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Transforming Our Collective Troubles
August 29th, 2025
As someone who grew up in church, it is easy for me to miss the transgressive nature of the gospel. Recently engaging the work of authors like Cole Arthur Riley, James Baldwin, and James Cone has reminded me of the scandalous nature of the gospel.
Cone writes, “The gospel of Jesus is not a rational concept to
What Is a Christian Contemplative Movement?
August 29th, 2025
We could say that the Christian contemplative movement has been with us since the beginning. Jesus took time apart, withdrawing into solitude and then returning to live out the fruit of what he saw and heard in that quiet place. He trusted deeply in his relationship with God, and through that trust, power flowed.
In the Desert, at the Border: Seeking a Contemplative Path at the Edge of Empire
August 29th, 2025
I was born in the desert—in Jordan, not far from where the early Christian desert mystics withdrew into the wilderness, seeking deeper communion with God. They weren’t just escaping the world, but searching for clarity, transformation, and freedom from the illusions of empire and ego. In silence and simplicity
CAC Honors August Holy Days and Holidays | St. Clare Feast Day, Dormition of the Mother of God, and Krishna Janmashtami
This August, the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) embraces holy days and holidays that invite us to learn from great spiritual teachers.
St. Clare Feast Day: Discovering Mystical Wisdom
On August 11, we celebrate the Feast Day of St. Clare, St. Francis of Assisi’s spiritual and earthly companion.
Join Our Contemplative Gatherings | The News from New Mexico
This month, learn more about these opportunities to further your spiritual growth and explore the contemplative path of transformation.
Explore August's Featured Experiences
Online Event — What Makes Contemplative Christianity Different?
Carmen Acevedo Butcher Joins CAC Core Faculty!
Join Us Online
CAC Honors July Holy Days and Holidays | Disability Pride Month, Dharma Day, and Bonaventure Feast Day
This July, the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC) embraces holy days and holidays that invite us into moments of reflection and celebration.
Disability Pride Month: Commemorating the ADA Act
On July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed into law in the USA. We honor that milestone
Deepen Your Spiritual Practice this Summer | The News from New Mexico
Expand your spiritual practice this summer with these resources from the Center for Action and Contemplation (CAC)! Our monthly newsletter, the News from New Mexico, shares details about offerings designed to deepen prayer practice and strengthen compassionate engagement in the world.
These upcoming experiences
A Home for My Loving Action
July 18th, 2025
For most of my adult life, I’ve struggled to find a political home where my faith is welcome and a faith community where my politics are welcome. In recent years, however, I’ve found a home for my loving action in the faith-based anti-war movement, specifically the Palestinian solidarity organization Jewish Voice
The Storm
July 18th, 2025
And he arose, and rebuked the wind and said unto the sea, ‘Peace, be still.’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” —Mark 4:39
As I was giving a talk earlier this year on my book Chasing Peace, I was asked what advice it offered for coping with a political crisis.
The question was
Allowing the Work to Be Done
July 18th, 2025
These days, loving action looks like scribbling phrases and images on receipts and colored index cards. It looks like wearing pink earplugs while mining old journals, writing in multiple notebooks, and studying the flow chart on my bulletin board. It looks like dancing to upbeat songs to shift my energy to writing