Woah Daniel, you are really stepping your writing up a notch! Wonderfully insightful and practical reflections. It is such a joy to hear how the changes you are making are taking root and growing deeper. I am sure that my husband would have much to add here with regard to Christian meditation - I'll be sure comes across your piece :)
Thank you so much, Ruth! I've been working hard to improve my writing so your compliment means a lot!! Digital minimalism is becoming a way of life for my family and it feels amazing. I would be so glad to hear from your husband! If he can find the time to read this and give me some feedback. That would be fantastic. Thank you for reading and for your support, Ruth!
I turned my phone off for thanksgiving day for about 10 hours and made a spiritual retreat for myself with prayer and meditation--so this is timely.
First, meditation is a most excellent Christian tradition. Where eastern meditation tends to have the goal of emptying ourself of everything, Christian meditation is about filling ourself with God. There’s books for everything, and the Cloud of Unknowing is an exchange kf letters between a senior monk and Junior monk, with the senior teaching the younger how to meditate. Ive never encountered anything like it and it is HARD. But the little i have attempted, when i did, has had miraculous effect, without exaggeration.
Re my own phone-off-ness, writing this now im thinking i want to try phone off days once a week. It would prove i can do it and i can warn anyone i talk to that i wont be accessible so they wont be alarmed.
I put some controls on my phone to make it more difficukt to be flagrantly addicted but thats an inconvenience more than a remedy. I want to remove the bad amd add the good so ill start thinking about things i want to do instead.
Yes!!! How timely indeed!! And thank you for the book recommendation!! Yet another book to add to my everlong list of books I'd like to read.
If you can manage to arrange one day a week without your phone, DO IT!! Make all the necessary arrangements and let the right people know like you said but absolutely do it. Sunday has become my day with no phone and it's always so pleasant! You can do it!!
I’ve gone phone lite on Sundays for a while now--with mixed commitment--where I turn on do not disturb all day and leave my phone behind for Mass and such. Maybe it’s time to step it up a notch and turn the dang thing off. Feels very Advent-y. The Advent that James and I fasted from radio on the drive to and from work was so fruitful.
Another book to add to the list--The Power of Silence by Cardinal Sarah and Nicolas Diat. I’m thinking I’ll reread this Advent. Incredible.
In the ‘The Tech-wise Family’ by Andy Crouch, the author suggests 1 hour/day, 1 day/week, 1 week/year as a baseline.
Also I read “The Life You’ve Always Wanted” about spiritual disciplines and the title truly sums up the motivation for delving into these sometimes unfamiliar practices.
Richard Foster’s book is indeed one to return to again and again.
I loved your article and look forward to more, inspiring us closer to Him in whom we live and move and have our being.
I think you share a lot of thoughts with Dr. Gregory Bottaro in his book “The Mindful Catholic.” Thank you for encouraging us to meditate in an active present moment awareness with God and to minimize technology.
DANIEL! Brother, this is such a gift--following so closely on Dixie’s recent post about adding before you subtract, too. I’ve been hemming and hawing, trying to decide where to get started with filling time in my day that doesn’t necessarily require childcare or day trips... this practical, convicting, and honestly hilarious (?) introduction to meditation + the promise of more rich guidance to come is so timely.
Thank you for reading and sharing, Sara!! I’m so glad you feel like this is useful! And honestly I want to know which parts you found to be hilarious. I tried my hand at being funny a few times and I'd like to what worked!
The one that I almost restacked (if I hadn't already done like 4 other quotes) was the "First thing you need to know... now you know. Good." but there were a handful of others as well--I'll see if I can go find them this afternoon.
To be truly effective, when you eliminate something negative in your life, you have to replace it with something positive If not, there will be a vacuum effect and you could either slide back to the old behavior or find youself suddenly engaged in something equally as nagative as the first behavior. Good read, Daniel!
Book recommendation: "The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise," by Robert Cardinal Sarah. Based on what you've been reflecting on would be a nice addition.
This is a great post, and a deep subject—contentious for some, certainly. I have been stewing on a similar topic for almost a year but haven’t yet had a chance to write about it. This gives me some inspiration to put something together. Thank you!
Thank you for reading and for the compliment! Glad to have given you some inspiration! I’ll be on the lookout for what you come up with on this topic or something similar! Looking forward to that!
what are my contemplative practices? my first is to peel myself from social media, which is why you won’t find me too frequently on Notes.. instead you’ll find me on the hunt for particular friends. :)
but, yes.. there’s a rhythm to this too, in the contemplative traditions.. akin to the Mass.
maybe I need to start getting all this down, it’s how we can live Christ’s Sacrifice, live the Mass. contemplation is key.
Jesus often separated Himself from crowds.. if we don’t pray as He did, if we don’t pray well, we cannot hope to defeat anything & we’ll be overcome. ..and we can’t forget to pray for ourselves & our own interior life!
What a thoughtful and impactful piece, Daniel - and I really like the distinction that you make about Christian meditation involving attachment to God.
Thank you so much! That’s a big challenge for me too. And I am with you in walking in the woods or just being in the woods in general. I feel so at peace in the woods or on a great lookout on a mountain top.
Woah Daniel, you are really stepping your writing up a notch! Wonderfully insightful and practical reflections. It is such a joy to hear how the changes you are making are taking root and growing deeper. I am sure that my husband would have much to add here with regard to Christian meditation - I'll be sure comes across your piece :)
Thank you so much, Ruth! I've been working hard to improve my writing so your compliment means a lot!! Digital minimalism is becoming a way of life for my family and it feels amazing. I would be so glad to hear from your husband! If he can find the time to read this and give me some feedback. That would be fantastic. Thank you for reading and for your support, Ruth!
I turned my phone off for thanksgiving day for about 10 hours and made a spiritual retreat for myself with prayer and meditation--so this is timely.
First, meditation is a most excellent Christian tradition. Where eastern meditation tends to have the goal of emptying ourself of everything, Christian meditation is about filling ourself with God. There’s books for everything, and the Cloud of Unknowing is an exchange kf letters between a senior monk and Junior monk, with the senior teaching the younger how to meditate. Ive never encountered anything like it and it is HARD. But the little i have attempted, when i did, has had miraculous effect, without exaggeration.
Re my own phone-off-ness, writing this now im thinking i want to try phone off days once a week. It would prove i can do it and i can warn anyone i talk to that i wont be accessible so they wont be alarmed.
I put some controls on my phone to make it more difficukt to be flagrantly addicted but thats an inconvenience more than a remedy. I want to remove the bad amd add the good so ill start thinking about things i want to do instead.
Yes!!! How timely indeed!! And thank you for the book recommendation!! Yet another book to add to my everlong list of books I'd like to read.
If you can manage to arrange one day a week without your phone, DO IT!! Make all the necessary arrangements and let the right people know like you said but absolutely do it. Sunday has become my day with no phone and it's always so pleasant! You can do it!!
I’ve gone phone lite on Sundays for a while now--with mixed commitment--where I turn on do not disturb all day and leave my phone behind for Mass and such. Maybe it’s time to step it up a notch and turn the dang thing off. Feels very Advent-y. The Advent that James and I fasted from radio on the drive to and from work was so fruitful.
Another book to add to the list--The Power of Silence by Cardinal Sarah and Nicolas Diat. I’m thinking I’ll reread this Advent. Incredible.
You may or may not believe this but I was recommended to meditate AGAIN before the end of the day today so let me tell you I am leaning in to this.
In the ‘The Tech-wise Family’ by Andy Crouch, the author suggests 1 hour/day, 1 day/week, 1 week/year as a baseline.
Also I read “The Life You’ve Always Wanted” about spiritual disciplines and the title truly sums up the motivation for delving into these sometimes unfamiliar practices.
Richard Foster’s book is indeed one to return to again and again.
I loved your article and look forward to more, inspiring us closer to Him in whom we live and move and have our being.
I think you share a lot of thoughts with Dr. Gregory Bottaro in his book “The Mindful Catholic.” Thank you for encouraging us to meditate in an active present moment awareness with God and to minimize technology.
Thank you for reading this and for the book recommendation! I’m glad you found this helpful and encouraging!
DANIEL! Brother, this is such a gift--following so closely on Dixie’s recent post about adding before you subtract, too. I’ve been hemming and hawing, trying to decide where to get started with filling time in my day that doesn’t necessarily require childcare or day trips... this practical, convicting, and honestly hilarious (?) introduction to meditation + the promise of more rich guidance to come is so timely.
Thank you for reading and sharing, Sara!! I’m so glad you feel like this is useful! And honestly I want to know which parts you found to be hilarious. I tried my hand at being funny a few times and I'd like to what worked!
The one that I almost restacked (if I hadn't already done like 4 other quotes) was the "First thing you need to know... now you know. Good." but there were a handful of others as well--I'll see if I can go find them this afternoon.
To be truly effective, when you eliminate something negative in your life, you have to replace it with something positive If not, there will be a vacuum effect and you could either slide back to the old behavior or find youself suddenly engaged in something equally as nagative as the first behavior. Good read, Daniel!
Thank you, Kevin!!
Book recommendation: "The Power of Silence: Against the Dictatorship of Noise," by Robert Cardinal Sarah. Based on what you've been reflecting on would be a nice addition.
Thanks so much, man!
This is a great post, and a deep subject—contentious for some, certainly. I have been stewing on a similar topic for almost a year but haven’t yet had a chance to write about it. This gives me some inspiration to put something together. Thank you!
Thank you for reading and for the compliment! Glad to have given you some inspiration! I’ll be on the lookout for what you come up with on this topic or something similar! Looking forward to that!
yes.. yes.. yes.. 🔥
what are my contemplative practices? my first is to peel myself from social media, which is why you won’t find me too frequently on Notes.. instead you’ll find me on the hunt for particular friends. :)
but, yes.. there’s a rhythm to this too, in the contemplative traditions.. akin to the Mass.
maybe I need to start getting all this down, it’s how we can live Christ’s Sacrifice, live the Mass. contemplation is key.
Jesus often separated Himself from crowds.. if we don’t pray as He did, if we don’t pray well, we cannot hope to defeat anything & we’ll be overcome. ..and we can’t forget to pray for ourselves & our own interior life!
thank you, Daniel!🔥
What a thoughtful and impactful piece, Daniel - and I really like the distinction that you make about Christian meditation involving attachment to God.
Excellent post. Quieting my thoughts is the main challenge for me. Walking in the woods my mind feels quietist. Appreciate you.
Thank you so much! That’s a big challenge for me too. And I am with you in walking in the woods or just being in the woods in general. I feel so at peace in the woods or on a great lookout on a mountain top.