http://chriserdman.com awakening the spiritual life Tue, 07 Sep 2010 12:00:16 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en The companionship of angels saints . . . Angels are heavenly beings, unseen, supernatural. How many they are and what they do is not yours to know. It’s enough for you to know that there’s an unseen dimension and often a thin line that separates the invisible from the ... http://chriserdman.com/all-blog-entries/everywhere/ Here's an excellent essay by one of my favorite authors.  Muslims in the Middle.  New York Times, August 16, 2010 William Dalrymple's book, From the Holy Mountain: A Journey Among the Christians of the Middle East, helped inspire my own pilgrimage in 2007.  That tale is told in my little e-book, ... http://chriserdman.com/those-who-show-us-the-way/sufism-bridge-between-east-and-west/ The companionship of angels and saints . . . You’ve curved yourself open again and embraced the goodness of creation all around you. While you’re at it, curve yourself open to those around you. The journey you’re on, into the fullness of God, can seem lonely. The traffic’s often ... http://chriserdman.com/all-blog-entries/companions/ The goodness of earth and sky and sea When you rise and pray this way, you’re separating yourself from the pessimism and crankiness that can easily poison your heart. You’ve served notice that, while there are plenty of real problems in our world—some you’ll face even today—you’re determined to rise ... http://chriserdman.com/all-blog-entries/2100/ The goodness of earth and sky and sea I was once meditating on the first chapter of Genesis, those opening verses of the Bible that survey the splendor of creation. These verses are not science in the Modern sense of the word. Rather, they’re a witness to the most ... http://chriserdman.com/all-blog-entries/who-am-i/ The goodness of earth and sky and sea The way you perceive the world affects the way you live within it. Many people see the world as a dangerous, bad, even evil place. They live with fear and carry hostility and suspicion with them wherever they go. If you see ... http://chriserdman.com/all-blog-entries/goodness/ I welcome to my life When you rise and welcome the day, entering it with intention and prayer, you’re not calling the day to yourself. You have no power to do that. Instead, you’re bringing yourself to the day. You’re praying for power to enter the coming ... http://chriserdman.com/all-blog-entries/welcome/ As I rise and embrace the gift of this new day The way you greet the day matters. Your first lucid moments set the course for what follows. Set that course with intention, through a simple prayer, and you’ll be okay. The prayer needn’t be long, but it ... http://chriserdman.com/all-blog-entries/arise/ Ours is a “Mixed Life.” We mix the active life and the contemplative life, faithful to both prayer and running errands, silence and participating in meetings, solitude and chaotic work places, meditation and minding the housework. And as we walk through our days, we slowly saunter the ... http://chriserdman.com/all-blog-entries/the-mixed-life/ Such Guides are common in monastic communities, and that makes sense. To live a life wholly devoted to God in the midst of this distracting world requires a determination that’s not only fierce, but that’s intentional and examined. Rebels need practices and habits that hold their lives in ... http://chriserdman.com/all-blog-entries/rebels-need-practices-and-habits/