Christine Valters Paintner's Blog, page 64

Monk in the World Guest Post: Pat Butler

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Pat Butler's reflection, "The Secret Place Studio." 

"But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you."—Matthew 6:6

Just as an artist needs a quiet studio to practice his or her discipline, a monk in the world needs a quiet studio to pray. We might call it a cell or prayer closet; I prefer to think of it as a creative studio.

Jesus called it the secret place. He instructed his disciples to withdraw behind a closed door, implying a place of intimacy and privacy. Like a cell or prayer closet, our secret place is sacred space where we meet with the Father in private.

It takes thought to set up an artist's studio—and a secret place for prayer. How do we create such a space? As an artist, this monk needed to consider time, place, and materials.

Setting Up the Studio

Time

I'm not a morning person but woke early one morning at Jesus' invitation, "You have only to get up in the morning and greet me."

Easy enough, but cagey: the simplicity of "Hi!" left me thirsty for more. What if I gave God five minutes? The next morning, I set the timer. After saying hi, I read a verse and a short devotional. The morning after that I brought my journal and five minutes became fifteen. Gradually, my time grew to a half-hour, an hour, and more.

A verse became a chapter, then several, and my journal filled rapidly with questions, ponderings, prayers, and epiphanies. When I grappled with some theme or issue, I strung scriptures together like pearls for a necklace to understand God's thoughts.

Place

My bedroom was best in the stern New England winters, although a dawn walk in freshly fallen snow was a special treat. When Spring announced itself, I scouted for new locations. A nearby park, a local law school campus, or a lakeside reservoir were perfect for what I called our "walkie-talkies."

Materials

In those early days, I brought a journal to my secret place studio. Over the years, I added a Bible, more devotional reading, commentaries, my laptop, a sketchbook, camera (for contemplative photography), and worship music. As a poet, I often wrote or read a poem to close my time.

Listening

Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few.— Ecclesiastes 5:1-2

Jesus described his ministry as a listening and then a doing. Time in the secret place studio is not meant for navel-gazing or sterile introspection. When I learned about Lectio Divina, I began practicing in my secret place studio. I learned to listen, to dwell with the Word and the Voice that is always speaking. In listening, I receive what I'm to confess, ponder in my heart, or take into the world. I'm mindful of Mary's advice: "Do whatever he tells you to do."[1]

Adjusting

As with any discipline, we make a beginning but adjust for life. Although I jealously guard my morning hour in the secret place studio, I sometimes only get five minutes. If my home is too noisy, I leave books and props behind and head out into nature. I may snatch a few minutes in my car during lunch hour or add an hour before bedtime. I've learned to shrink, change, or expand the time according to circumstances. I ask myself regularly what location would be best to meet with God—outside in nature or indoors with a cup of tea? Do I need silence, music, or the crash of waves?

For vacation and travel, I created a portable studio space, which I keep in my suitcase. I filled a small pouch with colored pencils, post-it notes, glue stick, and index cards. I added a crucifix and postcards to practice visio divina. These days, with the convenience of a smartphone, I leave Bible, books, and commentaries home and use apps.

Becoming Fire

Some time ago, Christine posted this story from the desert fathers: "Abba Lot came to Abba Joseph and said: 'Father, according as I am able, I keep my little rule, and my little fast, my prayer, meditation and contemplative silence; and, according as I am able, I strive to cleanse my heart of thoughts: now what more should I do?' The elder rose up in reply and stretched out his hands to heaven, and his fingers became like ten lamps of fire. He said: Why not become fire?"[2]

Can we ever exhaust the possibilities of a secret place studio? We can find the best time and location, remove distractions, and gather materials. We can order our lives to withdraw regularly to be with the Father. But we can visit our studios even in motion—in traffic, in line at the supermarket, or waiting at the airport. For the secret place studio is in the heart.

How much time do we need to quiet our hearts? How much time does God desire? Maybe if we answer those questions, we can become all flame.

[1] John 2:5

[2] https://abbeyofthearts.com/blog/2006/07/31/becoming-fire/

Pat Butler is a monk in the world who's lived in New England, France, and Atlanta, and currently walks with cranes in Florida. A published poet with Finishing Line Press, Pat also publishes in literary and online journals. New projects include 2 manuscripts and blogging at MythicMonastery.org.

Finding Nourishment in a Time of Pandemic ~ A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dear monks, artists and pilgrims,

I wrote this reflection last Sunday morning, Mother's Day in the U.S.:

Each day John and I walk with Sourney up the canal and down the river that slice through Galway. Yesterday the swan we've seen nesting across the smooth water for several weeks was out with her new babies, five tiny grey cygnets swimming behind her as she searched for food.

Back at home, the starlings have nested again outside our building in the large fuchsia bushes as they do each May. The young ones old enough to fly come to our balcony with their mothers, following her around with beaks open and shrill cries as she gathers morsels to place in their open mouths. The sparrows come and eat the insects caught in the spider webs that have formed because of the dry, sunny weather.

Every morning I awaken to my sweet black dog following me to the kitchen, where I put out her breakfast and make myself some coffee. After she eats, I go outside with her and today saw the first strawberry had ripened in its pot. I plucked it greedily, in awe of its deep redness where it was green just two days before. I stood under the morning mist tasting that berry as the gift that it is, knowing this will be the first of many.

My wonderful husband often cooks us eggs for breakfast and Sourney sits patiently at my feet waiting for me to place the plate on the floor so she can lick off any remaining yolk. John and I talk about how it is Mother's Day again, this time in the U.S., Ireland celebrates it in March, and we commiserate over this second reminder within a season of each of our losses and longings. We both feel the deep ache of the absence of our mothers, especially in these days so full of grief surrounding us.

Amidst the cries of starling and the pleading brown eyes of my dog, plunged into the tenderness of loss and memory, I think of Julian of Norwich whose feast day just passed on May 13th. I have been reading her during this lockdown, fascinated more than I ever have been before by her call to become an anchoring presence in her community affected by plague. With her wisdom I have been pondering a lot what it means to sit still for hours and watch while the world around me unravels. The longer I sit the more things offer themselves to me as spark and catalyst.

Julian described Jesus as Mother and I marvel at her vision, how she could see beyond the strictly defined gender roles of her time. How her own hunger brought her this image beyond boundaries, which nourished her and has nourished thousands of others across time. Mother swan, starling, and sparrow come to nurture the world, as does Jesus in all the ways he offered food to others, sat at table, broke bread.

What am I hungering for in this time of global pandemic? What is the nourishment I seek? I need to rest a while longer in the ache of that question, holding awareness of both absence and fullness.

I know it has something to do with showing up each day with my own bit of bread to offer others. No more, no less, holding open my hands.

With great and growing love,

Christine

Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, REACE

Photo © Christine Valters Paintner

Monk in the World: Conversion 6 ~ Reflection Questions and Blessing

Dear monks, artists and pilgrims,

During this Jubilee year of sabbatical we are revisiting our Monk Manifesto by moving slowly through the Monk in the World retreat materials together every Sunday. Each week will offer new reflections on the theme and every six weeks will introduce a new principle.

Principle 7. I commit to a lifetime of ongoing conversion and transformation, recognizing that I am always on a journey with both gifts and limitations.

This week I invite you to ponder the following questions as guides for your practice of conversion.

Are there areas of your life which could benefit from an infusion of wonder and awe?
What does it mean for you to commit to always being on the path of growth?

Closing Blessing from Christine

God of surprises,

infuse me with your wild wonder,

sustain me in the daily practice

of opening my heart to grace.

Expand my imagination to see

more widely than before,

open my heart to experience

compassion beyond my dreams,

call me to begin again and again.

With great and growing love,

Christine

Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, REACE

Photo © Christine Valters Paintner

100th Birthday Video Request

Dearest dancing monks,

On June 23rd and 24th John and I each turn 50 years old! It marks the official end of our Jubilee sabbatical year. This year has been a tremendous gift for us and we will be sharing more in the coming weeks about some of what we discovered.

We were planning to have a combined 100th birthday party in Galway to celebrate, but due to the pandemic, we sadly had to cancel our celebrations.

So we are coming to you, our beloved community with a request for a birthday present:

Would you consider creating a short (15-20 second video) of yourself?

Overview: 

Start by saying your name, "I am a dancing monk," and where you live

(e.g. – "Hello, I am Christine and I am a dancing monk living in Galway, Ireland")

Then offer in just 1-2 sentences something you love about Abbey of the Arts.

(e.g. – "What I love about Abbey of the Arts is . . . ")

Technical advice:

Film yourself horizontally (landscape, not portrait)
Stand or sit in the middle of the screen
Stay close to the video camera (can be on your phone) so that sound quality is best
Make sure there is more light in front of you than behind. (Natural outdoor lighting is good.)

Send the Video by June 15th

Please send your video by email to: John@AbbeyoftheArts.com by June 15, 2020 with the subject line "Abbey Birthday Video Submission." If the video file is too big to attach, please try to send in a Dropbox file.

Include whether you give consent 

We would love to create a short video editing together several of the clips to share with others some of what folks love about being a part of this community. We may not be able to include all of them (will depend on number of videos and sound quality), but we will savor each one that comes in regardless! Be sure to indicate in the body of the email whether you do or do not consent to being in the final video (which will be public on our website). Please indicate that when you send in your video clip. We welcome your submissions either way!

Thank you so much for helping us to celebrate!

Love and blessings,

Christine & John 

Monk in the World Guest Post: Michael Schoenhofer

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Michael Schoenhofer's reflection "Awe."

Awe: It's a key to well-being

"an overwhelming feeling of  reverence, admiration, wonder produced by that which is grand, sublime, powerful. . ." (Dictionary.com ).

Joshua Tree National Park

My wife Mary and I traveled out west for a little sunshine and warmth during the last week of January. Our aim was to walk the trails in Joshua Tree National Park near Palm Springs, California. We flew to Las Vegas, rented a car, and then drove four hours to our Airbnb near Palm Springs. The beautiful ranch home we rented was at the end of a mile-long dirt road in a desert valley. We got out of the car, looked around and said, "This is awesome."

We could see the sunrise over the mountains each morning from our bed. We watched the sunset from our patio, waiting for the night sky to brighten and shine full of stars. "Awesome."

The first morning we walked outside and saw the blue sky for the first time in weeks. It was so quiet I could feel the silence and peace flow through me like warm honey.  "Awesome."

We walked in the National Park awestruck by the beauty of the mountains some even snowcapped, the Joshua Trees unique to the area, and fresh mountain air.

An Encounter with a Local

The closest grocery store, Vons, was a thirty-minute drive. We needed some supplies. (Since we were out west, I called our groceries supplies. It felt more cowboy.) At the checkout, we stacked our food and beverages on the counter. The checkout lady was older, all business, and a little dour. When she finished ringing everything up, she looked at Mary and said, "Do you have a Vons Club Card?" It felt like a cross-examination.

"No. We're visitors," May said.

She starred at us, hesitated a moment, and then reached under the counter and gave Mary a Vons Club Card. "Here. Use this now. I don't care what you do with it afterward. You saved $14 on your bill."

"Thank you," we said in our kindest and most genuine midwestern voices.

"Harrumph." She grunted, and we left.

Out in the parking lot as we packed away our supplies we looked at each other and laughed. "That lady was awesome!"

Awe comes in different packages. Sometimes it is the breathtaking beauty of a desert sunrise or a sky full of stars. Sometimes it creeps up on you like the stillness and silence I felt on our first morning. And sometimes it is just an ordinary old package wrapped in brown paper or burlap like the checkout lady at Vons.

Why practice awe?

Research suggests that "experiences of awe may have long-term positive effects on our minds, bodies, and social connections."

We feel kinder.
We feel happier.
We feel more curious and creative. (I enjoyed drawing and writing out in our desert Airbnb and took two afternoons to finish a simple sketch)
We feel smaller and humbled in the presence of something bigger than ourselves.
We feel healthier. Awe may help us reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, depression, and autoimmune disease by lowering our levels of cytokines, which elicit an inflammatory response linked to these problems.
We feel more alert.

PRACTICE

Here's a simple exercise from the Greater Good Science Center at Berkeley that you can do anywhere (you feel safe) and anytime. It's called:

AN AWE WALK

It is a matter of intention, with the right outlook, we can find awe in almost any environment, turning a mundane experience into a flight of inspiration and wonder.

No matter where you are, the key is to be in the right frame of mind.

The WALK

To get started, turn off your cell phone. Even better, don't bring your phone with you at all so it won't tempt you to check it.
During your walk, try to approach what you see with fresh eyes, imagining that you're seeing it for the first time. Then follow these steps:
Take a deep breath in. Count to six as you inhale and six as you exhale. Feel the air move through your nasal passages and listen to your breath. Come back to this breath throughout the walk.
As you begin walking, feel your feet on the ground and listen to the surrounding sounds. Shift your awareness now so you are open to what is around you, to things that are vast, unexpected things that surprise and delight.
Take another deep breath in. Again, count to six as you inhale and six as you exhale. Let your attention be open in exploration for what inspires awe in you.
Continue your walk and, every so often, bring your attention back to your breath. Count to six as you inhale and six as you exhale. Notice—really notice—the multitude of sights, sounds, smells, and other sensations that are dancing through your awareness, undetected.

Once you get in the habit of taking walks like this, you may find how often you have opportunities to experience awe—they are infinite.  (Awe Walk, Greater Good Science Center, Berkeley California)

Take a moment today to step back and notice moments of beauty and kindness. See if you can surprise yourself at what you find. You will be better for it, becoming more humble and acting with more kindness.

Michael Schoenhofer retired after twenty-five years as mental health professional. He is the author of Stumbling into Happiness, a memoir of his life changing time in Africa. He blogs at OverFlow.care on topics of well-being. He lives in Lima, Ohio with his wife and cat. He can be contacted at schoenhofer.author@gmail.com.

Monk in the World: Conversion 5 ~ Suggestions for Practice – A Love Note from Your Online Abbess

Dear monks, artists, and pilgrims,

During this Jubilee year of sabbatical we are revisiting our Monk Manifesto by moving slowly through the Monk in the World retreat materials together every Sunday. Each week will offer new reflections on the theme and every six weeks will introduce a new principle.

Principle 7. I commit to a lifetime of ongoing conversion and transformation, recognizing that I am always on a journey with both gifts and limitations.

Consider writing the words "always we begin again" somewhere you can see them regularly as a reminder to be gentle with yourself on the spiritual path.  This is an invitation to respond to the call of being a monk in the world.  It is not something we simply become and arrive fully.  It means daily practice of contemplative ways of being.  It means being committed to the process of discovery and transformation for a lifetime.

How do you practice conversion?

With great and growing love,

Christine

Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, REACE

Photo © Christine Valters Paintner

Praise Song for the Pandemic now in French

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Praise Song for the Pandemic from Christine Valters Paintner on Vimeo.

The combined views of our YouTube and Vimeo versions of the Praise Song for the Pandemic video have reached over 150,000 and over a million on Facebook! We are grateful to know many are using this in their online worship services.

Diane Ellison wrote to us to ask permission to translate the poem into French which we share gratefully below.

Chant de louange durant la pandémie

Loués soient les infirmières, les médecins et tout le personnel médical qui prennent soin des humains et qui, par leur présence, réussissent à sauver des vies ou à les accompagner vers la mort;

Loués soient les agriculteurs qui labourent le sol, qui plantent des semences porteuses de fruits et qui perpétuent ainsi l'espérance;

Loués soient les concierges et les éboueurs, les commis d'épicerie et les camionneurs, qui travaillent dans l'ombre de la nuit;

Rendons grâce aux chauffeurs d'autobus, aux livreurs, aux postiers, et à tous ceux et celles qui surveillent l'eau, le gaz et l'électricité;

Bénis soient nos dirigeants qui font des choix difficiles pour le bien commun et qui savent nous réconforter par leurs paroles;

Célébrons les scientifiques qui veulent comprendre ce fléau et qui cherchent un antidote, ceux qui fabriquent les médicaments et les journalistes qui nous tiennent informés;

Loués soient les professeurs qui trouvent de nouvelles façons d'instruire les enfants à distance et aux parents qui les soutiennent dans cette voie;

Heureux les aînés, ceux qui ont un système immunitaire affaibli et qui se soucient de leur santé, et ceux qui restent à la maison pour les protéger;

Heureuses les victimes de violence conjugale enfermées avec les agresseurs, ainsi que les sans-abri et réfugiés;

Loués soient les poètes et les artistes, les chansonniers et les conteurs, et tous ceux et celles qui nourrissent par des mots, des sons et des couleurs;

Heureux tous les pasteurs et thérapeutes qui prodiguent des paroles de réconfort;

Heureux ceux et celles qui n'ont plus d'emploi, qui n'ont plus d'économies et qui sont rongés par la peur de l'inconnu;

Heureuses les personnes qui sont affligées par le chagrin, qui vivent un deuil ou qui se sont endormies dans la nuit éternelle;

Loués soient les policiers, pompiers, ambulanciers paramédicaux, et tous ceux et celles qui travaillent pour assurer notre sécurité, et loué soit l'ensemble des travailleurs et soignants;

Loué soit le son des notifications et des messages d'amis qui s'informent de nous, et qui nous comblent de leur rire et de leur gentillesse;

Loués soient nos compagnons à quatre pattes qui n'ont ni appréhension ni anxiété, et qui n'offrent que de l'amour;

Loués soient les mers et les rivières, et les forêts et les pierres qui nous apprennent à endurer;

Rendons grâce à nos ancêtres qui ont vécu et enduré guerres et fléaux, et qui y ont survécu, car leur résilience c'est maintenant nous qui la portons;

Bénie soit l'eau qui coule sur nos mains et le savon qui les nettoie comme dans un geste baptismal répété;

Loués soient les moments de calme et de silence qui mènent à l'écoute de nouvelles voix et qui incitent au ralentissement;

Loués soient les oiseaux dont le chant nous éveille au quotidien; louée soit la primevère aux pétales jaunes qui jaillit de terre; béni soit l'air qui se purifie et que nous pourrons, un jour, respirer à fond;

Et puissions-nous, avec le temps, dire que l'amour est plus virulent que le virus lui-même, et qu'il ne s'agit pas là d'une fin, mais bien simplement d'un début.

—-Christine Valters Paintner, Abbaye des Arts

Monk in the World Guest Post: Nancy Joan Brighid neé Muire, OblSB

I am delighted to share another beautiful submission to the Monk in the World guest post series from the community. Read on for Nancy Joan Brighid neé Muire's reflection "Lessons in Humility."

Most of my life I thought I was successfully managing to get and then control what I wanted. Money was coming in, I owned my home. I had a husband. Then in 2010, disaster struck. By 2012, I was divorced and living on my own. I had bought a home and small acreage in southwestern Colorado and was managing it as a homestead farm. I had a sweetheart, a long distance relationship. None of it was working like I wanted it to. I was in over my head. I lost my job. I got sick. The next seven years were topsy turvy with multiple moves for work. Finally, I took early retirement in 2016, and entered the AmeriCorps program. I was in AmeriCorps for 2 1/2 years. Two of those were as a VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America). The Sweetheart relationship ended. I became homeless for four months between the two years of VISTA, due to a failed second year VISTA appointment. Then I managed to sell my homestead farm, which got me back on my feet. Getting back up on my feet used up all the equity from the real estate sale. Now I live in a beautiful subsidized senior apartment complex near downtown in Albuquerque.

I tell you this story because not being able to hold down a job, and spending much of my time in dire poverty over the last seven years, has taught me a valuable lesson. It is about humility and openings. It is about letting go and letting God.

The best three of the lessons came in quick succession.

Lesson 1: My second year of VISTA ended in late summer. The small stipend I received for service was ended. I had used up almost all the equity from the sale of my home farm. I was on the waiting list to get into subsidized housing. I had been asked to teach at SIPI (Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, a tribal college) but the application/on-boarding process was not going well. I was terrified that I would end up homeless, again. I became distraught. Then, finally, I came off the waiting list for HUD subsidized housing and started the application to get into the apartment I now live in.

The lesson: if I had not had my VISTA stipend end, if SIPI had hired me immediately instead of the long slow process it took to get me in, then, I would not have been financially eligible to get into the beautiful senior apartment in which I now live.

Lesson 2: Shortly after I moved into my new apartment all of the lights on the dash in my car lit up. I took it to the car dealership for repair. I was scared that I would not be able to pay the bill as I'd just used up almost all of the bit of money I had left to move. If I lost my car because I couldn't pay the bill, then, I would not be able to get to SIPI to work. If I can't work, then I will not be able to make ends meet.

The lesson: For one day I had no wheels. It was a day I didn't work at SIPI. I did have two medical appointments, though, which I had to cancel. I was late getting out the door to take my service dog for her morning walk because I was on the phone with the car repairman. As a result of the delay to get out and my canceled medical appointments, I met on my walk both the Manager and the President of the Board of the Sawmill Community Land Trust (the non-profit property holders of the place I now live). I was able to talk to them about making the community garden on the Land Trust ADA compliant. Subsequently, as a result of this conversation, the property owner has agreed to spend the money to do this, so, I no longer have to apply for grants to accomplish this small project I want to see come to fruition.

Lesson 3: A few days after the debacle with my car, my SIPI students in my range science class were being disrespectful. The teaching/lecture had not gone well because of that. I was very discouraged. At the same time, I noticed that I had not included my lesson for Thursday on my syllabus. This is an omission that I still scratch my head over.

Lesson: if my students hadn't acted up on Tuesday... If I hadn't missed putting the lesson plan into my syllabus for Thursday... Then, I wouldn't have gotten to teach my students a valuable lesson about the Golden Rule, and building strong teams by treating each other with kindliness and respect.

The Bottom Line: I've learned that trying to control my life; and worrying when I can't, and when things don't go the way I've planned... is precisely the time when the Holy Spirit speaks most clearly to me. Closings become openings. Without humility closings can't become openings for wondrous miracles to happen because I am not present to listen.

This is, I believe, rung three of the Ladder of Humility. In The Rule of Benedict, It states, "Truly, we are forbidden from doing our own will, for scripture tells us 'turn away from your desires' (Sir. 18:30). And in prayer too we ask that Gods 'will be done' in us (Matt. 6:10]. We are rightly taught not to do our will..."

I think, I pray, and I hope that I'm finally beginning to learn this lesson.

Advent Dreaming

The snow floats down

Lazily from pearly skies.

Pine tree peaceably accepts

Her white and rainbow cloak

As she gracefully dreams

Her winter thoughts.

Chickadee forages

His winter stocks

Of dried berries

And insects caught

In tree sap amber.

Brown bear

Ambles to her door

To sniff the air

And taste the winter snow.

Beaver turns

And curls around her pregnant belly

On her couch of sleep

In her twig built home

Within the safety

Of her carefully wrought dam.

The pace of life

Slows to winter stillness

And mostly indoor activities

For we scant haired

Two-legged souls.

Our opposable thumb hands

Busily

Repair and sharpen

Growing season tools.

And weave

Warm woolen garments

For our loved ones.

As the trees

We dream our winter thoughts

While fire flickers on the hearth.

And snow settles on the roof

Of our Advent season home.

 

Nancy Joan Brighid neé Muire, OblSB lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She is an educator who works mostly with Native youth. The natural sciences curriculum she continuously develops is place-based and culturally embedded. After many years of agnosticism and trauma recovery, Nancy entered a dedicated spiritual path in 1997. That path reflects her deep relationship with wild lands as a field botanist and ecologist; and her Christian roots as a rebellious Baptist preacher's daughter. She has close ties with Contemplative Outreach (2006), the Northumbria Community (2009), and Benedictine spirituality (2012). Nancy personally undertook vows as a Benedictine Anchoress in 2017. To learn more about Nancy's calling as an educator you may visit her website EarthFriendlyed.com. To enjoy her spiritual viewpoint you may read her blessings, essays and poetry at NancyJoanBrighid.com.

Monk in the World: Conversion 4 – Guided Meditation by Christine Valters Paintner + Audio ~ A Love Note from your Online Abbess

Dear monks, artists, and pilgrims,

During this Jubilee year of sabbatical we are revisiting our Monk Manifesto by moving slowly through the Monk in the World retreat materials together every Sunday. Each week will offer new reflections on the theme and every six weeks will introduce a new principle.

Principle 7. I commit to a lifetime of ongoing conversion and transformation, recognizing that I am always on a journey with both gifts and limitations.

https://abbeyofthearts.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/6-Conversion-Monk-in-the-World-Lectio-Divina.mp3

 

I invite you to pray lectio divina with the following scripture passage:

Do not remember the former things,

or consider the things of old.

I am about to do a new thing;

now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

I will make a way in the wilderness

and rivers in the desert.

–Isaiah 43:18-19

First Movement – Lectio: Settling & Shimmering

For now, find a comfortable position where you can remain alert and yet also relax your body.  Bring your attention to your breath and allow a few moments to become centered.  If you find yourself distracted at any time, gently return to the rhythm of your breath as an anchor for your awareness.  Allow yourself to settle into this moment and become fully present.

I will read the line from the Psalms once or twice through slowly and listen for a word that feels significant right now, is capturing your attention even if you don't know why. Gently repeat this word to yourself in the silence.

Second Movement – Meditatio: Savoring & Stirring

Read the text again and then allow the word or phrase which caught your attention in the first movement to spark your imagination.  Savor the word or phrase with all of your senses, notice what smells, sounds, tastes, sights, and feelings are evoked.  Then listen for what images, feelings, and memories are stirring, welcoming them in, and then savoring and resting into this experience.

Third Movement – Oratio: Summoning & Serving

Read the text a third time and then listen for an invitation rising up from your experience of prayer so far. Considering the word or phrase and what it has evoked for you in memory, image, or feeling, what is the invitation? This invitation may be a summons toward a new awareness or action.

Fourth Movement – Contemplatio: Slowing & Stilling

Move into a time for simply resting in God and allowing your heart to fill with gratitude for God's presence in this time of prayer.  Slow your thoughts and reflections even further and sink into the experience of stillness.  Rest in the presence of God and allow yourself to simply be.  Rest here for several minutes.  Return to your breath if you find yourself distracted.

Silence also has an integrative function.  Lectio divina can stir up a great deal of images and symbols which speak to the new thing being birthed within us.  In this fourth movement we recognize the need to step back and simply be with what is happening in us, releasing our desire to be actively working on it, and allow it to ripen slowly.  We enter the wisdom of night, the place where we can honor that which is nameless within us, that which is still seed and not blossom.  We release all of our thoughts and desires and striving and simply rest in the presence of the One Who Is already there with us in the sacred space of our hearts.

Closing

Gently connect with your breath again and slowly bring your awareness back to the room, moving from inner experience to outer experience.  Give yourself some time of transition between these moments of contemplative depth and your everyday life. Consider taking a few minutes to journal about what you experienced in your prayer.

With great and growing love,

Christine

Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, REACE

P.S. I was featured on the Ave Explores podcast this week to talk about "The Soul of the Artist". Also, St. Michael's Episcopal Church in Arlington, VA is having an online art exhibition in response to the pandemic – here is a collection of poems shared including mine on p. 27 "Always" under the theme of Solace. 

Photo © Christine Valters Paintner

More from Christine Around the Web This Week

Christine was featured on the Ave Explores podcast this week to talk about "The Soul of the Artist"

Christine has a new poem titled "Spring Ephemerals" in Bearings journal online which celebrates spring's arrival and our intimacy with the more-than-human world. You can read it here>>

This poem comes from her second poetry collection The Wisdom of Wild Grace, being published by Paraclete Press this October. The collection is filled with poems reminding us of what it means to belong to the world of wildness and to honor nature as intimate companion.

You can pre-order at Paraclete| Bookshop | Amazon