Mary Pandiani
Executive Diretor
Selah Center

Welcome to our new Selah Community blog, Here & Now, contributed to by various companions and friends of Selah, and curated by Debora Buerk. We are excited to offer this opportunity online for those, whether near or far, to engage one another around the Contemplative Life. In everything we do, our intention, by God’s invitation, is to offer a welcoming community that pauses, encounters the Spirit through contemplative practices, and grows together toward wholeness and loving others. We anticipate this space of interaction to cultivate our intentions even further. We titled the blog Here & Now, inspired by a photo that Beth Griffith, one of our companions and Living From the Heart facilitators, took a number of years ago. It’s a beautiful reminder that we can meet God, no matter what our circumstances, in this very moment, in this place that we find ourselves here now. For these moments, we are thankful.

 

Thank You For Each Moment

… Lord, thank you for each moment,

for the shared moment,

for the listening, the unguarded word,

for the fragile openness,

the ready smile, the accepted difference,

for my passionate heart

and the trust rooting in me.

Stretch me

to grow with whatever comes as a gift

and to praise you in it.

Ted Loder
Guerillas of Grace, 44.

In this blog, we hope to be rooted and stretched by the many voices that will be heard, mostly from our community, as well as others who offer words and reflections that speak into our lives. Beyond the times where we meet online or in person, this place of interaction can open up further conversations, wonderings, and insights that encourage us along the contemplative journey. For that reason, we invite you to participate by reading and commenting on the blogs that speak to you.

As we launch this new blog, Here & Now, we begin tomorrow with the Ash Wednesday purpose and a blessing, then throughout this season of Lent, we will continue with various reflections and writings that speak to how Lent, a time of fasting and reflection, meets us in our lives. To start each week, I will have a “wondering” around three aspects of Jesus’ experience in the wilderness as a way to focus these 40 days (technically 47) before Easter. Using material from Henri Nouwen’s In the Name of Jesus, I will be highlighting the call of Jesus for us to live a life of integrity and compassion.

Join us as often as you want at this site: https://selahcenter.wordpress.com. You will see old material from a few years back as well as pieces from our book, Reflections: A Journey Through Lent and Easter.

New pieces will also be part of the invitation for you to comment about your own journey as it relates to the blog posts. Even with our dispersed nature, we can stay connected with one another through these interactions.

Enjoy the journey.
Mary

❦