Contemplate Lincoln & The Contemplative Cathedral

Contemplate LincolnMid-Month Newsletter Contemplative Connection October 2026 Remembrance In this month of remembrance, I remember Dr. Barbara Holmes and her wisdom on ancestors and thin places. Her contributions to the modern contemplative movement continue to be a treasure for my spiritual life and practice. Dr. Holmes was such a gift to the contemplative community, expanding our ideas around what contemplation is and inviting us to connect with the communion of saints. As Dr Holmes said,...

Contemplate LincolnNewsletter October 2026 Harvest Time "If I were looking for God, every event and every moment would sow, in my will, grains of God's life, that would spring up one day in a tremendous harvest." Thomas Merton In the Northern Hemisphere, October is harvest time. Time to harvest what was planted in the spring and then nurtured in the summer. It is also a time of remembrance as the end of the month ushers in All Hallows Eve, All Saints Day, All Souls Day, and The Day of the...

Contemplative Connection Mid September Newsletter Changes Change can mean many different things, but one thing is certain: change is inevitable. Change always comes. It can be hard, uncertain, and even disastrous. And yet, nothing new happens without change. I find myself reflecting on change as Contemplate Lincoln is in the midst of a season of change. Much of what is changing is exciting: a new website, new gathering opportunities, and improvements to how we hold some of our current...

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...