Category Archives: Vocation

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Change IS Possible

Change IS Possible People can’t change. If I had a dollar for every time I have heard these words uttered, I’d have a pretty hefty savings account. It wasn’t until I recently heard my sixteen-year old niece proclaim them that I knew I’d had enough. I responded, “Honey, if I didn’t believe people could change,…

We Dare To Hope (Part 2 of 2)

We Dare to Hope (Part 2 of 2) In part one of this reflection, I wrote that we much believe our collective Christian narrative, and then we need to tell our story. Here let me say a few things about what sharing our Christian hope might look like. Take Opportunities First, we take the opportunities…

We Dare To Hope (Part 1 of 2)

We Dare to Hope (Part 1 of 2) Climate change is turning the earth into a desert….the opioid epidemic is spreading geographically and increasing across demographic groups…income inequality has risen to almost unimaginable levels…violence and threats against racial and religious minorities has escalated dramatically. Those are just a few examples of the brokenness of the…

The Hospitable Lathe

The Hospitable Lathe “All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ ….” Rule of Benedict 53:1 My daughter, Katie, would impress you on several levels: a quick smile, a quicker wit, a keen sense of justice, lotsa’ golden hair, and a dynamic creative spirit. Part of her creativity also involves making things—drawing,…

Becoming Real: Questions that Move Us Toward Our Best Selves

Eily Marlow serves as the Program Associate for Vocation and Reflection in the Center for Civic Engagement at Macalester College. Along with Kiely Todd Roska, Eily is facilitating the upcoming event “Being Real: Practicing Authenticity, Courage, and Humility in Everyday Life” (Thurs., Nov. 9, 9a-3p). Learn more and register online. Being Real Questions that Move…

Row Your Boat: A Nursery Rhyme and Metaphor for Life

From time to time, the Benedictine Center invites guest writers to reflect on their own spiritual journeys in ways that might be of encouragement to others. This reflection is written by Jim Dawson, an Oblate and friend of St. Paul’s Monastery. Having told this story many times in person, he now offers his version of…

Reflections on Food as a Tangible Form of Love

I want to feed people the way she did because eating is, as our fall guest speaker Norman Wirzba writes, “a profoundly spiritual act.” What we eat and how we eat—both individually and collectively—reflect our gratitude, our stewardship, our generosity, our joy, and our love.

The Erector Set: Adapting to Others

The Erector Set “[The abbot must] accommodate and adapt himself to each one’s character and intelligence ….” – RB1980 2.32 I’m no abbot, but I am trying to adapt myself to my son’s character. Toby’s a little like a cat—he’s stubborn and private, and I have to coax him to get him to come to…

WEBINAR: Kindling the Fires of Ministry

Divine Spark: Kindling the Fires of Ministry WEBINAR with Dr. Barbara Sutton The ebb and flow of ministerial life can cause even the most resilient people to flicker. We may find ourselves growing dimmer, exhibiting signs of burnout. We may wonder whether it is worth it, turning to the language of cynicism or defeat. At…

Stability: The Benedictine Value of Locatedness

Stability The Benedictine Value of Locatedness An old saying touts, “Location, location, location” as the key to property value. Benedictine spirituality also values location, but not the way your real estate broker might. A prominent Benedictine principle is stability, or staying put within a particular community rather than continually traveling on to somewhere else. For…

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