Contemplify

“”I got saved by poetry, and I got saved by the beauty of the world.” — Mary Oliver Sasha Waters, an American documentary and experimental filmmaker, feminist and educator. She has produced and directed over twenty films and we are here today to talk about her latest, Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World , which will be theatrically released July 3rd ( see dates and locations...

“With poetic clarity and theological depth, Beverly Lanzetta names the sacred within the human, the Divine Feminine within tradition, and the transforming power of contemplation for our wounded world.” — Fr. Adam Bucko Beverly Lanzetta, Ph. D., is a theologian, contemplative scholar and teacher, and the author of a number of groundbreaking books, her most recent is the centerpiece of our conversat...

“In the ashes of all we have lost, a world of liberation is waiting to be born, if we are brave enough to labor for it. Like the wisest midwife, Liza Rankow takes our hand and offers practical tools to unlock a courage we did not know we had. The result: a journey into healing, spirituality, and social justice that rebirths the world within us and around us.” — Valarie Kaur, author, See No Strange...

“Find in these pages profound beauty, deep comfort, and vexing disquiet. Ask yourself some of the questions Connors keeps asking. Then walk out of the house to some perfect, inscrutable run of nature and fall in love.”  — Gary Ferguson Philip Connors is a fire lookout, essayist, and author of four books. A former journalist at the Wall Street Journal , Connors has been a fire lookout in...

“Through her graceful poetry and pristine instrumentation, the folk singer delivers indictments of modern indignities alongside moments of hope.” — Pitchfork Anna Tivel is an award-winning songwriter and musician from Portland, Oregon. In our conversation we traverse many topics; short stories, poetry, checking for shit on your shoes, and Anna’s latest spellbinding album, Animal Poem . For me, thi...

“Here is a rosary of soaring myth, gripping narrative, and deep wisdom, all told with breathtaking verve that enchants and sweeps us along, from first word to last. A superb, inspiring read.” — Gabor Maté, author of The Myth of Normal Dr. Martin Shaw a writer, mythographer, wilderness guide, and Christian thinker. In our conversation we delve into his latest book, Liturgies of the Wild: Myths...

“As Christians…we are Ceremony people, story people, poetic people.”  — Martin Shaw Season 7 is hatching. A series of conversations has come together, mighty and beautiful folks offering feathered insight and story from their unique perch in the world (I am going to shift things up a bit and share a conversation once a month for Season 7).  But first, here and now, Teddy Macker is going to sh...

“Always keep death before you.” — Rule of St. Benedict Musing on obituaries with your name on it. Photo by Contemplify

“I highly recommend What Makes You Come Alive to churches, religious and educational institutions, and spiritual seekers everywhere who are looking for an inward journey that finds its home in the world of nature, people, and things.” — Walter Earl Fluker  – Editor and Director of the Howard Thurman Papers Project Remembering Lerita Coleman Brown (1954-2025) Dr. Lerita...

“Some people need to stay outside.” — Jim Harrison Musing on my personal non-liturgical liturgical calendar that runs from December 11 – December 10 each calendar year. Photo by Contemplify

“In radiant, lyrical prose, Gail Straub takes us on a voyage like no other, both into little-known places across the globe and, most memorably, the inner realms of the soul. …..this is a journey that no reader will forget and, I believe, all readers will, in their own way, hope to emulate.” — Andrew Carroll Author and empowerment pioneer Gail Straub’s latest book Home Inside the...

“A truly beautiful book that can take you to the very heart of who you are meant to be in God.” — Fr. Adam Bucko Mark Longhurst is an author and contemplative guide who has spent years exploring the sacred dimensions of everyday life. In our conversation we talk about his book The Holy Ordinary: A Way to God , a beautiful invitation to discover the divine presence woven throughout our...

“ Water  is immediate and timeless. These poems imprint on the heart. To read these verses is to enter mystery and paradox, to be burnished by the sacred fire and broken open by the holiest dance.” — Suleika Jaouad Haleh Liza Gafori is a translator, performance artist, vocalist, and educator whose work bridges ancient Persian mysticism with contemporary spiritual longing. In our conversation...

“This book is just what the world needs right now. At a time when tensions are hot, divisions are growing, and uncertainty is the order of the day,  Sacred Parenting  is a call to reconnect with what matters most: our children, our families, ourselves, and our God. The authors offer gentle wisdom and contemplative practices as antidotes to the high-volume, fast-paced, do-or-die world in which we l...

“In this taut, fearless, and well-argued manifesto, Larry Ward offers us a deeply insightful analysis of America’s racial karma—of how it operates individually and collectively—and how it can be worked with and transformed. Drawing on Buddhist psychology, trauma theory, neuroscience, and years of practice … the result is a searing, liberative, and tender work—a book that is both urgent and necessa...

“You can trust Amy Frykholm as a modern-day amma who knows the terrain of the soul. Reading Journey to the Wild Heart is like going out to the desert for a word. It helps us slow down, let go, unknow in Silence, and embody Love.― — Carmen Acevedo Butcher, author of Practice of the Presence Amy Frykholm is a writer and journalist who makes her third appearance on Contemplify ( round one , round two...

“To read a new and selected collection is to experience the evolution of a voice, in this case an essential voice in American poetry. To sit with the whole of these transportive, immersive poems is to awaken like a wild riparian corridor in spring. Wildflowers on the banks. Birdsong in the branches. The reader’s heart is a bud: open. Beautiful work.” — Chris Dombrowski, The River You Touch P...

“…Swan’s book provides an accessible overview of beguine spirituality in the context of their own times…[it] does a good job of explaining both the beguines’ spiritual practices and their continuing legacy.” — Commonweal Sr. Laura Swan is a Benedictine sister, spiritual director, author, teacher, and archivist. In our conversation we talk about her book The Wisdom of the Be...

“Such a generous and skillful offering! If you want to use your power and influence for good in this world, here is your practice manual. May you have the discipline and commitment to use it well.” — Margaret J. Wheatley Patrick Boland is an author, teacher, coach, and consultant. In our conversation we talk about his book The Contemplative Leader: Uncover the Power of Presence and Connectio...

“As a close student and friend of Thomas Keating’s for thirty-five years, I was exhilarated reading this lively and profound exploration of his journey into unity consciousness, and grateful the world has the opportunity to glimpse the inner life, struggles, and spiritual evolution of this extraordinary soul. A must-read for Centering Prayer practitioners in navigating the farther, subtler t...

“Practice simply is one intensification of what is natural and around us all the time. Practice is to life as poetry is to spoken language. So as poetry is the practice of language, “practice” is the practice of life.” — Gary Snyder As an entryway to Season 6, I have two things to share; a quote and a small taster plate of Season 6. The quote comes from Gary Snyder, a rascal zen hero of mine...

“These prayers act as both a holy pause – a space to rest into when our own words seem to fail us – and a spark – a way of igniting our recommitment to be a loving presence in the world. Full of gratitude, humility, and devotion, Haas calls us back into communion with ourselves, with creation, and with the Holy One.” — Christine Valters Paintner Rev., Dr. Peter Traben Haas...

“We must, without sparing, lose all for all.” — Hadejwich of Antwerp This morning I want to muse on Mary, mother of Jesus, through the eyes of 13 th Century mystic Hadewijch during this second week of Advent. Drink Recommended Black Coffee (with an eggnog if on hand) Photo by Contemplify Links to book purchases give a kickback to a local New Mexican bookstore and Contemplify

“I love Katherine May’s new book, Enchantment.… It’s a beautiful offering of light, truth and charm in these strange, dark times.” — Anne Lamott Katherine May is an internationally bestselling author and podcaster living in Whitstable, UK. Her most recent book, Enchantment became an instant New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller. Her internationally bestselling hybrid memoir Winter...

“Krivak is a novelist, poet, and memoirist whose work has been compared to William Faulkner’s in its rich sense of place, to Wendell Berry’s in its attentiveness to natural beauty, and to Cormac McCarthy’s in its deep investigation of violence and myth. Yet all of Krivak’s writing, and especially his fiction, presents a truly singular vision.” — Image Journal You might remember my last...