By Rebecca Hall We rehearse, and then we perform. We practice, and then we play the big game. We train, and then run the marathon. We learn, and then we put the skills to use. Rehearsing, practicing, training, and learning are valuable in and of themselves. But we also might…
Many things took a beating the week of the storm – our pipes, our plants, our power grid. Something else the storm stressed was our prayer lives. On February 21st, our Sunday morning class that reads spiritual classics together was feeling too traumatized to discuss the readings for that week,…
Melting snow for water by Phillip Owen Love so radical that it shows up in the most unlikely places. Love so strong that its strength is measured in how it treats the most vulnerable among us. Love so urgent that it is needed in the most desperate of times. I…
By Santi Rodriguez The Examen of Consciousness is a meditative reflection on your day. It can also be used to reflect upon the year. The end of the year is the perfect time to reflect on 2020 takeaways, learnings, challenges and highlights, and where you want 2021 to take you. It is an opportunity to recognize…
The Nativity by Julius Garibaldi Melchers By Amy Moehnke It’s almost that time again, when we hear the ancient story told - you know the one: about a young, bewildered, travel weary Mary and Joseph who after being visited by angels make a 90-mile trek to a place that’s not…
By Roger Temme Yes, you heard me correctly. I know it’s November 29, 2020 not January 1, 2021. Many of you probably know what Sunday, November 29 is. It is the first Sunday of Advent and the first day of the new liturgical year. So I'll say it one more time. Happy…
By Lynda Young Kaffie As we enter into the season of Advent and draw closer to the Winter Solstice, the hours of darkness gradually exceed those of light. Often, for as many reasons as there are people in the world, we may associate a sense of apprehension with the coming…
Mindfulness is a journey, not a destination. Integrating mindfulness into our social media experience can help us to decrease anxiety and stress, eliminate negativity, and live a happier and more fulfilling life. These are some of our social media posts inviting us to be mindful, and to practice contemplation and meditation. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram (@WeAreTheAbbey), and Twitter (@WeAreTheAbbey)
The Abbey is collecting collect prayers for our Election Day Vigil, and we would love one from YOU! Never written a collect? It's not difficult! You follow a prescribed pattern or formula to "collect" many aspects of prayer into one, short, poetic, offering. 1. Address God 2. Name an attribute…
By Rebecca Hall The landscape of the spiritual life is a series of peaks, valleys, and plateaus (not to mention other things like desert, wilderness, water, and sometimes milk and honey…). With the exception of crucifixion moments, the most difficult time for most of us is when we have to…