Podcasts about monastic wisdom

How should “Creatures of the senses” manage their appetites? Here I talk with Abbot Tryphon about sobriety. We talk about the relationship between a person and their drug, the dangers of too much free time, the influence of our family systems upon us, and why running is good for sobriety. We talk about the importance of beginning the day focused on the faith, why men need bond with each other, hugging redwoods, and the time Abbot Tryphon was mistaken for John Lennon. So then, what can we learn about sobriety from a monk? Healing and growth center on a full-life transformation. Sobriety, just like faith, is a life-long journey, that's meant to be undertaken in close fellowship with others. Our bodies matter, therefore we should get outside, exercise, eat well, and not waste away on a screen. Above all, we should never lose hope, never give up, and always keep our focus on the Heavenly Kingdom and the One who heals our souls. Listen along, and let us know what you think! The Outer Circle Inner Stillness is made possible by support from listeners, patrons, likes, and shares. To learn more about how to support the podcast, visit www.patreon.com/outercircle.  Rhys Pasimio can be found through www.patreon.com/outercircle and on instagram at @newpattrencounseling and through New Pattern Counseling at www.newpatterncounseling.com, and is always happy to dialogue with listeners bringing honest questions! Abbot Tryphon can be found at abbottryphon.com. There you'll find links to his Facebook, Youtube, Telegram, and other platforms. And if you can, try to visit him in person at the monastery! - https://vashonmonks.com/ #abbottryphon #monk #monks #monastic #monastery #orthodox #orthodoxy #orthodoxchristianity #christianity #easternorthodoxy #vashonisland #spirituality #religion #sobriety #community #relationships #healing #psychology #technology #church #family #sobriety #reading #spiritual wisdom #recovery #sobriety #addiction #addictionrecovery #drugsandalcohol #pornography #mentalhealth #innerlife

MONASTIC WISDOM: The Letters of Saint Joseph the Hesychast Table of Contents for podcast to follow --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/athonite-audio/support

Sixteenth Letter Seventeenth Letter Eighteenth Lette Nineteenth Letter --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/athonite-audio/support

Thirty-ninth Letter Fortieth Letter Table of Contents to podcast to follow --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/athonite-audio/support

Sixty-Fifth Letter table of contents for podcast to follow --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/athonite-audio/support

A homily based on the following reading from the Revised Common Lectionary:Luke 6:20-31Jesus looked up at his disciples and said:“Blessed are you who are poor,for yours is the kingdom of God.“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets." "But woe to you who are rich,for you have received your consolation. "Woe to you who are full now,for you will be hungry. "Woe to you who are laughing now,for you will mourn and weep. "Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets."But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.

Welcome to EPISODE SEVENTEEN of my channel and podcast: The Devotional Hearts Show! In this episode, which aired on my YouTube channel in November 2021, I discuss Eastern Orthodox Christianity with Yulia Grosheva.  She is Russian,  but now lives in the US with her husband.  She tells us about her many travels to holy places and about her life as an Orthodox woman.We also discus Orthodox weddings, her favorite saints, and her favorite Church Fathers' writings.Yulia's Instagram Books mentioned:Check with my friend Kevin Hughes to see if he has them!Kevin's storeOr hereSt John Damascus - "The Exposition of the Orthodox Faith"Elder Joseph the Hesychast - "Monastic Wisdom"Seraphim Slobodskoi - "The Law of God"Daniel Sysoev - "A Protestant's Walk Through an Orthodox Church"Daniel Sysoev - "Why Go to Church Every Sunday?" and "How Often Should One Commune?"Father Seraphim Rose - "Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future" and "The Soul After Death"Lectures of metropolitan Jonah My channel glorifies our Creator by sharing inspirational interviews with devoted Christians.  My guests will tell their stories of transformation in a life with Christ and offer guidance to those who are seeking Him.  Many of my guests are content creators who are spreading the beauty of Christianity online.Are you a woman who is interested in the Orthodox Church and have no idea where to start?  Follow my IG: @A.Devotional.Heart where I review books and share content from other Orthodox Christians.  The focus is femininity, softening our hearts while turning away from the traps of this world, and a life in service to God.  I host monthly zoom call for female Orthodox inquirers, catechumen, and baptized Orthodox, so message me if you are interested.My TelegramYou can also request information from me about my Faith-Based Coaching practice for women by messaging me on IG @ A.Devotional.Heart.I plan to release at least two videos per week on my channel; so please like, share and Subscribe.  Hit the bell to be notified of my future interviews and videos.I am not an expert, apologist, authority, spokesperson, or leader on/in the Orthodox Church.Orthodox Christians are welcome to correct any of my errors or misunderstandings.ALL GLORY TO GOD FOR THIS CHANNEL AND MY OTHER CONTENT!Support the show (https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/ALIGNEDVISIONARY?country.x=US&locale.x=en_US)

On today's episode, Neph is joined by special guest Sister Julia Walsh to discuss the importance of incorporating spiritual and self-care practices when doing the work of activism and community organizing. Sister Julia is a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration and creator of the Messy Jesus Business, which is a blog and a podcast. Neph and Sister Julia also share about their own experiences and recommend resources to those who want to learn about spiritual and self-care practices. Links to resources mentioned in today's episode: Insight Timer Pray as You Go Praying Our Experiences: An Invitation to Open Our Lives to God by Joseph F. Schmidt Into the Silent Land: A Guide to the Christian Practice of Contemplation by Martin Laird The Artist's Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom by Christine Valters Paintner  To connect with Sister Julia, visit:  Twitter: @juliafspa and @messyjesusbiz  Website: Messy Jesus Business and Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration  To learn about how to become a member or donate, visit us at csplaction.org. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter using the handles @CSPLAction and @partingdwaters.

Letter Eight from “Monastic Wisdom, the Letters of Elder Joseph the Hesychast”. Text available for purchase here: https://shop.stanthonysmonastery.org/monastic-wisdom-softcover.html

A reading and homily based on the following gospel from the Revised Common Lectionary:John 15:5-17Jesus said to his disciples,  "I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Abba is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become[c] my disciples. “As my Abba has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. And you will abide in my love if you keep my commandments, just as I abide in Abba God's love and have kept God's commandments. I tell you all this that my joy may be yours, and your joy may be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends. "And you are my friends, if you do what I command you. I no longer speak of you as subordinates, because a subordinate doesn't know a superior's business. Instead I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have learned from Abba God. It was not you who chose me; it was I who chose you to go forth and bear fruit. Your fruit must endure, so that whatever you ask of Abba God in my name God will give you. This command I give you: that you love one another. "

Based on the following passage from today's daily office lectionary from the Book of Common Prayer:James 1:1-15 NIVJames, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:Greetings.Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Today’s guest is Julia Brown, an artist, entrepreneur, recovering fundamentalist Christian, and a living example of the mystical wisdom of the artist. Julia drops wisdom left and right in this conversation as she shares how she’s learned to navigate capitalism as an artist, and how her faith directs and influences her creative work. We talk about the limits of language, embracing mystery, and choosing compassion instead of judgement for ourselves and others. Julia has her own pottery business, and previously started an art studio for adults with disabilities in Nashville, TN. Julia and her husband live and work on the farm they created, the Tiny Giant Farm in Kalamazoo, MI.Connect with Julia's art and lifeConnect with Julia's craft and businessConnect with Heather on InstagramDid you hear? I'm now offering one-on-one spiritual guidance. If you're interested in diving deeper Into the work of God in your life, and feel like a guide would be helpful, you can learn more about spiritual guidance and get in touch with Heather on the Chickmonks website.Julia's references:Deviate: The Science of Seeing Differently, Beau LottoThe Faithful Artist, Cameron J. AndersonChanging Signs of Truth, Crystal DowningHow Postmodernism Serves My Faith: Questioning Truth In Language, Philosophy, and Art, Crystal DowningBezalel's Body: The Death of God and the Birth of Art, Katie KresserPsychology Today's Narcissism series (my favorite line: "So, if there is an increase in narcissism, maybe it’s not such a bad thing.")

A homily based on the following reading from the daily office lectionary in the Book of Common Prayer:Luke 4: 14-30 (NIV)Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. He was teaching in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind,to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” they asked.Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’”“Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him off the cliff. But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.

Professor Betsy Coughlin is back for the first episode of "Heather and Betsy talk about sex," where Heather and Betsy talk about talking about sex.In this conversation we talk about the history of the Church, how we understand the Bible, and, spoiler alert: the patriarchal values that shaped both.Please, please reach out to Heather via Instagram or the Chickmonks website, or connect with Betsy if you'd like to respond directly to her.

Brother Paul Quenon, OCSO, Trappist monk, poet, and photographer, is the author of books like In Praise of the Useless Life: A Monk's Memoir and Unquiet Vigil: New and Selected Poems. He returned to Encountering Silence for a conversation recorded last April (to hear his previous conversations on this podcast, click here and here). In this episode he speaks about the spirituality of nature, how God sometimes feels absent, and the challenge of being a poet in a time of dejection. This is part two of a two-part interview. To listen to part one, click here. Nature for me is very congenial... the birds are my teachers, they always seem to be exhilarated, no matter how bad the world is, they're singing that same tune, and it picks up the heart: there's something larger than ourselves and our concerns. — Br. Paul Quenon, OCSO Brother Paul entered monastic life in 1958, when he was only 17 years old — back before the reforms of the Second Vatical Council, when the life of a Trappist was even more austere than it is today. His novice master turned out to be Thomas Merton, who eventually became an inspiration to Brother Paul not only as a monk, but as a writer. It might be a mistake to seek the fullness of God. God, to our perception, is more like nothing, nothingness and emptiness. You have to allow God to manifest the way God will. Sometimes it's consoling, sometimes you feel a presence... on the other hand, sometimes you just have to prepare yourself to the reality that God does not speak sometimes. — Brother Paul Quenon, OCSO Some of the resources and authors mentioned in this episode: Paul Quenon, Amounting to Nothing Paul Quenon, In Praise of the Useless Life: A Monk's Memoir Paul Quenon, Unquiet Vigil: New and Selected Poems Paul Quenon, Bells of the Hours Paul Quenon, Afternoons with Emily Paul Quenon, Monkswear Paul Quenon, Laughter: My Purgatory Paul Quenon, Terrors of Paradise Paul Quenon with Judith Valente and Michael Bever, The Art of Pausing Julian of Norwich, The Showings of Julian of Norwich: A New Translation Eugene Peterson, Earth & Altar: The Community of Prayer in a Self-Bound Society Saint Benedict, The Rule of Saint Benedict The Buddha, Teachings of the Buddha Daniel C. Walsh, Correspondence Thomas Merton, Essential Writings The Beatles, Sergeant Peppers' Lonely Hearts Club Band Matthew Kelty, Singing For The Kingdom: The Last of the Homilies I think a lot of people are feeling very dejected, at a loss, and maybe what the Lord wants me to do is feel at a loss with them. — Br. Paul Quenon, OCSO Episode 111: Silence, Poetry, and Monastic Wisdom: A Conversation with Brother Paul Quenon, OCSO (Part Two) Hosted by: Cassidy Hall With: Carl McColman and Kevin Johnson Guest: Br. Paul Quenon, OCSO Date Recorded: April 30, 2020

Brother Paul Quenon, OCSO, Trappist monk, poet, and photographer, is the author of books like In Praise of the Useless Life: A Monk's Memoir and Unquiet Vigil: New and Selected Poems. He returned to Encountering Silence for a conversation recorded last April (to hear his previous conversations on this podcast, click here and here). In this episode he speaks about the spirituality of nature, how God sometimes feels absent, and the challenge of being a poet in a time of dejection. This is part two of a two-part interview. To listen to part one, click here. Nature for me is very congenial... the birds are my teachers, they always seem to be exhilarated, no matter how bad the world is, they're singing that same tune, and it picks up the heart: there's something larger than ourselves and our concerns. — Br. Paul Quenon, OCSO Brother Paul entered monastic life in 1958, when he was only 17 years old — back before the reforms of the Second Vatical Council, when the life of a Trappist was even more austere than it is today. His novice master turned out to be Thomas Merton, who eventually became an inspiration to Brother Paul not only as a monk, but as a writer. It might be a mistake to seek the fullness of God. God, to our perception, is more like nothing, nothingness and emptiness. You have to allow God to manifest the way God will. Sometimes it's consoling, sometimes you feel a presence... on the other hand, sometimes you just have to prepare yourself to the reality that God does not speak sometimes. — Brother Paul Quenon, OCSO Some of the resources and authors mentioned in this episode: Paul Quenon, Amounting to Nothing Paul Quenon, In Praise of the Useless Life: A Monk's Memoir Paul Quenon, Unquiet Vigil: New and Selected Poems Paul Quenon, Bells of the Hours Paul Quenon, Afternoons with Emily Paul Quenon, Monkswear Paul Quenon, Laughter: My Purgatory Paul Quenon, Terrors of Paradise Paul Quenon with Judith Valente and Michael Bever, The Art of Pausing Julian of Norwich, The Showings of Julian of Norwich: A New Translation Eugene Peterson, Earth & Altar: The Community of Prayer in a Self-Bound Society Saint Benedict, The Rule of Saint Benedict The Buddha, Teachings of the Buddha Daniel C. Walsh, Correspondence Thomas Merton, Essential Writings The Beatles, Sergeant Peppers' Lonely Hearts Club Band Matthew Kelty, Singing For The Kingdom: The Last of the Homilies I think a lot of people are feeling very dejected, at a loss, and maybe what the Lord wants me to do is feel at a loss with them. — Br. Paul Quenon, OCSO Episode 111: Silence, Poetry, and Monastic Wisdom: A Conversation with Brother Paul Quenon, OCSO (Part Two) Hosted by: Cassidy Hall With: Carl McColman and Kevin Johnson Guest: Br. Paul Quenon, OCSO Date Recorded: April 30, 2020

Brother Paul Quenon, OCSO, Trappist monk, poet, and photographer, is the author of books like In Praise of the Useless Life: A Monk's Memoir and Unquiet Vigil: New and Selected Poems. He returned to Encountering Silence for a conversation recorded last April (to hear his previous conversations on this podcast, click here and here). This time, he offers a fascinating conversation drawing lines of connection between the monk's experience of cloistered solitude and the challenges that the public at large has faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. I think there's something within everybody that really wants to have quiet time... There's something about the heart that thirsts for that kind of quiet and silence. — Br. Paul Quenon, OCSO Brother Paul entered monastic life in 1958, when he was only 17 years old — back before the reforms of the Second Vatical Council, when the life of a Trappist was even more austere than it is today. His novice master turned out to be Thomas Merton, who eventually became an inspiration to Brother Paul not only as a monk, but as a writer. Here's a video of Brother Paul reading one of his poems, from our conversation this year: https://vimeo.com/413749815 A habit can be a very supportive thing, a routine can be a deadening thing a ritual should always be a vital thing and should always be done mindfully. — Brother Paul Quenon, OCSO Some of the resources and authors mentioned in this episode: Paul Quenon, In Praise of the Useless Life: A Monk's Memoir Paul Quenon, Unquiet Vigil: New and Selected Poems Paul Quenon, Bells of the Hours Paul Quenon, Afternoons with Emily Paul Quenon, Monkswear Paul Quenon, Laughter: My Purgatory Paul Quenon, Terrors of Paradise Paul Quenon with Judith Valente and Michael Bever, The Art of Pausing Thomas Merton, Essential Writings Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude Greg Hillis, Bodhisattva Emily Dickinson, The Complete Poems, edited by Thomas H. Johnson Marty Gervais, Nine Lives: A Reunion in Paris Wallace Stevens, The Collected Poems T.S. Eliot, The Complete Poems and Plays Ignatius of Loyola, Personal Writings In a monastery you're living in a poetic environment, and the countryside that we live in, I think it exposes the mind to open up to poetry. — Br. Paul Quenon, OCSO Episode 110: Silence, Poetry, and Monastic Wisdom: A Conversation with Brother Paul Quenon, OCSO (Part One) Hosted by: Cassidy Hall With: Carl McColman and Kevin Johnson Guest: Br. Paul Quenon, OCSO Date Recorded: April 30, 2020

Brother Paul Quenon, OCSO, Trappist monk, poet, and photographer, is the author of books like In Praise of the Useless Life: A Monk's Memoir and Unquiet Vigil: New and Selected Poems. He returned to Encountering Silence for a conversation recorded last April (to hear his previous conversations on this podcast, click here and here). This time, he offers a fascinating conversation drawing lines of connection between the monk's experience of cloistered solitude and the challenges that the public at large has faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. I think there's something within everybody that really wants to have quiet time... There's something about the heart that thirsts for that kind of quiet and silence. — Br. Paul Quenon, OCSO Brother Paul entered monastic life in 1958, when he was only 17 years old — back before the reforms of the Second Vatical Council, when the life of a Trappist was even more austere than it is today. His novice master turned out to be Thomas Merton, who eventually became an inspiration to Brother Paul not only as a monk, but as a writer. Here's a video of Brother Paul reading one of his poems, from our conversation this year: https://vimeo.com/413749815 A habit can be a very supportive thing, a routine can be a deadening thing a ritual should always be a vital thing and should always be done mindfully. — Brother Paul Quenon, OCSO Some of the resources and authors mentioned in this episode: Paul Quenon, In Praise of the Useless Life: A Monk's Memoir Paul Quenon, Unquiet Vigil: New and Selected Poems Paul Quenon, Bells of the Hours Paul Quenon, Afternoons with Emily Paul Quenon, Monkswear Paul Quenon, Laughter: My Purgatory Paul Quenon, Terrors of Paradise Paul Quenon with Judith Valente and Michael Bever, The Art of Pausing Thomas Merton, Essential Writings Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude Greg Hillis, Bodhisattva Emily Dickinson, The Complete Poems, edited by Thomas H. Johnson Marty Gervais, Nine Lives: A Reunion in Paris Wallace Stevens, The Collected Poems T.S. Eliot, The Complete Poems and Plays Ignatius of Loyola, Personal Writings In a monastery you're living in a poetic environment, and the countryside that we live in, I think it exposes the mind to open up to poetry. — Br. Paul Quenon, OCSO Episode 110: Silence, Poetry, and Monastic Wisdom: A Conversation with Brother Paul Quenon, OCSO (Part One) Hosted by: Cassidy Hall With: Carl McColman and Kevin Johnson Guest: Br. Paul Quenon, OCSO Date Recorded: April 30, 2020

This episode is a beautiful and vulnerable interview with my friend Valerie Hernandez-Sigamani. We cover big, important injustices in our experiences of Christianity and our hopes for what the future could be like for communities of people following Jesus, but doing it differently--especially making the church better for women and people of color.Connect with ValerieValerie's work: Wild Faith Co.Connect with Heather{NEW} Chickmonks website!Introducing 1:1 spiritual guidance with Heather. If you have been feeling directionless or confused, especially in regards to your sense of spirituality, belief systems, or who you are—I want you to consider working with me.Contact me using either of the links above for more Information.

There is a love that is so strong, it is present even in the most isolating and agonizing darkness. This love has been represented in the feminine form for millennia across spiritual traditions, so it’s no surprise that the love that accompanied Jesus into his agony is represented by these three women.Referenced:Christena Cleveland, author, theologian, activistA homily preached from the following daily office reading of the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer:Matthew 27:55-66 (NRSV)Many women were also there, looking on from a distance; they had followed Jesus from Galilee and had provided for him. Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who was also a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus; then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. So Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock. He then rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember what that impostor said while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise again.’ Therefore command the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise his disciples may go and steal him away, and tell the people, ‘He has been raised from the dead,’ and the last deception would be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers; go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went with the guard and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone.

Rev. Emily Hook and I grew up in Richmond, VA, both in Southern Baptist churches, and both had our own adult journeys into a contemplative, liturgical tradition. Emily tells her story on that path, and spoiler alert: she is now ordained to ministry in the Presbyterian Church. We scratched the surface on perfectionism, the community aspect of liturgy in worship, and the path of personal, contemplative faith through it all.And I especially hope you enjoy hearing Emily reflect on the unique balance of motherhood and pastoring, a beautiful and challenging and necessary role in the church. I’m so grateful we have women like her modeling the Divine Mother love of God within a historically patriarchal tradition.Connect with EmilyConnect with HeatherResources/ books Emily mentioned or recommends:Liturgy of the Ordinary- Tish Harrison Warren How to Be a Monastic and Not Leave Your Day Job: An Invitation to Oblate Life- Brother Benet Tvedten Celtic Daily Prayer: Prayers and Readings from the Northumbria Community Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals- Shane Claiborne, Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, Enuma Okoro PCUSA Daily PrayerEpiscopal Book of Common Prayer Sacred Ordinary Days PlannerThe Cradle of Prayer (For daily prayer on the go)

Shannon Hillenmeyer, LCSW is a counselor at Rooted Counseling Center in Nashville, TN, a powerful and gentle spiritual leader, and is one of the most formative yoga teachers I’ve ever experienced, so I can’t wait for you all to hear from her todayOur conversation was thwarted by internet connection issues, which means we sometimes talk over each other and the flow is a bit unnatural—but honestly if that isn’t your new normal right now, I don’t know if we’re living in the same reality. Interruptions aside, Shannon and I got into some really beautiful spaces about growth and ego work. We talk specifically about this spiritual path of transformation through yoga, teaching and leadership, counseling, and internal work.Shannon and I return over and over to the concept and gift of presence. Presence to ourselves, presence to the people we love, presence to the task in front of us. There are SO many things we as humans let get in our way of presence—we fill up our schedules, we distract or numb ourselves, we give ourselves to the anxiety and fear that seem to offer us relief, only to find that when we buy into their false promises, our lives are ruled by that anxiety and fear.Presence is the key to our freedom from this enslavement. When we practice presence, we start to make a home with ourselves. We start to engage in our lives with intentionality, and not simply trying to quiet the fear. Presence with ourselves allows us space to notice our reactions to the circumstances around us. And if, in that presence, we can offer ourselves acceptance, if we can find compassion and receive the truth of the present moment,eventually the voices of fear, of anxiety, and of judgment start to settle down, and we find peace.Connect with Shannon on InstagramConnect with me on Instagram

This conversation with Rachel Zolensky, and this will stir up all the things in you. Rachel is a social justice activist by trade and by conviction, but she’s also one of the most thoughtful, introspective people I’ve crossed paths with, and she has a gift for seeing and understanding the way things work and then explaining it to the rest of us.Rachel and I talk about change and transformation. Societal Transformation is only a hopeful ideal until it takes root at an individual level. One word that surfaces many, many times in this conversation is grief. Because this is hard work! For new things to be born, old things have to die, and that comes with grief.One of my favorite parts of this conversation is when Rachel reminds us that a world without white supremacy is better for white people too. When we climb over each other and press others down, everyone loses. Everyone dies. But it doesn’t have to be this way, and transformation begins with your heart.Resources:Rachel's work with Tennessee Institute for Higher EducationSonya Renee Taylor5 ways to get involved with local governmentSURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice) SURJ is an organization specifically directed towards facilitating white action towards racial justiceConnect with Rachel on InstagramConnect with me on InstagramLight and Peace to you.

This conversation with Allie Utley (PhD candidate in homiletics and liturgy at Vanderbilt University, professor at Presbyterian Theological Seminary) is very much about the Church as a whole—you’ll probably even learn some new vocabulary. But this conversation is also about what we do as members of the Church—or any worshipping community, for that matter—when we can’t gather.Spoiler alert: it hurts. It calls for grief. And it calls for something new and creative from Christian circles.Allie and I talk in-depth about what on earth the Church as a worshipping community can do while public worship isn’t available. Also note that this episode is explicit for a reason.Connect with Allie: @aeutleyConnect with Heather: @theheatherlawrenceWe’re ready to hear from you if you have thoughts, ideas, responses, questions—consider this an open invitation to connection and conversation.

A homily based on the following daily office reading from the Book of Common Prayer:Matthew 7:1-12“Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.“Do not give what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under foot and turn and maul you.“Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!“In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets."

Delaney McBride is a massage therapist, registered yoga teacher, and personal cook, and has combined her skills and passions in an instagram account called Hand to Heart Wellness, where she promotes a balanced approach to health and wellness through connecting your mind, body, and gut. Definitely give her a follow—@handtoheartwellness.We talk about creative work, our relationships with food and exercise, and really, all of life as a way of knowing ourselves and being freed from our egos into greater Love. We talk about presence and self-awareness and spiritual practice, and all the things that have changed during this season of shifting and changing and canceling and slowing down. I thought I was going to talk to Delaney about food This interview picks up right away—we started catching up and I realized the material was too good to not record, so brace yourselves cause we’re jumping right in.

A homily based on the following reading from the daily office lectionary in the Book of Common Prayer:John 15:1-12 (HCSB)“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vineyard keeper. Every branch in Me that does not produce fruit He removes, and He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me.“I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples.“As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Remain in My love. If you keep My commands you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love.“I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. This is My command: Love one another as I have loved you.

Betsy Coughlin is an adjunct faculty member in the department of theology and religion at Belmont University in Nashville, TN, where she also earned her Bachelors in English and Religion, and received her M.Div from Boston University. In this conversation Betsy and I talk about her evolving faith and religious practice, pain and healing associated with growing up in the conservative church of the South, and the role emotions play in our faith and understanding of God. There are so many good moments in this conversation that I think will connect the dots for many of us who have started to see our faith pull apart at the seams, especially faith in the angry, masculine God and his supporting theology that so many of us have been handed as ultimate truth.I hope and pray this conversation brings healing and hope and more conversation into your life.

Our conversation with Christine Valters Paintner concludes with this episode. Christine is the online abbess for Abbey of the Arts, a virtual monastery offering programs and resources on contemplative practice and creative expression. She is the author of thirteen books on monasticism and creativity, including her most recent Earth, Our Original Monastery and her second collection of poems forthcoming this fall, The Wisdom of Wild Grace. Wild, for me, is breaking beyond the confines of the limits of our imagination... wild, for me, is a doorway into this more expansive image of the Divine... wild, for me, is this understanding of the great Mystery that is. You can't commodify wild or mystery, you can't define it; this gift of wildness also asks us to access our intuitive knowing and our embodied knowing, as well. — Christine Valters Paintner She leads writing retreats and pilgrimages in Ireland, Scotland, Austria, and Germany and online retreats at her website AbbeyoftheArts.com, living out her commitment as a Benedictine Oblate in Galway, Ireland, with her husband, John. Christine returns to Encountering Silence (click here to listen to her previous interview with us, from 2018) bringing her warm, wise and inclusive spirituality which encompasses deep contemplation with an inspiring commitment to creative expression. This is part two of a two part episode. Click here to listen to part one. Some of the Resources and Authors We Mention In This Episode: Christine Valters Paintner, Earth, Our Original Monastery: Cultivating Wonder and Gratitude through Intimacy with Nature Christine Valters Paintner, The Wisdom of Wild Grace: Poems Christine Valters Paintner, The Artist’s Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom; Christine Valters Paintner, The Eyes of the Heart: Photography as a Christian Contemplative Practice; Christine Valters Paintner, The Wisdom of the Body: A Contemplative Journey to Wholeness for Women; Christine Valters Paintner, The Soul’s Slow Ripening: 12 Celtic Practices for Seeking the Sacred. Christine Valters Paintner, Dreaming of Stones: Poems Christine Valters Paintner, Lectio Divina: The Sacred Art Evelyn Underhill, The Letters of Evelyn Underhill C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Gerard Manley Hopkins, Poems and Prose The Desert Mothers and Fathers, Early Christian Wisdom Sayings The Psalms Episode 95: Wild Silence and the Cloister of the Earth: A Conversation with Christine Valters Paintner (Part Two) Hosted by: Carl McColman With: Cassidy Hall, Kevin Johnson Date Recorded: March 30, 2020 Featured image photo credit: Burren/Seashore Photo by Gabriel Ramos on Unsplash.

Our conversation with Christine Valters Paintner concludes with this episode. Christine is the online abbess for Abbey of the Arts, a virtual monastery offering programs and resources on contemplative practice and creative expression. She is the author of thirteen books on monasticism and creativity, including her most recent Earth, Our Original Monastery and her second collection of poems forthcoming this fall, The Wisdom of Wild Grace. Wild, for me, is breaking beyond the confines of the limits of our imagination... wild, for me, is a doorway into this more expansive image of the Divine... wild, for me, is this understanding of the great Mystery that is. You can't commodify wild or mystery, you can't define it; this gift of wildness also asks us to access our intuitive knowing and our embodied knowing, as well. — Christine Valters Paintner She leads writing retreats and pilgrimages in Ireland, Scotland, Austria, and Germany and online retreats at her website AbbeyoftheArts.com, living out her commitment as a Benedictine Oblate in Galway, Ireland, with her husband, John. Christine returns to Encountering Silence (click here to listen to her previous interview with us, from 2018) bringing her warm, wise and inclusive spirituality which encompasses deep contemplation with an inspiring commitment to creative expression. This is part two of a two part episode. Click here to listen to part one. Some of the Resources and Authors We Mention In This Episode: Christine Valters Paintner, Earth, Our Original Monastery: Cultivating Wonder and Gratitude through Intimacy with Nature Christine Valters Paintner, The Wisdom of Wild Grace: Poems Christine Valters Paintner, The Artist’s Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom; Christine Valters Paintner, The Eyes of the Heart: Photography as a Christian Contemplative Practice; Christine Valters Paintner, The Wisdom of the Body: A Contemplative Journey to Wholeness for Women; Christine Valters Paintner, The Soul’s Slow Ripening: 12 Celtic Practices for Seeking the Sacred. Christine Valters Paintner, Dreaming of Stones: Poems Christine Valters Paintner, Lectio Divina: The Sacred Art Evelyn Underhill, The Letters of Evelyn Underhill C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe Gerard Manley Hopkins, Poems and Prose The Desert Mothers and Fathers, Early Christian Wisdom Sayings The Psalms Episode 95: Wild Silence and the Cloister of the Earth: A Conversation with Christine Valters Paintner (Part Two) Hosted by: Carl McColman With: Cassidy Hall, Kevin Johnson Date Recorded: March 30, 2020 Featured image photo credit: Burren/Seashore Photo by Gabriel Ramos on Unsplash.

Christine Valters Paintner is the online abbess for Abbey of the Arts, a virtual monastery offering programs and resources on contemplative practice and creative expression. She is the author of thirteen books on monasticism and creativity, including her most recent Earth, Our Original Monastery and her second collection of poems forthcoming this fall, The Wisdom of Wild Grace. This is part one of a two part episode. To listen to part two, click here. Earth is the place where we learn our most fundamental prayers, hear the call of the wild arising at dawn to awaken us to a new day, participate in the primal liturgy of praise unfolding all around us, and experience the wisdom and guidance of the seasons. — Christine Valters Paintner, Earth: Our Original Monastery She leads writing retreats and pilgrimages in Ireland, Scotland, Austria, and Germany and online retreats at her website AbbeyoftheArts.com, living out her commitment as a Benedictine Oblate in Galway, Ireland, with her husband, John. Christine returns to Encountering Silence (click here to listen to her previous interview with us, from 2018) bringing her warm, wise and inclusive spirituality which encompasses deep contemplation with an inspiring commitment to creative expression. Everything in creation becomes a catalyst for my deepened self-understanding. The forest asks me to embrace my truth once again. The hummingbird invites me to sip holy nectar, the egret to stretch out my wings, the sparrows to remember my flock. Each pine cone contains an epiphany; each smooth stone offers a revelation. I watch and witness as the sun slowly makes her long arc across the sky and discover my own rising and falling. The moon will sing of quiet miracles, like those which reveal and conceal the world every day right before our eyes.  — Christine Valters Paintner, Earth: Our Original Monastery Some of the Resources and Authors We Mention In This Episode: Christine Valters Paintner, Earth, Our Original Monastery: Cultivating Wonder and Gratitude through Intimacy with Nature Christine Valters Paintner, The Wisdom of Wild Grace: Poems Christine Valters Paintner, The Artist’s Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom; Christine Valters Paintner, The Eyes of the Heart: Photography as a Christian Contemplative Practice; Christine Valters Paintner, The Wisdom of the Body: A Contemplative Journey to Wholeness for Women; Christine Valters Paintner, The Soul’s Slow Ripening: 12 Celtic Practices for Seeking the Sacred. Christine Valters Paintner, Dreaming of Stones: Poems Christine Valters Paintner, Lectio Divina: The Sacred Art The Desert Mothers and Fathers, Early Christian Wisdom Sayings The Psalms David Abram, The Spell of the Sensuous: Pereption and Language in a More-Than-Human World Sr. Corita Kent, Learning by Heart: Teachings to Free the Creative Spirit Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation David Whyte, River Flow: New and Selected Poems Helen Waddell, tr., Beasts and Saints Francis and Clare, The Complete Works Julian of Norwich, The Showings of Julian of Norwich Episode 94: Wild Silence and the Cloister of the Earth: A Conversation with Christine Valters Paintner (Part One) Hosted by: Carl McColman With: Cassidy Hall, Kevin Johnson Date Recorded: March 30, 2020 Featured photo credit: Kilmacduagh Monastery photograph by Carl McColman, copyright 2002.

Christine Valters Paintner is the online abbess for Abbey of the Arts, a virtual monastery offering programs and resources on contemplative practice and creative expression. She is the author of thirteen books on monasticism and creativity, including her most recent Earth, Our Original Monastery and her second collection of poems forthcoming this fall, The Wisdom of Wild Grace. This is part one of a two part episode. To listen to part two, click here. Earth is the place where we learn our most fundamental prayers, hear the call of the wild arising at dawn to awaken us to a new day, participate in the primal liturgy of praise unfolding all around us, and experience the wisdom and guidance of the seasons. — Christine Valters Paintner, Earth: Our Original Monastery She leads writing retreats and pilgrimages in Ireland, Scotland, Austria, and Germany and online retreats at her website AbbeyoftheArts.com, living out her commitment as a Benedictine Oblate in Galway, Ireland, with her husband, John. Christine returns to Encountering Silence (click here to listen to her previous interview with us, from 2018) bringing her warm, wise and inclusive spirituality which encompasses deep contemplation with an inspiring commitment to creative expression. Everything in creation becomes a catalyst for my deepened self-understanding. The forest asks me to embrace my truth once again. The hummingbird invites me to sip holy nectar, the egret to stretch out my wings, the sparrows to remember my flock. Each pine cone contains an epiphany; each smooth stone offers a revelation. I watch and witness as the sun slowly makes her long arc across the sky and discover my own rising and falling. The moon will sing of quiet miracles, like those which reveal and conceal the world every day right before our eyes.  — Christine Valters Paintner, Earth: Our Original Monastery Some of the Resources and Authors We Mention In This Episode: Christine Valters Paintner, Earth, Our Original Monastery: Cultivating Wonder and Gratitude through Intimacy with Nature Christine Valters Paintner, The Wisdom of Wild Grace: Poems Christine Valters Paintner, The Artist’s Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom; Christine Valters Paintner, The Eyes of the Heart: Photography as a Christian Contemplative Practice; Christine Valters Paintner, The Wisdom of the Body: A Contemplative Journey to Wholeness for Women; Christine Valters Paintner, The Soul’s Slow Ripening: 12 Celtic Practices for Seeking the Sacred. Christine Valters Paintner, Dreaming of Stones: Poems Christine Valters Paintner, Lectio Divina: The Sacred Art The Desert Mothers and Fathers, Early Christian Wisdom Sayings The Psalms David Abram, The Spell of the Sensuous: Pereption and Language in a More-Than-Human World Sr. Corita Kent, Learning by Heart: Teachings to Free the Creative Spirit Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation David Whyte, River Flow: New and Selected Poems Helen Waddell, tr., Beasts and Saints Francis and Clare, The Complete Works Julian of Norwich, The Showings of Julian of Norwich Episode 94: Wild Silence and the Cloister of the Earth: A Conversation with Christine Valters Paintner (Part One) Hosted by: Carl McColman With: Cassidy Hall, Kevin Johnson Date Recorded: March 30, 2020 Featured photo credit: Kilmacduagh Monastery photograph by Carl McColman, copyright 2002.

A homily based on the following daily office reading from the Book of Common Prayer:Mark 9:30-41 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.” But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask him.Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they were silent, for on the way they had argued with one another who was the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all.” Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.”John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.

A homily preached from the following reading from the daily office lectionary from the Book of Common Prayer:Mark 1:1-13 (NRSV)The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way;the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’”John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.

Grace or judgment, you get to choose.A homily preached from the following reading from the daily office lectionary of the Book of Common Prayer:John 7:53-8:20, NRSVThen each of them went home, while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”]]

A homily preached from the following Daily Office lectionary reading from the Book of Common Prayer:John 3:16-21 (NRSV)“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”

At Christmas we encounter a lot of "shoulds" and disappointments. This is one of the reasons the idea of Advent is so powerful to me. The church calendar includes a 4-week period of longing. While the world around us hosts Christmas parties and celebrates the season, the church steps into a season where all we have is our desire that things were different.Advent speaks to our longing. It gives room to be in the darkness. It gives us a season to grieve that things don’t seem to be as they should. Advent is a space for those of us who have been disappointed in this life.And Advent gives us an opportunity for hope.Song: "I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day"I heard the bells on Christmas dayTheir old familiar carols play;In music sweet the tones repeat,of peace on earth, good will to men.I thought how, as the day had come,The belfries of all ChristendomHad rolled along the unbroken songOf peace on earth, good will to men.And in despair I bowed my head:“There is no peace on earth,” I said,“For hate is strong, and mocks the songOf peace on earth, good will to men.”Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:“God is not dead, and does not sleep,The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,with peace on earth, good will to men.”

A homily on the following Scriptures from the daily office lectionary In the Book of Common Prayer:Matthew 17:14-20 (NRSV)When they came to the crowd, a man came to him, knelt before him, and said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly; he often falls into the fire and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.” Jesus answered, “You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.” And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was cured instantly. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” But this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting.Psalm 95 (NIV)Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods.In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry land.Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.Today, if only you would hear his voice,“Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the wilderness,where your ancestors tested me; they tried me, though they had seen what I did.For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways.’So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”Join the Chickmonks community as a monthly patron and become a part of expanding this healing and hope, maintaining regular, new episodes and access to older ones: https://www.patreon.com/join/chickmonks/checkout

A homily based on the following Scripture from the daily office lectionary of the Book of Common Prayer:John 9:18-41 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.” He answered, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” Then they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” The man answered, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?” And they drove him out.Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.” He said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped him. Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.

A homily based on the following Book of Common Prayer daily office lectionary reading:Matthew 13:44-52 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.“Have you understood all this?” They answered, “Yes.” And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

A homily based on the following Book of Common Prayer daily office reading:Matthew 13:1-9 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: “Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!”

A homily based on the Book of Common Prayer daily office reading:Matthew 11:25-30 (NRSV)At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

One of my old favorite homilies from the (pre-podcast) Lenten season, based on BCP daily office readings:Jeremiah 2:1-13 (NRSV)The word of the Lord came to me, saying: Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, Thus says the Lord:I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride,how you followed me in the wilderness, in a land not sown.Israel was holy to the Lord, the first fruits of his harvest.All who ate of it were held guilty; disaster came upon them,says the Lord.Hear the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. Thus says the Lord:What wrong did your ancestors find in me that they went far from me,and went after worthless things, and became worthless themselves?They did not say, “Where is the Lord who brought us up from the land of Egypt,who led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and pits,in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that no one passes through, where no one lives?”I brought you into a plentiful land to eat its fruits and its good things.But when you entered you defiled my land, and made my heritage an abomination.The priests did not say, “Where is the Lord?” Those who handle the law did not know me;the rulers transgressed against me; the prophets prophesied by Baal, and went after things that do not profit.Therefore once more I accuse you,says the Lord, and I accuse your children’s children.Cross to the coasts of Cyprus and look, send to Kedar and examine with care; see if there has ever been such a thing.Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods?But my people have changed their glory for something that does not profit.Be appalled, O heavens, at this, be shocked, be utterly desolate,says the Lord,for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me,the fountain of living water, and dug out cisterns for themselves,cracked cisterns that can hold no water.Romans 1:16-25 (NRSV)For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, “The one who is righteous will live by faith.”For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools; and they exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling a mortal human being or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles.Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the degrading of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

A homily based on the following daily office reading from the Book of Common Prayer:Matthew 9:1-8 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)And after getting into a boat he crossed the sea and came to his own town.And just then some people were carrying a paralyzed man lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.” Then some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.” But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts? For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Stand up, take your bed and go to your home.” And he stood up and went to his home. When the crowds saw it, they were filled with awe, and they glorified God, who had given such authority to human beings.

Homily preached from the following Book of Common Prayer daily office reading:Matthew 7:1-12“Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgment you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck in your neighbor’s eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye? Or how can you say to your neighbor, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ while the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor’s eye.“Do not give what is holy to dogs; and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under foot and turn and maul you.“Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for bread, will give a stone? Or if the child asks for a fish, will give a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask him!“In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets."

Homily preached from the following Book of Common Prayer daily office readings:Matthew 5:27-48[Jesus said,] “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.“Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.’ But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be ‘Yes, Yes’ or ‘No, No’; anything more than this comes from the evil one.“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Western Christianity has settled for a narrow perspective on faith and knowing God--a perspective in which being right was the ultimate source of security and truth. When my spiritual path led me away from these constrictions and limiting beliefs, I discovered voices who had been knowing God through expansiveness rather than limitations--I found these voices in monks and contemplatives of modern orders all the way back to the ancient teachings of desert mothers and fathers. I encountered contemplative Christianity, and it brought me life to see Jesus as a teacher of this way.I also had a lot of healing to do on my patriarchal perspective on God and religion. The Spirit began to nudge me to refer to God with feminine pronouns. I learned more about Mother God and the Divine Feminine, enlivened as I encountered this part of God who resonated so deeply with my experience of what it means to be Loved by Love itself, and to learn to Love in the way of Christ.Chickmonks is all of the things that healed my faith rolled into one. It's a podcast full of conversations exploring contemplative Christianity from a female perspective. There will be a broad array of voices represented--yes, even men. But by emphasizing different voices and perspectives, Chickmonks aims to create a space for a fuller, truer, deeper encounter with God. Sometimes episodes will be interviews, sometimes there will be homilies, and sometimes there will be guided prayers. May you find grace, may you find compassion, and may the light of Jesus Christ make you more into Love.

Christine Valters Paintner — an American expatriate living in the west of Ireland — joins us on Encoutering Silence to explore the intersections of silence, spirituality, contemplation, creativity, and living as a monk in the real world. Author, poet, spiritual director, and Benedictine Oblate Christine Valters Paintner serves as the online Abbess at www.AbbeyoftheArts.com, a virtual monastery without walls. She is the author of twelve books on spirituality, contemplative practice, and creative expression, including: The Artist’s Rule, The Eyes of the Heart, The Wisdom of the Body, and The Soul’s Slow Ripening. Next year Paraclete Press will publish her collection of poetry, Dreaming of Stones. I started to realize how photography has a lot of violence in its language — so there's capturing, shooting, taking... the way that we interact with photography is very much about seizing the movement in this kind of violent way. What if when we were with our camera, we looked at it as receiving a gift, rather than taking something? — Christine Valters Paintner Drawing connections between her life experience as an introvert and her early spiritual formation shaped by Jesuit education and the wisdom of St. Benedict and St. Hildegard of Bingen, Christine shares how a silent retreat inspired her to find the silent, contemplative dimension of artistry, poetry, movement — as well as winter time as a powerful season for contemplative rest and unknowing which is its own contribution to the creative process. I find that creative work is a lot about just giving ourselves permission to make mistakes, and to have fun, and to do things that we maybe haven't done since we were a child, and there is a lot of freedom that comes with that. — Christine Valters Paintner She reflects on how the experience of grieving, living with an autoimmune illness, and embracing our embodied selves, are some of the many portals through which the mystery of contemplative silence has invited her — and can invite all of us — into stillness and unknowing, and into finding ourselves in the present moment. Christine offers a special treat at the end of our conversation — she reads a never-before-published poem of hers, "Saint Francis and the Grasshopper." I believe in the revolutionary power of stillness and spaciousness, and of practicing presence to life's unfolding. I believe this commitment can change the world. — Christine Valters Paintner Some of the authors and resources mentioned in this episode: Christine Valters Paintner, The Artist’s Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom; Christine Valters Paintner, The Eyes of the Heart: Photography as a Christian Contemplative Practice; Christine Valters Paintner, The Wisdom of the Body: A Contemplative Journey to Wholeness for Women; Christine Valters Paintner, The Soul’s Slow Ripening: 12 Celtic Practices for Seeking the Sacred. Christine Valters Paintner, Dreaming of Stones: Poems Christine Valters Paintner, Lectio Divina: The Sacred Art Saint Benedict, The Rule of Saint Benedict Saint Hildegard of Bingen, Selected Writings Mary C. Earle, Beginning Again: Benedictine Wisdom for Living with Illness Mary C. Earle, Days of Grace: Meditations and Practices for Living with Illness Mary C. Earle, Broken Body, Healing Spirit: Lectio Divina and Living with Illness Reginald Ray, Touching Enlightenment: Finding Realization in the Body Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity The Desert Mothers and Fathers, Early Christian Wisdom Sayings Denise Levertov, The Collected Poems Mary Oliver, Devotions: The Selected Poems David Whyte, River Flow: New and Selected Poems Billy Collins,

Christine Valters Paintner — an American expatriate living in the west of Ireland — joins us on Encoutering Silence to explore the intersections of silence, spirituality, contemplation, creativity, and living as a monk in the real world. Author, poet, spiritual director, and Benedictine Oblate Christine Valters Paintner serves as the online Abbess at www.AbbeyoftheArts.com, a virtual monastery without walls. She is the author of twelve books on spirituality, contemplative practice, and creative expression, including: The Artist’s Rule, The Eyes of the Heart, The Wisdom of the Body, and The Soul’s Slow Ripening. Next year Paraclete Press will publish her collection of poetry, Dreaming of Stones. I started to realize how photography has a lot of violence in its language — so there's capturing, shooting, taking... the way that we interact with photography is very much about seizing the movement in this kind of violent way. What if when we were with our camera, we looked at it as receiving a gift, rather than taking something? — Christine Valters Paintner Drawing connections between her life experience as an introvert and her early spiritual formation shaped by Jesuit education and the wisdom of St. Benedict and St. Hildegard of Bingen, Christine shares how a silent retreat inspired her to find the silent, contemplative dimension of artistry, poetry, movement — as well as winter time as a powerful season for contemplative rest and unknowing which is its own contribution to the creative process. I find that creative work is a lot about just giving ourselves permission to make mistakes, and to have fun, and to do things that we maybe haven't done since we were a child, and there is a lot of freedom that comes with that. — Christine Valters Paintner She reflects on how the experience of grieving, living with an autoimmune illness, and embracing our embodied selves, are some of the many portals through which the mystery of contemplative silence has invited her — and can invite all of us — into stillness and unknowing, and into finding ourselves in the present moment. Christine offers a special treat at the end of our conversation — she reads a never-before-published poem of hers, "Saint Francis and the Grasshopper." I believe in the revolutionary power of stillness and spaciousness, and of practicing presence to life's unfolding. I believe this commitment can change the world. — Christine Valters Paintner Some of the authors and resources mentioned in this episode: Christine Valters Paintner, The Artist’s Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom; Christine Valters Paintner, The Eyes of the Heart: Photography as a Christian Contemplative Practice; Christine Valters Paintner, The Wisdom of the Body: A Contemplative Journey to Wholeness for Women; Christine Valters Paintner, The Soul’s Slow Ripening: 12 Celtic Practices for Seeking the Sacred. Christine Valters Paintner, Dreaming of Stones: Poems Christine Valters Paintner, Lectio Divina: The Sacred Art Saint Benedict, The Rule of Saint Benedict Saint Hildegard of Bingen, Selected Writings Mary C. Earle, Beginning Again: Benedictine Wisdom for Living with Illness Mary C. Earle, Days of Grace: Meditations and Practices for Living with Illness Mary C. Earle, Broken Body, Healing Spirit: Lectio Divina and Living with Illness Reginald Ray, Touching Enlightenment: Finding Realization in the Body Julia Cameron, The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity The Desert Mothers and Fathers, Early Christian Wisdom Sayings Denise Levertov, The Collected Poems Mary Oliver, Devotions: The Selected Poems David Whyte, River Flow: New and Selected Poems Billy Collins, Aimless Love: New and Selected Poems Thomas Merton, Collected Poems of Thomas Merton Saint Francis of Assisi, In His Own Words: The Essential Writings When I do spend that time in silence and solitude,

Christine Valters Paintner is a spiritual director and Benedictine Oblate living in Galway, Ireland. She authored the book, "The Artist's Rule: Nurturing Your Creative Soul with Monastic Wisdom." The book is a 12-week journey exploring the interplay between contemplation and creativity. In this episode, Stephen talks with Christine about her thoughts on humility, radical generosity and what it means to be an urban monk and a part-time hermit. Featured Music by Latifah Alattas of Moda Spira.  Visit http://www.makersandmystics.com for additional content by Moda Spira.

The Call to Nourish Your Creative Soul   The Soul-Directed Life Book Club for June: The Artist's Rule   Christine Valters Paintner is the online abbess for Abbey of the Arts, a virtual monastery offering classes and resources on contemplative practice and creative expression. She has a doctorate in Christian spirituality from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California, and is a registered expressive arts educator with the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association. She is the author of The Eyes of the Heart, Water, Wind, Earth and Fire, and The Artist's Rule. Her newest book is The Soul of a Pilgrim. She leads pilgrimages in Ireland, Austria, and German and online retreats at her website. She lives her commitment as a Benedictine oblate in Galway, Ireland, with her husband John.