We at Mercy by the Sea have so much we want to share with you:
Inspiring and transformational quotes, prayers, poems, videos and books we discover or rediscover
Conversations with upcoming presenters
Resources and thoughts on contemplative prayer, spiritual direction, the second half of life, emerging leadership, creativity, our relationship with nature and much more!
You'll find seasonal photos of the grounds — vegetation, trees and winged and four-legged creatures that make their homes here. We'll capture changes in the light and colors as the seasons change. So bookmark this page and come back regularly. Or subscribe to receive an email each time a new blog posts. Just scroll down and type your email address in the field provided then click the SIGN UP button.
Mercy by the Sea thanks and congratulates the fifteen participants in the Fourth Cohort who graduated from The School for the Second Half of Life on December 10, and welcomes the fourteen participants who will begin the School on January 28. Click here to view the graduates' photo and to read Marie Boyle's words as she opened the beautiful graduation festivities, designed by the class.
When I offered an update on my year long writing project, my friend said, “It sounds like the book is writing you.” He was right. Each time I dipped back into the words to rework, edit or add source material, I re-entered sacred space. I returned to a place of waiting and deep listening. I hoped my message was authentic and true, at least from my point of view, and that it might help others. At the same time,..
There is a song Standing on the Shoulders, words and music by Joyce Johnson Rouse used in many anniversary-type rituals. As we near the celebration date for the Golden Jubilee of Mercy Center by the Sea, it would seem a fitting conclusion to these weekly blogs to recognize...
This quote from Henri Nouwen is a very treasured gift to Mercy Center that goes back to early days when Henri was at Yale and often stayed at the Center while writing or bringing groups of students from Yale. Henri wrote in later years Reaching Out which described the paradox of hospitality. “The paradox of hospitality is that it wants to create emptiness, not a fearful emptiness, but a friendly emptiness where strangers can enter and discover themselves as created free.
