Greetings Faithful Readers,
Instead of our usual article, I have three exciting updates to share with you!
First, my new website is live.
The new website will be the online home for my ministry. You can find links to my writing, teaching, podcasting, and spiritual direction. Which brings us to the second announcement.
Second, I'm thrilled to announce that I'm now offering spiritual direction!
After two transformative years of training with Healing Care Ministries, I would be honored to walk alongside you in your spiritual journey. If you're curious about what spiritual direction entails, hop over to my website for more details. And, if you're still unsure if it's right for you, let's chat! Schedule a free consultation, and together, we'll discover if this path is meant for you.
Third, the Modern Monastics Podcast is live!
In the early centuries of Christianity, monasticism found its roots in the desert fathers and mothers of Egypt, who sought solitude as a means of drawing closer to God.
Monastic communities, typically located in secluded areas away from urban centers, were governed by a rule or set of guidelines that regulated the daily activities of the monks or nuns.
Central to monastic life was the pursuit of spiritual formation through practices such as prayer, meditation, fasting, and labor. Historically, monks and nuns have committed themselves to a life of poverty, chastity, and obedience, renouncing worldly possessions and relationships in favor of a singular focus on God.
Now clearly, the vast majority of us who choose to center our lives around relationship with Jesus, can’t and I would argue shouldn’t, move into the desert, takes vows of celibacy, and live largely cut off from the outside world. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t adopt some of the practices developed by these ancient Christians and adapt them to modern life. Any spiritual practice that helps us slow down to be with Jesus is of immense benefit to us.
Monasticism has played a significant role in the history of Christianity, preserving and transmitting the faith through periods of upheaval and serving as centers of learning, hospitality, and missionary activity. Today, monastic communities continue to thrive worldwide, offering spiritual seekers a path of devotion and contemplation in the midst of a busy and distracted world.
While we can’t all uproot our lives to physically visit these communities, we can utilize the gift of technology to learn about and experiment with some of these Christian monastic practices. To that end, I want to welcome you to the Modern Monastics Podcast. Each week we’ll practice things like Lectio Divina, centering prayer, and the prayer of Examen. Along the way, we’ll also do our best to host conversations with those who are continuing to adapt the monastic lifestyle in the modern world.
You can subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and episodes will release weekly (Apple & Spotify). I hope you’ll join me as we learn to adapt the monastic life to the modern world.
If you have any questions, let me know. Thanks so much for reading and drop a comment below if you subscribe to the podcast!