Deepening our Christianity

the Monday Newsletter of Paul Prins

Edition #5 · 15 May 2023

Blessings Reader,

I find myself returning again and again to the reality that we are new creations in Christ. That we are re-created. It is such a bizarre idea. Last Sunday I was able to join my friend Abbot Vladimir at his monastery. The visit was even more special because it was a celebration of his 25th anniversary of becoming the Abbot of Lerins Abbey.

It was a wonderful day of my first Monastic Mass (a combination of Mass and fixed hour prayer), a tour of the monastics living quarters, a wonderful garden lunch to celebrate, and then I left the island after afternoon (None) prayer. It was a long day of French, but I left with my spirit feeling light. Plus, it was wonderful to deepen my friendship with Vladimir (who grew up near where Jordan and I live in a suburb of Paris).

This group of people are living for such different ends. They are very aware of what they have left behind for their monastic life. Brother Antoine (who lead the tour) spoke passionately, and animatedly about their life together. I caught myself thinking again about being a new creation. Created for the Kingdom of God.

In the quiet, sensitive, and honest moments it feels like my soul is crushed by the part of me which is created for this world. That part of me which is still with me, and I cannot quite shake off. Lord help us to be able to live more out of our new creation.

After I left, I returned to the build out of the part of the Cannes Film Festival I help with. I spent the morning in medieval monastic buildings. I returned to a crew of skilled crafts people building out a space that will cease to exist in two weeks. That starkness is sticking with me.

Until Next Week

Posted this Week

Prayer - a Foudational Discipline

This is an overview of the practice and discipline of prayer. It was written for Urban Monasticism as a part of our Practices guide. It is not meant to teach prayer (there will be specific practices for that). Rather, it is meant to open our minds to the diversity and breadth of prayer.

Read the Essay

Unpublished Photo of the Week

The prayer Cowls of the monastics of Lerins — These are some of the prayer cowls of the monastics at Lerins.
Prior to their fix hour prayers, they put on a while cowl before entering.
**Catpured:** 14 May 2023

Curated Goods from the Week

Sharing what I've come across from around the internet that may encourage or help you.

Decline of PC USA ~6 Minutes
I grew up in the PC USA. It holds a special and meaningful place in my heart. That they have been in decline for decades is not surprising. Yet, it is interesting to see this piece paired with the other article that came out the next day from a different publisher.
Southern Baptists lost early 500k members in 2022 ~5 Minutes
The SBC had the largest single year drop in membership ever in 2022. This highlights the general decline in Christianity within the United States. This is irrespective of political leanings (PC USA leans left, and the SBC leans right).

A Prayer for the Week to Come

Lord, might you show us a small way we can step into the new creation that you have begun in us. Help us as we sense it, wonder about it, and hope for it. Grant us the courage to step into being who you know we can be.