Tag Archives: dignity of work

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Writing from the Center: Persistence, Not Perfection

Persistence, Not Perfection Kathy Fleming is a talented visual artist (www.kflemingart.com) who serves as the Artist Coordinator for the Benedictine Center of St. Paul's Monastery.  Her canvases are captivating both in their craftsmanship and the deep reflection underlying each one.  Those who see the exhibits she designs in the Monastery Gallery benefit from her uncanny…
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Morning Glory

PHOTO CREDITS: Carol Jorgensen (www.caroljorgensen.com) Morning Glory The Benedictine Center welcomes stories of encounter that remind us of the nearness of God and that call us to living the way of hospitality Benedict commended in the Rule. This reflection by Carol Jorgensen, Hospitality Specialist for the Benedictine Center, captures the wisdom of one such moment. …
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Being Real (Part 3): Earned Wisdom for My Five-Years-Ago-Self

Recently, my long-time friend and colleague, Eily Marlow and I developed a day-long workshop called Being Real: Practicing Humility, Courage, and Authenticity in Everyday Life. The stories and the challenges that Eily and I shared as we were preparing for the workshop have stayed with me and continued to evolve over time. So have the lessons…
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Being Real (Part 2): Bridging the Gap Between Our Inner and Outer Lives

Recently, my long-time friend and colleague, Eily Marlow and I developed a day-long workshop called Being Real: Practicing Humility, Courage, and Authenticity in Everyday Life. The stories and the challenges that Eily and I shared as we were preparing for the workshop have stayed with me and continued to evolve over time. So have the lessons…
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Cradle in the Corner

Cradle in the Corner Last Fall, a brief skirmish with some mice brought me to the far corner of my garage, where the breaker box is, right next to the driveway. That corner is the most chaotic because it’s the most convenient, and most of the stuff in that corner is damning evidence of my…
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Being Real (Part 1): Learning to Swim By Swimming

When I turned 30, I decided that I wanted to complete a triathlon. One problem: I did not know how to swim. I wasn’t scared of the water and I could stay afloat, but the most fruitful results of my childhood swim lessons were a goofy-looking breast stroke that didn’t involve putting my head under the water and a “little bird, big bird, fly.” The latter was basically laying on my back, flapping my arms, and propelling myself (slowly) through the water. These were not the ways of a triathlete.

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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,…
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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…
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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.

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Sharper: Benedict’s Tools for Good Works

Sharper: Benedict's Tools for Good Works “Tools of the spiritual craft.” ~RB 4 How do you know when you need to return to your foundations? Last autumn, my Dad was at my shop, and we worked together for several weeks building a couple of saddles. For us, that means cutting, shaping, and decorating thick pieces…
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