essentially a spiritual detective, looking for clues that would answer questions and solve riddles. It was clear that the active person was me, in pursuit of spiritual life. I was
The Practice of Not Knowing Read More »
