Greetings from a Labyrinth: Reflections on a workshop with a Doula by Kim Balke

Today’s post is contributed by Kim Balke.  It is part of a paper that she wrote for her certification in Expressive Arts Therapy.  I found the imagery so powerful that I asked Kim for permission to repost this.  As Kim says the labyrinth is not just a prayerful tool it is also a tool of [...]

Back From Mayne Island B.C.

Tom and I are just back from 5 wonderful days on Mayne Island, one of the Gulf Islands between Vancouver Island and the mainland of British Colombia.  This has become a yearly ritual for us, a few days away that refresh both our spirits and our bodies while enjoying a good time with friends.  The [...]

Tools For Prayer – 5 Ways to Pray the Psalms by Alex Tang

The following post was sent to me by Alex Tang in Malaysia.  Alex is a physician who blogs at Random Musings from a Doctor where this post first appeared.  I thought that it was a great sample of some of the many ways that we can use the psalms to pray.  I have particularly enjoyed [...]

Prayers for the Journey

Below is the compilation of prayers from the last week that I have posted on facebook.   Enjoy! God may all creation sing of your glory And the whole earth give you praise May our minds turn to you in morning And our hearts be filled with your love May we sit in your presence and [...]

Tools for Prayer – Walk the Labyrinth

The labyrinth is another tool for prayer that I found really helpful in the last few years.  We always set one up for our annual Celtic prayer retreat and it is particularly popular amongst the children.  Last year we also made finger labyrinths which were a great hit amongst both adults and children.  Labyrinths have [...]

Are You Interested in Joining the MSA Team

The MSA team is expanding and we are looking for help If you have interest in any of the positions listed below we would love to hear from you! Please email your resume, cover letter, and any other information you feel may be relevant. Garden Manager This position is an exciting opportunity to help develop a new [...]

Tools for Prayer – Prayer Beads Anyone?

Prayer beads are a tool for prayer that many protestants are both unfamiliar with and a little skeptical of.  I only came across them a couple of years ago when a friend at church started holding classes on how to make and use them.  I must confess that I do not use them often as [...]

Tools for Prayer – Collecting Rocks

Have you ever noticed how often the Israelites collected rocks to build cairns as memorials to significant events in their history?  Joseph built one after his encounter with God.  The whole nation of Israel built one after they crossed the Jordan.  Memorials, reminders, places to come and encounter God I am also a collector of [...]

The Transforming Power of Lectio Divina: A Deeper Look at the Four Movements – Christine Valters Paintner

This morning’s post in the series Tools For Prayer – comes from Christine Valters Paintner, PhD, REACE. Christine is the online Abbess of Abbey of the Arts, a virtual monastery offering online classes and other resources to integrate contemplative practice and creative expression.  She is the author of several books including her two newest– The Artist’s Rule: [...]

Tools for Prayer – Increase Your Awareness of Our Hurting World

This afternoon I found out that ABC news plans to dedicate it programming tomorrow to  “Hunger at Home: Crisis in America”  It precipitated my writing of this post which I had planned to add as a later addition to the series on Tools for Prayer. One important item in our prayer toolkit is knowledge of [...]