Wisdom Prairie: Notes on prairies and connections

Holy Wisdom MonasteryCare for the Earth, Friends of Wisdom Prairie 2 Comments

Submitted by David Kelly (he/him), Friends of Wisdom Prairie. When I write about prairies, I’m torn. Either I’m penning an elegy – prairies in Wisconsin are a mere hint of their pre-settlement vastness – or I’m composing an ode to a place that defies awe. To enter a prairie is to enter the past, a time when prairies covered the land. If you go deep enough in today’s prairie, you get a taste of a prairies’ long-ago grandeur. I suppose this writing is some combination. To appreciate a prairie’s beauty is also to mourn its loss. The early morning air …

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

Quinn Lynch Leave a Comment

Mindfulness can be a powerful tool to identify your physical, mental and emotional habits and needs. Becoming more familiar with your own mind and its patterns can help you relate more directly to whatever is happening in your life – including difficulty and pain – and discover greater balance and ease. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) was created in 1979 and has been widely taught and scientifically studied around the world; research has shown positive improvements in physical and psychological symptoms. Good news: you don’t need to “clear your mind.” You don’t need special equipment. This class will focus on practice; …

Fall Fallowing: A Seasonal Retreat

Quinn Lynch Leave a Comment

A changing landscape palette…the final harvests from the garden…the departure of migratory creatures…these seasonal milestones are reminders to notice and integrate past growth, honoring it for its role in nurturing future growth. This fall retreat invites you to pause and mark transitions – on the prairie and in your own life and heart. It will hold space for attention to both. Conversations about the season, walks on the prairie, naps, art, movement, journaling, great meals and welcoming accommodations will all be a part of what you can expect when you arrive. A renewed connection to nature and to yourself, along with …

I Choose Peace

I Choose Peace: Sound Healing & Guided Meditation

Holy Wisdom Monastery Leave a Comment

You are welcome to explore a transformative journey through stillness with I Choose Peace: Sound Healing & Guided Meditation. This uniquely enchanting heart-centered experience invites you to explore the depths of world peace and love through the calming resonance of sound bowl healing, serene, guided meditations and space for reflective journaling. It’s more than just meditation; it’s a pathway to self-love and a deeper connection with your inner infinite peace and Mother Earth. Whether you’re a seasoned meditator or completely new to the practice, this offering provides a safe and accessible pathway to exploring mindfulness and meditation while experiencing sound …

Community of Joy: Quinn Casey

Amy AlstadCommunity of Joy 6 Comments

Submitted by Amy Alstad as an article to the May 29, 2026 issue of Weekly Wisdom. Dear Holy Wisdom Community, It is a real pleasure for me to feature Quinn Casey in this next installment of our ‘Community Joy’ series. Erin conceived these articles as a way to lift up what is good, true and joyful, as well as highlight community members whose contributions and connections to Holy Wisdom might not be visible to many. Quinn’s grandparents, Biby Gubler-Casey and Bob Smith, will be familiar to many in the Sunday Assembly community. For the past couple years, Quinn has been …

Festival on the Prairie

Quinn Lynch Leave a Comment

Event Description Join us for the Festival on the Prairie on Thursday, August 6, 5:00-8:00 pm. There will be music by Annie and the Oakies, local food carts from FEED Kitchen with food for purchase, children’s activities, garden and prairie tours, beer and soft drinks for purchase and free ice cream. Bring picnic blankets or camp chairs. Join us to celebrate a beautiful summer night with our community. All are welcome! We have 300 people registered so far, so please carpool if possible. There will be parking attendants to assist. View the PARKING MAP here. Food Carts Sandwich Hub Las …

Madre Tierra

Madre Tierra – exhibit by Issis Macias

Janet NeurauterArt exhibits, Hospitality 2 Comments

Submitted by Janet Neurauter (she/her),Mission Advancement Consultant Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Issis, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, was taught that education was the path to a secure future. “My parents instilled the values of hard work, building a stable career and being self-sufficient,” she said. As a result, Issis attended UCLA, majoring in Political Science before earning a Master’s in Public Administration. She worked as a water resources manager for a municipal utility in Anaheim, California, where she upheld the belief that water is life and conservation is critical to sustaining communities. During a period of personal …

Live with love, joy and presence

Kathleen OwensCCR, Center for Clergy Renewal (CCR), Pastors' Stories, Uncategorized Leave a Comment

Submitted by Kathleen Owens (she/her), Manager of Clergy Programming and Communications for the Center for Clergy Renewal at Holy Wisdom Monastery. James Rissler tried to prepare for his first Contemplative Renewal Immersion, and first visit to Holy Wisdom Monastery, by reading the Rule of Benedict. As a Mennonite Pastor from Georgia, he was not quite sure what to expect. He had some uncertainty about where he was heading in his vocation and a desire to explore more contemplative practices. He was concerned that St. Benedict seems to discourage humor and laughter. He wondered, “What kind of place will this be?” …

Summer plentitude

Summer Plentitude: A Seasonal Retreat

Quinn Lynch Leave a Comment

A riot of color on the prairie welcomes you to seek and celebrate your own abundance. This summer retreat invites you sit with the lush growth of the season – on the prairie and in your own life and heart. It will hold space for attention to both. Conversations about the season, walks on the prairie, naps, art, movement, journaling, great meals and welcoming accommodations will all be a part of what you can expect when you arrive. A renewed connection to nature and to yourself, along with joy in the plentitude and abundance of the season are what you …

Walking contemplative

Kathleen OwensCCR, Center for Clergy Renewal (CCR), Pastors' Stories, Uncategorized 3 Comments

Submitted by Kathleen Owens (she/her), Manager of Clergy Programming and Communications for the Center for Clergy Renewal at Holy Wisdom Monastery. “I don’t know if burned out is the right word,” reflects Julane Nease when recalling what led her to apply to Contemplative Renewal Immersions, “but I was feeling the stress of my call. There’d been a lot of difficulties that had happened within the life of the people in the congregation.” When she arrived for her first immersion in July 2021, she realized she was not alone. “I remember at that first session being struck at how emotional it …