The purpose of contemplative living, Christine Valters Paintner suggests, is to allow you to integrate the pieces of your life within yourself, in your community, and in the world around you. When you pay attention to each moment, you nurture your ability to see God's actions in those moments. In Earth, Our Original Monastery, Paintner invites you to begin the journey of contemplative living by focusing on the image of the earth as your original monastery--the place where you learn your most fundamental prayers, participate in each day's liturgy of praise, and experience the wisdom of the seasons.
Paintner provides seven ways of seeing the earth in light of faith and pairs each one with a practical invitation to a practice. These include:
As you explore what these connections between the earth and faith mean for how to see God in the world around you, you can also look at saints and mystics who experienced nature and the flow of the divine in similar ways.