Tag Archives: awareness
Receiving Images
Finding God in the Arts Receiving Images Thursday, August 19, 2021 Artist and author Christine Valters Paintner explores how we might reconsider traditional approaches to photography. Instead of “taking” pictures, she asks us to “receive” images similar to how we might welcome the presence of God in contemplation. Contemplative practice is a receptive practice. We… Continue Reading Receiving Images
Preaching to the Disinherited
The Sermon on the Mount Preaching to the Disinherited Friday, July 23, 2021 Jesus’ primary audience for the Sermon on the Mount would have been the “disinherited,” to use the term from the African American author and mystic Howard Thurman (1899–1981). So much of Jesus’ teaching was meant to allay the fear and despair of… Continue Reading Preaching to the Disinherited
Present, Open, Awake
Doorways to Christian Contemplation Present, Open, Awake Monday, July 12, 2021 My friend and CAC teacher James Finley is a true contemplative! I watch the crowds—from conferences to Living School students—settle in his presence almost immediately. He is so centered in himself and in God that he is at peace and “transmits” the message with… Continue Reading Present, Open, Awake
Healing Takes Place Here
Trauma and Healing Healing Takes Place Here Monday, May 3, 2021 Claude AnShin Thomas suffered for years from the trauma of war as a Vietnam combat veteran. A retreat with Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh set him on the path of mindfulness and healing. He is now a Zen Buddhist monk. He recounts his story:… Continue Reading Healing Takes Place Here
Prophets as Poets
Prophetic Imagination Prophets as Poets Wednesday, March 24, 2021 One of the great scholars of the Jewish scriptures was Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907–1972). In his in-depth study of the Hebrew prophets, he included this description of the prophets which is really rather surprising. We often think of prophets as scolds, rather judgmental and cranky,… Continue Reading Prophets as Poets
Communion of Saints: Weekly Summary
Communion of Saints Saturday, March 13, 2021 Summary and Practice Sunday, March 7—Friday, March 12, 2021 Sunday Together the living form with the dead one community of memory and hope, a holy people touched with the fire of the Spirit, summoned to go forth as companions bringing the face of divine compassion into everyday life.… Continue Reading Communion of Saints: Weekly Summary
Learning How to See: Weekly Summary
Learning How to See Saturday, March 6, 2021 Summary and Practice Sunday, February 28—Friday, March 5, 2021 Sunday One of the keys to wisdom is that we must recognize our own biases, our own addictive preoccupations, and those things to which, for some reason, we refuse to pay attention. Monday People can’t see what they… Continue Reading Learning How to See: Weekly Summary
Moving beyond Conventional Wisdom
Wisdom Moving beyond Conventional Wisdom Thursday, February 25, 2021 Here are the three further “ways of knowing” that can allow us to access greater wisdom: Images: Imaginal knowing is the only way that the unconscious can move into consciousness. It happens through fantasy, through dreams, through symbols, where all is “thrown together” (sym-ballein in Greek).… Continue Reading Moving beyond Conventional Wisdom