“Sacred time is time devoted to the heart, to things that matter, to wonder and beauty, to catching glimpses of eternity. Sacred time is not measured in minutes or hours, but offers us an inner sense of expansiveness.”
—Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, Sacred Time: Embracing an Intentional Way of Life — A Self-Study Online Retreat
How do you practice and experience sacred time?
To read the book this retreat accompanies, click here.
Verse of the day
But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
–Isaiah 40:31
Voice of the day
We are startlingly resilient—crafting faith from ashes and reclaiming holy texts that have been unjustly beaten into swords against us.
-Emmy Kegler
Prayer of the day
God, renew our strength when we are weary and give us courage to rise again. Turn what has wounded us into wisdom, resilience, and hope. Amen.
“The practice is to bring your attention back, again and again, to the breath, to the words, to the image of peace and love available to us and the world. We do this gently, knowing that distraction is also an integral part of being human. This is not a form of denial. It is a recognition.”
—Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, Breath Prayer: An Ancient Practice for the Everyday Sacred
What are ways you can cultivate recognizing distraction and gently bringing attention back?
To register for the self-study companion retreat to the book with extra resources and guidance click here.
A wonderful reflection from my friend Steve Harper
David’s words in Psalm 37:25, “I once was young, but now I am old,” shine realistic light on aging: “Now I am old.” Full stop. No side-stepping the truth, no glossing over it. Here is the necessary realism if we are to age well. Older adulthood is the season of life when limitations and diminishments
A Graying Soul: A Necessary Realism #2
Each of us has a mission in life. Jesus prays to his Father for his followers, saying, “As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world” (John 17:18 NRSV). We seldom fully realize that we are sent to fulfill God-given tasks. We act as if we have to choose how, where, and with whom to live. We act as if we were simply dropped down in creation and have to decide how to entertain ourselves until we die. But we were sent into the world by God, just as Jesus was. Once we start living our lives with that conviction, we will soon know what we were sent to do. — Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life
Reflection Question: What do you think God may be calling or sending you to do in this season of your life?
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” – Isaiah 6: 8
Verse of the day
Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, so that you may live and occupy the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
-Deuteronomy 16:20
Voice of the day
Peace is not merely the absence of this tension, but the presence of justice.
–Martin Luther King Jr.
Prayer of the day
God, guide us toward justice that creates peace, not violence that deepens division. Give us the courage to pursue what is right, the wisdom to act with compassion, and the strength to stand for justice even when the path is difficult. Amen.
Hope doesn’t know the outcome,
only that we must act
with love, with vision, with justice
toward an unknown future
like walking slowly through fog.
—Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, What Enters Through the Open Heart: Poems
When has your desire to know stunted your action?
Join us for a book launch celebrationOctober 19th!
The opposite of resentment is gratitude (from the Latin gratia = favor). Gratitude is more than an occasional “thanks be to God.” Gratitude is the attitude that enables us to let go of anger, receive the hidden gifts of those we want to serve, and make these gifts visible to the community as a source of celebration. – Spiritual Formation: Following the Movements of the Spirit
Reflection Question: How has gratitude allowed you to receive hidden gifts from those you serve?
Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. – Colossians 3: 16
“When we encounter nature as sacrament, we can no longer objectify it.”
—Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, Earth, Our Original Monastery: Cultivating Wonder and Gratitude through Intimacy with Nature
How do you nurture and nourish this kind of vision? Where are you invited to lean into the sacrament of nature even more?
To register for the self-study companion retreat to the book with extra resources and guidance click here. Use code EARTH20 to take 20% off through September 30th.
Verse of the day
I am grateful to Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because he considered me faithful and appointed me to his service.
– 1 Timothy 1:12
Voice of the day
Sometimes in our grand visions I think we forget to see what’s right here in our midst, to celebrate what we have.
– Joyce Hollyday
Prayer of the day
God, fill our hearts with gratitude for every opportunity to serve, for the strength to keep going, and for the trust you place in us. May we never take these gifts for granted. Amen.
