May Newsletter

Last month, I had time off work to attend a course in basic weaving skills. I’ve already worked for several years in a weaving studio together with adults with developmental challenges, but only as an assistant. When I was asked to take over one of our two workshops for a colleague who is retiring, I needed more theoretical and practical knowledge of things like how to make a warp (the long threads that compose the length of a piece of woven cloth), wind it onto the loom, and thread it to create the right pattern. So I headed off for two weeks of instruction at a nearby weaving supply shop.

I found that the loom-setting-up process was not my cup of tea. It’s so easy to make a mistake at many points in the process, and have to do the whole time-consuming task again. And I did exactly that several times during the two weeks, sometimes wanting to cry or give up in frustration. However, I persisted, finished my self-chosen final project (a pair of curtains for my office) and could say I had learned something, both about weaving and about myself — most importantly, don’t panic if you think you’ve made a mistake, but pause, breathe, and don’t be ashamed to ask for help.

Once the loom was set up, and I could get into the rhythm of weaving, I could finally start to enjoy the process. Establishing a practice like sacred reading or silent prayer can be equally uncomfortable at first, leading to anxious wondering whether one is doing it right. But before too long, when rhythm and repetition start to take on their own life, and a pattern begins to appear, the joy of creation can arise.

When I asked who would like to attend an online meeting in April, the answer was silence. That was fine with me, because April was a really busy month!

If you’d like to meet in May, though, please send me a message, and I’ll find a time that works for us. The link will be sent out to all, so you can also join spontaneously.

I wonder whether offering a block of daily meetings might be more appealing, so I am planning to offer such a week in the summer. Watch for news of those dates and times coming soon.

The wilderness has a way of forming those willing to linger. And if we spend time there, in the quiet landscape of the heart, we may begin to notice unexpected teachers all around: plants and animals, strangers and friends, our own bodies, silence itself. When we stop performing, stop proving, stop pretending, we may begin to hear something deeper than instruction. We may hear a word spoken without sound directly to the soul.

A word of love.
A word of acceptance.
A word of encouragement.
A word of peace.

This word is spoken by the God who meets us in the desert.
The Christ who carries us to the cross and beyond.
The Spirit who will not let us go.

- Michael T. Sniffen, sermon for February 18, 2026

This text was drawn from Word of the Week, a free Substack newsletter from Contemplative Outreach. They offer many resources around the practices of lectio divina (sacred reading) and centering prayer (a silent prayer practice). The newsletter is always inspiring in a quiet, compassionate, and integrative way. Highly recommended!

I hope this newsletter is an inspiration for your own practice of Sacred Reading. If you have any feedback or suggestions, I’d always love to hear from you.