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Cairn-Space: Poems, Prayers, and Mindful Amblings about the Places We Set Aside for Meaning, Prayer, and the Sacramental Life in the New Monasticism
Cairns have decorated the landscapes of cultures throughout time. Piles of stone-one stone placed on top of another-are set in place all over the earth to recall battles, identify burial sites, mark trails, and spur hearts and minds to remember sacred, noble, and critical events. They are landmarks. They are sacramental presences in space and time.
Our lives are littered with markers of meaning. They all reveal who we are, where we have been, and offer us a jumping off point for the future. In the true mystic tradition, everything straddles meaning and is potentially available to reveal the inner life, God Himself, and all that Is.
My hope is that we will begin to look at the markers of meaning in our lives and notice how we store that meaning in our heart. My hope is that we will reconstruct our prayer life and the shape of our interior world, that we will recognize the impact things have on us and discriminate toward health.
Our journey in this book will be more like an amble or a wandering. We will hop from pillar to post looking for meaning and attempting to infuse things with meaning. We will look at our practices and the practices of those from our shared human past. We will begin to notice that there is a hidden depth to how we live-one that reveals we live in layers or dimensions, not simple and flat lines.
N. Thomas Johnson-Medland is the Food Services Manager for Pocono Plateau Camp and Retreat Center in Cresco, Pennsylvania. He is the author of Turning Within (1998) and Bridges, Paths, and Waters; Dirt, Sky, and Mountains (2010). Tom currently serves as chaplain for the Orthodox Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, and is a Brother in the United Methodist Order of Saint Luke.
Our lives are littered with markers of meaning. They all reveal who we are, where we have been, and offer us a jumping off point for the future. In the true mystic tradition, everything straddles meaning and is potentially available to reveal the inner life, God Himself, and all that Is.
My hope is that we will begin to look at the markers of meaning in our lives and notice how we store that meaning in our heart. My hope is that we will reconstruct our prayer life and the shape of our interior world, that we will recognize the impact things have on us and discriminate toward health.
Our journey in this book will be more like an amble or a wandering. We will hop from pillar to post looking for meaning and attempting to infuse things with meaning. We will look at our practices and the practices of those from our shared human past. We will begin to notice that there is a hidden depth to how we live-one that reveals we live in layers or dimensions, not simple and flat lines.
N. Thomas Johnson-Medland is the Food Services Manager for Pocono Plateau Camp and Retreat Center in Cresco, Pennsylvania. He is the author of Turning Within (1998) and Bridges, Paths, and Waters; Dirt, Sky, and Mountains (2010). Tom currently serves as chaplain for the Orthodox Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, and is a Brother in the United Methodist Order of Saint Luke.
136 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2011
About the author
N. Thomas Johnson-Medland
18 books5 followersShortish TJM BIO
A public speaker since 1975. A published author since 1987. Tom is in his 26th year as an end-of-life specialist and hospice leader. A retired ordained Greek and Russian Orthodox Clergyman (1997 - 2019) and current Chaplain for the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem (Hospitallers) since 1999. A certified End-of-Life Doula (University of Vermont) since 2019.
Tom is currently a hospice liaison for Amedisys Hospice in York, PA.
Tom has been and remains deeply involved in nature and ecology instruction/advocacy, food service management and cooking, spirituality, leadership formation and direction, Scouting, house painting, gardening, hiking and camping, dreamwork, fishing, tying flies, and photography.
Tom loves authoring books, poems, stories, essays, painting with watercolor and taking photographs; he also loves, leading workshops and lectures about just about anything. He and his wife Glinda just started a 501(c)3 foundation for poets - word Hive: a space for poets. word hive is committed to the education, development, and collaboration of local poets; to awaken artistic expression in local communities. wordhive.poets@gmail.com
Tom lives in Columbia, Pennsylvania at 203 Walnut Street.
Go to: https://tomjohnsonmedland.com for more information on contacting Tom.
Longish TJM BIO
Tom was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania and attended Gordon College on the North Shore of Massachusetts and Penn State University in State College, PA. He majored in Medieval Studies. He finished his BA in Medieval History – as a young Dad – with Thomas Edison University in 1995.
He has attended Seminary and Priestly Formation with Saint Tikhon’s Seminary and Holy Seraphim School of Formation. He was ordained by the Greek Orthodox Church in 1996, and by the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000. He was knighted by the Hospitallers of Saint John of Jerusalem in 2000. He served in parish work until 2002.
Tom began hospice work in the Spring of 1997 as a Pastoral Care Coordinator, also providing Bereavement Care, and Volunteer supervision. He also served as an educator and representative for
Lighthouse Hospice, becoming their Director of Project Development and IT after attaining Three Master Certificates in Project Management with Villanova University. Tom also acquired certification for End-of-life Doula care through the University of Vermont in 2019.
He took a four-year sabbatical from full-time hospice work to manage the kitchens and the media services for Pocono Plateau Camp and Retreat Center in the Poconos of Pennsylvania. During that time he was a hospice project consultant for Lighthouse Hospice. While at the retreat center he was able to finish and publish seven-book manuscripts. Upon completion of his tenure at the retreat house – in October of 2011 - he returned to Lighthouse Hospice as their Chief Information Officer and eventually CEO.
Tom was recently the Director of Psychosocial and Spiritual Excellence for BAYADA Hospice - working with BAYADA for just over six years. Tom is currently a hospice liaison for Amedisys Hospice in York, PA.
Tom enjoys writing and has published a total of 22 books, a chapbook, and over fifty articles on end-of-life care, spiritual direction/formation, leadership, cooking, and management. He also enjoys hiking, camping, running, gardening, hanging out along the Delaware, and leading workshops. He is married to Glinda who is a social worker and therapist and has two sons, Zachary and Josiah.
He has volunteered as a Cub Scout leader for his sons’ cub pack, and Assistant Scoutmaster for a Boy Scout Troop while a student back at PSU. Both he and his wife volunteered for six years as Youth Leaders at their parish. He continues to provide leadership development training throughout his denomination and other religious, civic, and healthcare organizations. He has taken to worshipping with the Quaker
A public speaker since 1975. A published author since 1987. Tom is in his 26th year as an end-of-life specialist and hospice leader. A retired ordained Greek and Russian Orthodox Clergyman (1997 - 2019) and current Chaplain for the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem (Hospitallers) since 1999. A certified End-of-Life Doula (University of Vermont) since 2019.
Tom is currently a hospice liaison for Amedisys Hospice in York, PA.
Tom has been and remains deeply involved in nature and ecology instruction/advocacy, food service management and cooking, spirituality, leadership formation and direction, Scouting, house painting, gardening, hiking and camping, dreamwork, fishing, tying flies, and photography.
Tom loves authoring books, poems, stories, essays, painting with watercolor and taking photographs; he also loves, leading workshops and lectures about just about anything. He and his wife Glinda just started a 501(c)3 foundation for poets - word Hive: a space for poets. word hive is committed to the education, development, and collaboration of local poets; to awaken artistic expression in local communities. wordhive.poets@gmail.com
Tom lives in Columbia, Pennsylvania at 203 Walnut Street.
Go to: https://tomjohnsonmedland.com for more information on contacting Tom.
Longish TJM BIO
Tom was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania and attended Gordon College on the North Shore of Massachusetts and Penn State University in State College, PA. He majored in Medieval Studies. He finished his BA in Medieval History – as a young Dad – with Thomas Edison University in 1995.
He has attended Seminary and Priestly Formation with Saint Tikhon’s Seminary and Holy Seraphim School of Formation. He was ordained by the Greek Orthodox Church in 1996, and by the Russian Orthodox Church in 2000. He was knighted by the Hospitallers of Saint John of Jerusalem in 2000. He served in parish work until 2002.
Tom began hospice work in the Spring of 1997 as a Pastoral Care Coordinator, also providing Bereavement Care, and Volunteer supervision. He also served as an educator and representative for
Lighthouse Hospice, becoming their Director of Project Development and IT after attaining Three Master Certificates in Project Management with Villanova University. Tom also acquired certification for End-of-life Doula care through the University of Vermont in 2019.
He took a four-year sabbatical from full-time hospice work to manage the kitchens and the media services for Pocono Plateau Camp and Retreat Center in the Poconos of Pennsylvania. During that time he was a hospice project consultant for Lighthouse Hospice. While at the retreat center he was able to finish and publish seven-book manuscripts. Upon completion of his tenure at the retreat house – in October of 2011 - he returned to Lighthouse Hospice as their Chief Information Officer and eventually CEO.
Tom was recently the Director of Psychosocial and Spiritual Excellence for BAYADA Hospice - working with BAYADA for just over six years. Tom is currently a hospice liaison for Amedisys Hospice in York, PA.
Tom enjoys writing and has published a total of 22 books, a chapbook, and over fifty articles on end-of-life care, spiritual direction/formation, leadership, cooking, and management. He also enjoys hiking, camping, running, gardening, hanging out along the Delaware, and leading workshops. He is married to Glinda who is a social worker and therapist and has two sons, Zachary and Josiah.
He has volunteered as a Cub Scout leader for his sons’ cub pack, and Assistant Scoutmaster for a Boy Scout Troop while a student back at PSU. Both he and his wife volunteered for six years as Youth Leaders at their parish. He continues to provide leadership development training throughout his denomination and other religious, civic, and healthcare organizations. He has taken to worshipping with the Quaker
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