Distinct Spirituality

Attentive ears can hear the ancient whisper, reminding us that another world is possible.

SHANE CLAIBORNE

For the past fifteen years we’ve been in pursuit of a distinct spirituality that will make Jesus clearly visible to the world. 

We’ve experimented with many ideas and approaches to the spiritual life of active service, some effective and many not! However we’ve concluded that regardless of what rules of life, or spiritual rhythms we come up with, our goal will be always the same—we want to find a way of life, a way of loving, that Jesus translates as an embrace to Him.

WHAT IS

Encounter & Embrace?

For years in the wonderful mormon family where I was raised I was known for being the awkward hugger, a bit stilted and ridged when it came to showing affection. 

I think I use to even give those burping kind of hugs, you know the ones where you give half an embrace, because I wasn’t wanting to invade someone’s personal space, while patting them on the back. This patting is familiar to anyone who has had babies, because it’s what you do when you burp them after they’ve had a healthy portion of mushed peas.

Teaching on, and experiencing “The Father Heart of God” in various parts of the world has taught me what a real embrace is all about. Adopting siblings when they were eight and nine years old, taught me the power of an embrace, upon the giver as well as upon the receiver.

As Axiom we’ve been discovering over the years of facilitating retreats and pilgrimages, and spending time of silence and solitude in prayer, that we have a God who aches for our full presence. 

Being fully present to Him, to one another, and to the needs of the world around us, is a distinct spirituality of Encounter and Embrace. This is the heartbeat of Axiom.

WHAT IS

Contemplative Activism?

Our dear friend, co-worker, and Axiom Originator Dr. Micha Jazz explains, “Let’s remind ourselves that Contemplative Activism combines two ideas, the first one being the essential, yet often lost art of drawing aside with God for prayer and learning how to find Him in every aspect of life. Contemplative experience provides a door to discovering so much more about ourselves, each other, God and His ways.

However there is a danger having ascended the heights through Contemplation, that we may not want to return and make our descent back into the streets of chaos within which we are called to carry out the mission of God. Secondly, therefore, we seek to live out prayer by rolling up our sleeves and serving the needs of the surrounding community. The Contemplative Activist develops the rhythm of ascent and descent in living the Spirit filled life.”

HOW CAN YOU

journey with us?

We have also learned through the years that if we don’t live with intention, with practices that reflect our distinctive of bringing comfort, joy, and honor to our God, then this will never happen, and we will be unfulfilled in the deepest parts of who we are.

Let us begin.

Explore with us our three shared spiritual practices and Axiom resources. 

If these rhythm resonates with where you are at in your spiritual journey then please let us know (jprattmail@gmail.com) and we will happily welcome you.

We look forward to the possibility of getting to know you on one of our pilgrimages and/or retreats and discovering ways we can be learners together in this homecoming journey.

Assisi 2013 121-1

Enclosed is two E-books that describe our practices and vision as Axiom Monastic Community. However here I want to highlight three of our practices (rhythms of formation, where Christ is formed in us) that many individuals and communities around the world have begun to share with us. Adopting these practices is the first steps towards partnering with us and a way of becoming Contemplative Activists.

Note: You will notice that in our current Axiom introduction Ebook it doesn’t mention “Weekly Acts of Service” as one of our three shared practices as we do below, but instead it mentions a yearly Pilgrimage and/or Retreat. However we have come to assume that everyone will want to do have a yearly quality time with God through a Pilgrimage/Retreat, if it’s a shared practice or not. That being said, we feel it’s essential to put legs to our faith and prayers in active service within our communities thus we’ve made “Weekly Acts of Service” a shared practice (as mentioned in our second Axiom Ebook entitled “Rhythms and Resources”) so that we may be contemplative activists as was Jesus.