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Monthly Archives: November 2018

November 30, 2018

Mystical Hope

Joy and Hope Mystical Hope Friday, November 30, 2018 Cynthia Bourgeault, one of our core faculty members at the Center for Action and Contemplation, writes about the unshakable depths of hope: Must we be whiplashed incessantly between joy and sorrow, expectation and disappointment? Is it not possible to live from a place of greater equilibrium,… Continue Reading Mystical Hope

November 29, 2018

Generosity of Spirit

Joy and Hope Generosity of Spirit Thursday, November 29, 2018 For a week in April 2015, Archbishop Desmond Tutu visited His Holiness the Dalai Lama at his residence in exile in India. Their dialogue and interactions, facilitated by Douglas Abrams, became The Book of Joy. I’d like to share some of their hard-won wisdom with… Continue Reading Generosity of Spirit

November 28, 2018

Alumni Newsletter — November 2018

A Note from the Editor Dear Living School Alumni, Most of us, having been “sent” by the Living School, are doing the work of integrating action and contemplation. Fr. Richard Rohr tells us “and” is the most important word in the Center’s name. One way to describe Living School alumni is those who are “sent”… Continue Reading Alumni Newsletter — November 2018

Joy in Contemplation

Joy and Hope Joy in Contemplation Wednesday, November 28, 2018 Joy proceeds from the inner realization of union with God, which descends upon us at ever deeper levels as we walk our faith journey. This deepening is the goal of Christian contemplation and is the heart of perennial wisdom from every faith. This is how… Continue Reading Joy in Contemplation

November 27, 2018

Universal Belonging

Joy and Hope Universal Belonging Tuesday, November 27, 2018 Bonaventure’s “vision logic,” as Ken Wilber would call it, and the lovely symmetry of his theology, can be summarized in what Bonaventure named the three great truths that for him hold everything together. He summarizes all his teaching in these three movements: Emanation: We come forth… Continue Reading Universal Belonging

November 26, 2018

The Franciscan Vision

Joy and Hope The Franciscan Vision Monday, November 26, 2018 St. Bonaventure of Bagnoregio (1217–1274) took Francis and Clare’s practical lifestyle to the level of theology, philosophy, and worldview. Unlike many theologians of his time, Bonaventure paid little attention to fire and brimstone, sin, merit, justification, or atonement. His vision is positive, mystic, cosmic, intimately… Continue Reading The Franciscan Vision

November 25, 2018

The Joy of the Gospel

Joy and Hope The Joy of the Gospel Sunday, November 25, 2018 I believe that St. Francis is the example par excellence of care for the vulnerable and of an integral ecology lived out joyfully and authentically. . . . [He] was deeply loved for his joy, his generous self-giving, his open-heartedness. —Pope Francis [1]… Continue Reading The Joy of the Gospel

November 24, 2018

Death and Resurrection: Week 2 Summary

Death and Resurrection: Week 2 Summary: Sunday, November 18-Friday, November 23, 2018 As I’ve come to understand that life “composts” and “seeds” us as autumn does the earth, I’ve seen how possibility gets planted in us even in the hardest of times. —Parker Palmer (Sunday) We can cultivate spiritual disciplines designed to dismantle our identity… Continue Reading Death and Resurrection: Week 2 Summary

November 23, 2018

Life-Death-Life

Death and Resurrection: Week 2 Life-Death-Life Friday, November 23, 2018 The whole process of living, dying, and then living again starts with YHWH “breathing into clay,” which becomes “a living being” called Adam (“of the earth”; see Genesis 2:7). Breath and what appears to be mere dirt become human (the word “human” comes from the… Continue Reading Life-Death-Life

November 22, 2018

Dying Before We Die

Death and Resurrection: Week 2 Dying Before We Die Thursday, November 22, 2018 Thanksgiving in the United States In one way or another, almost all religions say that you must die before you die, and then you will know what dying means—and what it does not mean! Your usual viewing platform is utterly inadequate to… Continue Reading Dying Before We Die

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Our theme this year is Nothing Stands Alone. What could happen if we embraced the idea of God as relationship—with ourselves, each other, and the world? Meditations are emailed every day of the week, including the Weekly Summary on Saturday. Each week builds on previous topics, but you can join at any time.
In a world of fault lines and fractures, how do we expand our sense of self to include love, healing, and forgiveness—not just for ourselves or those like us, but for all? This monthly email features wisdom and stories from the emerging Christian contemplative movement. Join spiritual seekers from around the world and discover your place in the Great Story Line connecting us all in the One Great Life. Conspirare. Breathe with us.