{"id":8710,"date":"2019-07-02T21:11:47","date_gmt":"2019-07-03T02:11:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/?p=8710"},"modified":"2026-02-26T13:40:35","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T19:40:35","slug":"our-common-call-to-contemplation-communion-and-creativity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/2019\/07\/02\/our-common-call-to-contemplation-communion-and-creativity\/","title":{"rendered":"Our Common Call to Contemplation, Communion and Creativity"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Photo credit: alluringintuitive.com<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On an ordinary morning, I kneel into The Now.<\/p>\n

I am alone in my bedroom, sitting cross-legged on the floor. I have set my timer, so I know when I must move. But for now, this is all there is. I light the candle nearby, then close my eyes and move my mind \u2014 my focus \u2014 into the rhythm of my breathing. On the other side of my eyelids I sense the flicker of light, the glow of what is in front of me. I feel the subtle heat emanating from the flame. My body is barely still, yet I try to say yes to the chance to truly \u201cbe still and know that God is God\u201d as God encourages me to do. I resituate my hips, straighten my spine. I hold my hands in my lap, and press my palms onto my knees. Slowly, eventually, stillness and silence seem to surround me. A sacred word makes its way into my mind \u2014 a word or phrase or traditional prayer, depending on the day.<\/p>\n

Breath, light, heat, stillness, silence and words: these are my touchstones as my mind wanders, taking tours of the past or dreaming up the future. Each time a… \u00a0\u00a0[This is the beginning of a reflection I wrote for Carl McColman’s blog<\/a><\/em>\u00a0at Patheos. <\/i>Continue reading\u00a0here<\/a>.]<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On an ordinary morning, I kneel into The Now. I am alone in my bedroom, sitting cross-legged on the floor. I have set my timer, so I know when I must move. But for now, this is all there is. I light the candle nearby, then close my eyes and move my mind \u2014 my...","protected":false},"author":4071079,"featured_media":8740,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[115341],"tags":[3258382,7104,381824403,198878,40112,698755381,1067,789,401,525076,7816,6197,175524,27715,853,30351,99164],"series":[698756626],"class_list":["post-8710","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-equity-and-justice-equity-and-justice","tag-carl-mccolman","tag-catholic","tag-co-create-with-god","tag-communion","tag-connection","tag-contemplation","tag-creative-writing","tag-creativity","tag-faith","tag-franciscan","tag-god","tag-meditation","tag-oneness","tag-openness","tag-prayer","tag-service","tag-vocation","series-messy-jesus-business"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/candle-1018368_1280.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/plugins\/seriously-simple-podcasting\/assets\/images\/no-album-art.png","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"stitcher":{"key":"stitcher","url":"","label":"Stitcher","class":"stitcher","icon":"stitcher.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/feed\/podcast\/messy-jesus-business","embedCode":"

Our Common Call to Contemplation, Communion and Creativity<\/a><\/blockquote>