Spiritual Practices – soulsculpting

Like most people I know, I don’t consider myself a poet. But, I’ve written poetry, occasionally – on and off for years. Mostly off. I’m currently reviving the practice because I’ve found that it’s a powerful tool for discovery. For many years I’ve been a journaler using prose to ramble around with my thoughts. A few…

Reading in a New Place: Soul Sculpting Project

I’ve read it hundreds of times — how could this time be so different? I think it was the stars. It was quite dark, no moon, but the stars were brilliant. One star in particular, probably a planet, outshone them all. We had taken a short flashlight walk to a sandstone overhang that looked a little…

A Monastic Practice for Hurried Lives: Soul Sculpting

Statio. For monastics it works like this. The bell calling you to prayer will ring in about 5 minutes, but you’re already at the chapel. Ahead of time. And just in time for Statio. You stand quietly in the hallway, or you may enter the chapel and sit down. In the quiet, you mentally recollect and…

Prayer Projects to Deepen Our Connection with God: #6 Lectio Divina with the Book of Nature

Long ago in the year 253 an 18 year old named Anthony was sitting in church when the reader stood up and read the words of Jesus, “Go, sell all you have and give to the poor and come and follow me.” (Matt. 19:21) Anthony took the verse to heart, sold everything he had –…

Prayer Projects to Deepen Our Connection with God: #5 Slowing Time

When Anthony Bloom was a young priest an elderly woman in her 90’s came to him for advice. He suggested she seek advice with someone wiser, but she said she had asked many people with no success and that perhaps Bloom in his young ignorance would by chance blunder and say the right thing. So…

Prayer Projects to Deepen Our Connection with God: Project #4: Simple Liturgical Prayer

Years ago when my daughters were young, my husband Evan and I decided that we wanted to have a family service every day. This new habit sounded challenging, so we decided to keep it as simple as possible. We picked a time, a room in our home, and the easiest format we could find. It…