Bøger af Michael F. Conrad

Lay Cistercian reflects on seeking God at Premier Gym in Tallahassee, FloridaI know it sounds ridiculous, but I found myself, very early one morning, at Premier Gym, Tallahassee, Florida, seeking God. I didn't plan it that way. It all just fell into place. I was thinking of how I would be reciting the Liturgy of the Hours later on that morning and doing my Lectio Divina. I thought to myself, why can't I do Lectio Divina right now? So I did it. This book is a direct result of my reflections. The stereotype is, to seek God you must be alone and all distractions eliminated, then you can listen to what God says. There is no perfect setting to seek God. God is. Seeking Him is the awareness that nature, events, people all provide the occasion to see God. This book is about my looking around Premier Gym in Tallahassee, Florida, early one morning and, describing what I saw and how I applied these observations to my spiritual life as a Lay Cistercian. It contains: -Seeking God at Premier Gym-Charisms to help physical and spiritual wellbeing-Building Capacity for God through strength training-Five barriers that keep us from reaching our purposehttps: //thecenterforcontemplativepractice.org

THE POETRY OF SILENCEIn the past few years, having retired and found myself one day watching the Weather Channel as the highpoint of my day, I asked myself, "Is there anything more to life?" The answer came in several parts, one of which was to begin to vigil (wait) before the Blessed Sacrament at my parish church. It is called exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and gaining in popularity as its counterpart in the World reverts to slandering people's reputation, detracting from their contributions to life, and prevaricating against others. Another part of the discovery is that of Lay Cistercian spirituality, based on Cistercian practices and charisms. All of it is rooted in transforming oneself from our false self to our new self in Christ. St. Benedict's Rule is an important part of how we apply this to our individual life experiences. This book is the result of my Lectio Divina (Phil 2:5) meditations before the Blessed Sacrament. Many people look for knowledge from books. I just sit there in contemplation and my mind is so flooded with wonderful and unexpected thoughts that I have to write them down or lose them, much like St. John talks about in John 21:24-25. In literature, fiction and non-fiction define and describe someone, something, or an event. In Poetry, the author just seeks to approach the hidden, yet essential mystery contained in the writing. The Mystery of Faith is cush a phenomenon. Want to describe it? Don't waste your time. Poetry seeks to uncover the delicate interactions and layers of meaning contained in a topic without destroying it in the process. This is the poetry of silence, a truth you can only approach and see-through foggy glass, but one whose meaning opens the door to the human heart to love with all their capability and capacity.