Tag Archives: Barbara Holmes
True Liberation in God
Liberation True Liberation in God Monday, January 18, 2021 Martin Luther King Jr. Day There can be no outer freedom without some level of inner liberation. This is a universal truth, but a lesson that each of us must learn for ourselves. If we pursue freedom from a reactionary position, out of our own fear… Continue Reading True Liberation in God
A Foundational Sense of Awe
A Time of Unveiling A Foundational Sense of Awe Wednesday, January 6, 2021 Feast of Epiphany Abandon hidden things, / Take up what is revealed! —Ephrem the Syrian, Hymn 81 Healthy religion gives us a foundational sense of awe. It re-enchants an otherwise empty universe. It gives people a universal reverence toward all things. Only… Continue Reading A Foundational Sense of Awe
Repairing and Restoring
Order, Disorder, Reorder: Part Three Repairing and Restoring Thursday, August 27, 2020 Barbara Holmes, a member of our Living School faculty, writes about what I’m calling Reorder as a cosmological fact. When we return to the original Order—the unbroken unity of all of creation with and in God—with new eyes, we see the gifts of… Continue Reading Repairing and Restoring
The Cosmic Order
Order, Disorder, Reorder: Part One The Cosmic Order Wednesday, August 12, 2020 Matter is the common, universal, tangible setting, infinitely shifting and varied, in which we live. . . . By matter we are nourished, lifted up, linked to everything else, invaded by life. —Teilhard de Chardin The physical structure of the universe is love.… Continue Reading The Cosmic Order
Civil Rights Contemplative
Contemplative Activists Civil Rights Contemplative Tuesday, July 14, 2020 Fannie Lou Hamer (1917–1977) is remembered for her strength and courage in the face of an oppressive system. During the Civil Rights Movement, she inspired others to reclaim their God-given dignity and demand full citizenship in the United States. CAC faculty member Barbara Holmes writes: [Fannie Lou Hamer is] a contemplative exemplar because… Continue Reading Civil Rights Contemplative
Social Renewal as Spiritual Practice
Wisdom in Times of Crisis Social Renewal as Spiritual Practice Friday, July 10, 2020 CAC Faculty member Dr. Barbara Holmes points us to the interwoven nature of love— love of God, of self, and of neighbor. We cannot keep the Great Commandment without fully engaging in all three. In her wisdom, she sees this time… Continue Reading Social Renewal as Spiritual Practice
Cosmology and Nature: Weekly Summary
Cosmology and Nature Saturday, June 27, 2020 Summary: Sunday, June 21—Friday, June 26, 2020 I hope this week’s meditations offer you a vision of a cosmology that is scientifically accurate and still entirely suffused with the presence of God. (Sunday) In Jesus, I hope for more than just a God with a face or a… Continue Reading Cosmology and Nature: Weekly Summary
Awakening in the Cosmos
Cosmology and Nature Awakening in the Cosmos Wednesday, June 24, 2020 My friend and fellow CAC teacher Dr. Barbara Holmes has the ability to bear witness to the expansiveness of the cosmos, the major systemic shifts taking place in society, and the small and sacred moments of daily life—all at the same time. Her writing… Continue Reading Awakening in the Cosmos
Public Action and Contemplation
Contemplation and Racism Public Action and Contemplation Friday, June 12, 2020 I was in the seminary when the Civil Rights movement transformed the political and cultural landscape of the United States. While I was more an observer than an active participant, I witnessed the courage and faith of the activists, not yet realizing that contemplation… Continue Reading Public Action and Contemplation
Crisis Contemplation
Contemplation and Racism Crisis Contemplation Thursday, June 11, 2020 Apart from a few monastic orders, Western Christianity neglected the systematic instruction of contemplative practice for hundreds of years. Yet many people naturally grow into nondual consciousness through great suffering or great love. Barbara Holmes suggests that “crisis contemplation” arose out of necessity during slavery, beginning… Continue Reading Crisis Contemplation