Sacred Time: Embracing an Intentional Way of Life

by Christine Valters Paintner

We live in a world where there never seems to be enough time for all we want and need to do. In Sacred Embracing an Intentional Way of Life , Christine Valters Paintner guides us as we move beyond our own lives and embrace a world that urges us toward rest, reflection, and growth. In Sacred Time , Paintner, abbess of the online Abbey of the Arts, shows us how by becoming in tune with the rhythms of the natural world, we can live more intentionally and experience a conversion toward a more expansive way of being. Paintner introduces us to the eight cycles of sacred time that exist in our everyday lives. These cycles that can ground us through our busy lives are Each cycle encourages us to mindfully consider the time that passes as quickly as each breath and as slowly as the passing of generations. Within each cycle, we find wisdom from sacred tradition and the saints, including St. Benedict, St. Ignatius of Loyola, and St. Hildegard of Bingen; room for growth; and the presence of the Divine. Along the way, we are also given scriptural guidance, and we are invited to spiritual practices and creative explorations that will help deepen our understanding of each cycle, allow that understanding to take root in our lives, and expand our lives beyond the pressures of each day.

Genres: Spirituality, Nonfiction, Christianity, Christian

160 pages, Paperback

Published February 19, 2021

About the author

Christine Valters Paintner, PhD is the online Abbess at AbbeyoftheArts.com, a virtual monastery and global community. She is the author of over 20 books on contemplative practice and creative expression including three collections of poetry. She lives in Galway, Ireland where she leads online retreats with her husband John. Christine is a Benedictine oblate, living out her commitment as a monk in the world.

Reviews

[Ann Robertson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sacred Time is a wise and timely book for these uncertain times when time - or, at least, our sense of it - has variously speeded up, slowed down or even stood still. As with her previous books, Christine Valters Paintner combines her deep knowledge of and immersion in Celtic Christian and Benedictine traditions with a poetic and contemplative wisdom as she takes the reader on a journey through the cyclical nature of Sacred Time.
The author moves from the intimacy of the breath and expands outwards through the cycles of the sun, the week, the moon, seasons of the year, seasons of a lifetime, ancestral generations and, finally, the Cosmos itself, exploring what she calls "the 4- part sacred rhythm at the heart of everything" (waxing, fullness, waning, emptiness).
Paintner draws on wide-ranging source materials and her personal life experiences to reflect on each of 8 cycles of Sacred Time. She continues with detailed suggestions for activities, such as body movement, meditation, art-making, dream-work and journaling, which serve as contemplative practices to ground each of the themes in the reader's personal experience.
With this latest book, Christine Valters Paintner guides and encourages us in "a long slow reflection on the life questions that echo within our hearts". Sharing her knowledge and her own vulnerabilities, she models for the reader what such reflection might look like. In doing so, she nourishes the soul of the reader and gives us the gift of herself. This is a wise and wonderful book to be savoured slowly over time.

[Craig Bergland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the choices the author made as to what to use to mark the passage of Sacred Time to be rather arbitrary and at times a bit vacuous. At other times I found the choices to be so obvious that they bordered on condescending. For me that's the one, two punch of turn me off! Still, you might not be bothered by it, so your mileage might vary!

[Amelia Maness-Gilliland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley, Ave Maria Press, and Christine Valters Paintner, for the ARC of Sacred Time, Embracing an Intentional Way of Life. I am a fan of Paintner and follow her work on Facebook. I have read many of her books and I am always grateful for her wisdom and insight. This new book did not disappoint. Paintner follows a consistent and intuitive formula with her writing and how she organizes each chapter. This approach turns the reading of the text into a personal retreat. I have never read her books quickly; her words, content, and flow best read with a slow, intentional pace. You will want to linger and re-read her sentences. You will take the time to let her insights settle into your thoughts and your soul.
In this current book, Paintner takes on the topic of time, how we view it, and spend it. In our fast-paced world, we can all agree on one thing, we feel like we run short on time, and if only there were an extra 4 hours a day, right? I am someone who has always battled a very linear approach to pacing time. In this book, Paintner challenged me to consider time as sacred, "Sacred time is time governed by the rhythms of creation, rhythms that incorporate times of rest as essential to our own unfolding. Sacred time is time spent being present to the moments of eternity available to us whenever we choose to pause and breathe." As someone who has battled with the notion that I can control time, this book was a much-needed opportunity to step back and reframe.
Paintner organized the chapters of her book by:
breath
rhythms of the day
weekly rhythms and Sabbath rest
waxing and waning lunar cycles
seasons of the year
seasons of a lifetime
ancestral time
cosmic time

Within in cycle/chapter, five sections include: Paintner's reflection on the theme, a scripture reflection, an experiential exploration through meditation and creative practice (my personal favorite), and the chapter ends with a poem related to that aspect of time.
Within each cycle, she also includes wisdom from saints, including St Ignatius of Loyola, St Hildegard of Bingen (a personal favorite of mine), and St Benedict. Each section of this book is an invitation to explore spiritual and creative practices to deepen our understanding of sacred time and use this information to create and embrace a life that is intentional and moves us away from the pressures of each day.

[Bonnie Westmark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this book in my garden, a beautiful place to do her meditations in each chapter. I enjoyed her personal stories, especially those dealing with grief and loss, since that is where I am now. I appreciated her husband’s scripture reflections and looked forward to each one. I find myself out each evening staring at the moon and stars, reflecting on her words. Her poetry speaks to me, so each poem was a special treat. Her references to Seattle are a delight to this Washingtonian, especially her appreciation for all our beautiful gifts of nature. My favorite chapters were on ancestral time and seasons of both the year and our life. I plan to continue to practice lectio divina using this book as it lends itself perfectly to contemplation, reflection, and meditation, especially in the garden, where I come to be with God.

[Charlotte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christine Valters Paintner writes creative, rich guides to the Christian contemplative life, and Sacred Time continues that project. This book opens with an invitation to read slowly, using it as prayerful retreat.

Including poetry, contemplative scriptural meditations, spiritual practices and creative forms of response, Sacred Time grounds the reader in somatic, natural, and spiritual rhythms of passing time. I look forward to spending more time with her writing in my own devotional life and in leading congregations.
Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sacred Time provides a guide book for grounding oneself in the Divine and living more intentionally during this time of pandemic, political upheaval and severe weather. The scriptures and creative explorations accompanied by Christine's personal sharing challenge the reader to view both the joyful and traumatic events of life from a different perspective. Its unique view of examining time in the past, present and future aids the readier in creating their own rhythms for living.

[Foundling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully written exploration of time and its circular, cyclical nature. Very accessible to anyone, each chapter widens and expands our experience of time, beginning with the rhythm of our breath all the way to the cosmos.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks Netgalley, for this review copy. This book is a good companion for anyone interested in living more closely with the seasons, and for earth based spiritual paths embracing a personal practice of the wheel of the year.

[Katherine Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. I read this with a lovely group of people which enhanced the experience, but it would have been a thoughtful read on its own. It will deepen your appreciation for how you experience the moments of your life.

[Jeanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. I truly like the different ways of looking at our breath to the universe. I am not a fan of poetry or creative movements , so those parts of the book were not for me. It was an interesting read with many good ideas for being present to the moment and how our lives fit in to the world.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christine Valter's Paintner's latest book is yet another gem in the world of spiritual nurture and exploration. Savoring "Sacred Time" is like attending one of her online retreats through https://abbeyofthearts.com. The combination of reflections (including John Valters Paintner's biblical reflection) invitations to experience new spiritual practices along with meditations and prayer experiences each week is indeed a mini-retreat that you can follow at your own pace. "Sacred Time: Embracing an Intentional Way of Life" could not have come at a more appropriate time as the worldwide pandemic continues. I can't encourage you enough to give yourself a treat and savor this book/retreat at this time. You can also come back as often as you wish to savor particular portions or even the entire retreat when your spiritual well needs refreshment.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding... meant to be savored and read again and again.

[debbie-anne Hogarth · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are elements I found really helpful other areas I felt a too 'new age' for me.

[Robin Slattum · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boy, did I need to read this book.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Witness to Sacred Time

The invitation on my desk to “make time my friend” has long puzzled me. The invitation is the third of a 10-point Artist’s Rule I wrote for myself four years ago, based on the author’s 2011 book. So the moment I begin to intentionally embrace some key reflections and practices offered so generously in Sacred Time, I find myself flowing into and through a liminal threshold. The transition leads into the sensed spaciousness of sacred time that is this book’s gifted purpose. My time-cramped anxiety and fast-lane mentality find release and indeed, start to transform by the slow-ripening abundance unfolding all around.

Sacred Time’s eight chapters present time ordered by creation’s rhythms, witnessed in chapters on breathing, daily and weekly cycles, lunar waxings and wanings, the year’s and lifetime’s seasons, right through to ancestral and cosmic time. With five, content-rich sections, each chapter concludes with a poem of blessing.

In putting the rhythm-oriented wisdom of Sacred Time to some experiential tests, my investigations witness many friendship-building resources. To the pressing existential question of just how to develop a friendship with time, the book’s bounty helps ease the lessons from the pages and into my life.

Sacred Time’s encouragement to ‘remember who we are and why we are here’ doesn’t provide direct, simplistic answers to puzzling questions. Instead, the book offers readers life-giving invitations to intentional practices and timeless sacred encounters in the here and now.

[Joy Matteson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christine Valters Paintner's books are really books to purchase, reflect in, journal, and interact with. They're like walking prayer books, where she challenges her readers to look inward and see the word just slightly more sacred than they did before. "Sacred Time" is really just about a slowing down, a chance to view time in a more meaning-filled way instead of the rushed pace we're used to. Every time I get a Paintner book from Netgalley, I'm reminded I need to buy it to mark it up and actually *do* the exercises she suggests! They're filled with hard won wisdom and kindness. Highly recommended.

[Meagan | The Chapter House · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had high expectations for this book and unfortunately came away disappointed. I loved the incorporation of art and poetry alongside prose, and certainly the topic is one I'm interested in learning more about and incorporating as able/led into my own life. But, the inclusion of references to Islamic calendars/prayer habits, as well as many seemingly New Age practices, made the read seem to me as though it's trying to be "all things to all people" (and not a la Paul in 1 Cor. 9:19-23). It came across as a mishmash of religious practices that, to me, do not hold up in light of Scripture.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

[Marcia McLaughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christine Valters Paintner’s books are such a wonderful combination of information and ways of retreating with what you’ve read. This one is no exception to that. Time is something many of us struggle with – trying to control time, rather than being and moving with it. Christine helped me to explore my relationship with many aspects of time beginning with our breath, moving through rhythms of the day, moon, year, our lives, and even cosmic time. In each section, there is wonderful information to ponder, a scripture reflection, ways to meditate and create with what you’ve learned, poetry and art. The book is a retreat you can do on your own and learn so much. Or, you go even deeper, and join Christine in an online retreat based on the book. If I were still practicing as a spiritual director, it would be a book I’d highly encourage people I walked with to read.

One short quote from the introduction to entice you “We live in a breathless world. In sacred time, we step out of the madness of our lives and choose to reflect, linger, savor and slow down. We gain new perspective here.” If you’re ready to slow down and get a deep breath, this is the book for you.