Taking hold of vacation [spiritual practice]

Whether you’re travelling or taking vacation time in place, here are two specific ways to open up to the refreshment a seasonal sabbath offers. (1) Consider prayerfully detaching from continuous electronic notifications. Decide how often you’ll check your mail and phone messages. Every hour?  Three times a day? Every other day? Here’s...

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The End Is the Beginning [spiritual practice]

In last week’s sermon, “Do You Not Care That We Are Perishing?” [Mark 4:38] Jean-Daniel Williams described Jesus’ shift from a so-necessary nap to loving action. The examples he chose… the storms that are shaking our little boat right now… include the killings in Charleston SC, and our churches’ promise to...

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In the Mirror [spiritual practices]

This week’s spiritual practice is a suggestion from Lee Greyfeather’s sermon last Sunday  (June 7, 2015).  Lee, who is Mi’kmaq, is both a traditional shaman and an Anglican. “Before I go to bed, I look in the mirror and I think of all the things I’ve done that day.  I ask myself, ‘is...

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Oscar Romero [spiritual practice]

If you were in the Cathedral on Good Friday in 2013, you may have seen the Cathedral Dancers depicting how Oscar A. Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador, was mourned and venerated after he was assassinated while celebrating Mass. Romero had been selected as Archbishop because he was thought to be suitably conservative and “safe” at...

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The War Within

[A talk by Beth Adams given on Tuesday, May 12, 2015, to introduce Contemplative Prayer at Christ Church Cathedral] This spring, the cathedral community is grappling with questions about war and peace during a special series of presentations and discussions. War and violence are present throughout the Bible and our liturgy:...

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Season of New Life [spiritual practice]

Here’s a meditation offered by Sally Harrington Philippo during last weekend’s retreat, LIVING THE LIFE OF PRAYER. A teacher gave this homework: “Find an unnoticed flower somewhere outdoors and study it. Look carefully at its petals.  Its leaves. Its colours. Turn it over and observe the underside of it.  As...

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Paul and Contemplation

[Remarks by Beth Adams shared during Contemplative Prayer at Christ Church Cathedral  April 28, 2015] Lately, Fr. Richard Rohr’s daily meditations have been concentrating on Saint Paul, and I feel like they’ve been addressed to me. I’m one of those Christians who’s often uncomfortable with Paul, mainly because of his writings...

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