I belong to a liturgical church. Liturgical churches are very good at appealing to as many of our senses as possible to remind us of our story. People stand and retell it to us so we can hear it. We use special music, and even ring bells, to remind ourselves of the story. Our buildings […]
I wanted to learn more about my friend Beth Slevcove, who is a spiritual director in San Diego, and she agreed to answer a few of my questions. Here is the second of two parts: When do you feel most present to God? When does God seem most transcendent? When I’m in nature, particularly near
StrategicMonk Interview: Beth Slevcove: Part Two Read More »
I wanted to learn more about my friend Beth Slevcove, who is a spiritual director in San Diego, and she agreed to answer a few of my questions. Here is the first of two parts: Beth, How did you become a spiritual director? is there a dramatic story that lead you to that? In my
StrategicMonk Interview: Beth Slevcove: Part One Read More »
What inspires you? Some people are inspired by moments of triumphant excellence. The recognition of receiving a major award. The thrill of winning a significant contest. The overwhelming beauty of creating an artistic, or scientific, or political, masterpiece. We see ourselves in the lives of the people we admire, we think about what we would
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It is easy for me to assume that life has always been the way I know it now. I flip a switch and the room is filled with light. With a few clicks, I have access to a vast variety of information and people. There is very little in my day to remind me of
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I work with a spiritual director because I cannot appreciate everything on my own. For a long time, I stayed in the shallows of my spiritual life. I accepted what I had been taught, even when it did not fit very well with my own experiences of spiritual depth. I was motivated to find and
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I open my eyes at least once every day. Sometimes it happens over time, and things come into focus gradually. If I start moving before my eyes are really open I can bump into things, which encourages me to pay closer attention. Sometimes I open my eyes immediately. One moment I am asleep and the
I was talking with someone recently about something very painful and very difficult they had experienced. They paused as they came to a particularly challenging moment in the story and said to me, “Saying it out loud makes it more real.” We depend on our stories. We believe the stories we tell ourselves; we understand
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A Brief Review of Journey to the Heart: Christian Contemplation Through the Centuries Edited by Kim Nataraja and including contributions by Lawrence Freeman OSB, Esther de Waal, Kallistos Ware, Shirley du Boulay, Andrew Louth, and others. Paperback: Orbis Books, 2011. Buy now: [ Amazon ] Reviewed by Greg Richardson. Journey to the Heart is a solid, substantial book that
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I spend a lot of time face to face with people. Sometimes it is working with someone as a spiritual director or a leadership coach. Sometimes is is over breakfast, or coffee, or a great craft brew. Sometimes it is on a retreat, in a meeting, or in church. Sometimes it is in person, and
