Tag Archives: openness
Compassion: Weekly Summary
Compassion Saturday, October 2, 2021 Week Thirty-Nine Summary and Practice Sunday, September 26—Friday, October 1, 2021 Sunday Much of the early work of contemplation is discovering a way to observe ourselves from a compassionate and nonjudgmental distance until we can eventually live more and more of our lives from this calm inner awareness and acceptance.… Continue Reading Compassion: Weekly Summary
An Accumulation of Losses
Everybody Grieves An Accumulation of Losses Thursday, August 5, 2021 Psychotherapist and author Francis Weller has studied grief for decades and has developed many rituals and methods to help individuals and communities heal from their losses. Here he explores how we often attempt to keep grief separate from our lives, and how welcoming our grief… Continue Reading An Accumulation of Losses
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
Accepting Evolution as Our Story
An Evolving Faith Accepting Evolution as Our Story Friday, June 4, 2021 There are few writers that I find more hopeful or exciting about the process of evolution than Franciscan Ilia Delio. She examines evolution through the lens of science, theology, technology, and personal development and reminds us that while evolving can be painful, God… Continue Reading Accepting Evolution as Our Story
Love Is the Movement; Doubt Is the Method
Unknowing Love Is the Movement; Doubt Is the Method Tuesday, February 2, 2021 Candlemas Day [1] Today Brian McLaren shares brilliantly how doubt has often been a tool of love, drawing him ever closer to the heart of God. Applying his four-fold spiritual growth process of Simplicity, Complexity, Perplexity, and Harmony to himself, Brian writes:… Continue Reading Love Is the Movement; Doubt Is the Method
Order, Disorder, Reorder: Part One: Weekly Summary
Order, Disorder, Reorder: Part One Saturday, August 15, 2020 Summary: Sunday, August 9—August 14, 2020 To grow toward love, union, salvation, or enlightenment, we must be moved from Order to Disorder, and then ultimately to Reorder. (Sunday) Law, tradition, and boundaries—what I call Order—seem to be necessary in any spiritual system both to reveal and… Continue Reading Order, Disorder, Reorder: Part One: Weekly Summary
The Head Center
Enneagram Part Three: Head Center The Head Center Tuesday, March 10, 2020 My friend and Enneagram teacher Russ Hudson describes the Head Center, the final Intelligence Center of the Enneagram, in his own unique and “heady” way: Some of the Eastern religions, particularly Buddhism, did a very thorough investigation of the nature of the Head… Continue Reading The Head Center
The Wisdom of Contemplation
Mind, Body, Heart The Wisdom of Contemplation Wednesday, February 19, 2020 We may think of prayer as thoughts or feelings expressed in words. But this is only one expression. . . . Prayer is the opening of mind and heart—our whole being—to God, the Ultimate Mystery, beyond thoughts, words, and emotions. Through grace we open our… Continue Reading The Wisdom of Contemplation
The Creative Life
Art: Old and New The Creative Life Wednesday, November 13, 2019 I’ve discussed public and even famous works of art this week, but the very process of creating art is valuable and generative, even if no one else ever sees it. Mirabai Starr reminds us of the freedom of childhood and encourages us to be… Continue Reading The Creative Life