Contemplate Lincoln & The Contemplative Cathedral

Contemplate Lincoln Newsletter September 2026 What a relief it is that we, and our world, are still in the making. We are not finished. The church is not finished. The world is not finished. Christ is still being formed in us. And perhaps the greatest invitation is that we get to participate in this unfolding creation. We are not merely observers of what God is doing in the world; we are invited to become co-creators with the Spirit, imagining, creating, loving, and bringing into being what...

Contemplate Lincoln Newsletter Contemplative Connection August 2026 Psalm 46:10Be Still and Know I am GodBe Still and Know I amBe Still and KnowBe StillBe This past weekend, I had the blessing and privilege of leading a retreat at St. Benedict’s Priory in Schuyler, Nebraska, centered on the Psalmist’s call: Be Still and Know I am God. It was a blessing to be with other contemplatives engaging the question our very own Steve Blum proposed: How can we practice stillness in our often-chaotic...

Contemplate Lincoln Newsletter August 2026 This summer, Contemplate Lincoln and I have been resting the soil as we prepare for year 10 of gathering contemplative community. It has been spacious and pregnant with possibilities. As often happens when soil rests, it begins to gather seeds of unseen possibilities. The soil builds up nutrients and becomes fertile ground. I am excited for what is emerging from the ground of Contemplate Lincoln. Some seeds are already sprouting. In a couple of...

Contemplative Connection Mid-Month Newsletter July 2026 Summer is in full swing and it, like all seasons, has plenty to teach us. Creation is brimming with the Word and Love of God. When I was the stream, when I was the forest, when I was still the field when I was every hoof, foot, fin and wing, when I was the sky itself, no one ever asked me did I have a purpose, no one ever wondered was there anything I might need, for there was nothing I could not love. It was when I left all we once were...

Contemplate Lincoln Newsletter July 2026 Balcony Time You may have noticed our schedule this summer is a little lighter than usual. While Sunday gatherings continue, our weekday activities are on break from July through much of August so that I can have some much-needed balcony time. Balcony time is a concept I recently encountered from a fellow contemplative community creator. It's the practice of stepping back from the dance floor to observe from the balcony for a wider perspective. As...

Contemplative ConnectionMid-Month Newsletter June 15th, 2026 Pause and Remember Remembrance is a powerful spiritual practice for me. The journey is full of gifts and lessons. It is easy to forget because the journey keeps going, life keeps moving. So it's important for me to take time to remember the little graces, mentors, lessons, and transformations, or I forget. Remembrance cultivates gratitude and helps me metabolize and embody the many nutrients of wisdom that God provides through my...

Contemplate Lincoln Newsletter June 2026 Re-member Last month, 3CN (The Contemplative Community Creators Network) had its 5th annual retreat. We gathered for 6 days in beautiful Bozeman, Montana. Joselyn and I founded 3CN 5 years ago out of a desire to connect and network with others building a contemplative community. The network now stands at 23 members and is growing. It has been a tremendous resource and support for me. This year's retreat was a little smaller than past retreats, but it...

Contemplative Connection Newsletter Mid-May 2026 The Art of Unknowing James K.A. Smith writes, “the mystics also helped me to re-imagine faith. I experienced the failures of philosophy’s quest for certainty as unsettling, but the ugliness and violence of religious certitude caused me profound pain… I found new appreciation for Meister Eckhart’s prayer, “God, rid me of God.” The mystics helped me glimpse -and touch and sense-a God beyond “God.” In this time of uncertainty and what Ken Wilber...

Contemplative Connection Newsletter May 2026 May The Peace of the Earth Be With You (Lyrics) The peace of the earth be with you, The peace of the heavens too; The peace of the rivers be with you, The peace of the oceans too. Deep peace falling over you; God’s peace growing in you. Welcome to May. As I started to reflect on this month's Newsletter, it occurred to me how many blessings start with the word “may”, and many prayers too. May is a special month for me as it is the peak of Spring and...