Greetings! The last meeting of the Grand Rapids chapter of the International Thomas Merton Society will be Wednesday, November 8th, at 6pm at the Kentwood Library. Traditionally, we always break for December because it’s one of the busiest months of the year. Christmas and family get-togethers and all that. We don’t want our group to … [Read more…]
Fifty years after his untimely death, Thomas Merton (1915-1968) remains one of the world’s most widely read, talked about, and beloved authors, poets, contemplatives, and spiritual teachers. But how did this Trappist monk become world famous? What were his thoughts, his struggles, his hopes, and his insights as he acclimated to a life of silence … [Read more…]
A couple of weeks ago, Gregory J. Ryan, author of a new children’s book about Thomas Merton, e-mailed to ask if I’d be interested in reviewing his book, The ABCs of Thomas Merton: A Monk at the Heart of the World. I said sure. So he asked his publisher, Paraclete Press, to send a copy … [Read more…]
Beth recently attended a leader’s conference in New York City in which Thomas Merton’s writings played an unexpected, serendipitous role. The conference host shared with his audience this quote from Merton’s book Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander, page 86: Douglas Steere remarks very perceptively that there is a pervasive form of contemporary violence to which … [Read more…]
Our last meeting (March 8th) was delightful. THANK YOU! I don’t recall a time when nobody wanted to leave afterwards and everyone stuck around for a half hour continuing to talk. We welcomed four new people (William, Rose, Jack, and Peach) to the group, learned much from them, including how they found themselves in that … [Read more…]
Last night’s meeting of the Grand Rapids chapter of the International Thomas Merton Society was amazing! Four new attendees. A robust discussion. People even stayed afterwards for a half hour talking to one another. No one wanted to leave. Group member (Bob Hudson) has a book about Thomas Merton coming out early next year published … [Read more…]
You are invited to join us for the next meeting of the Grand Rapids chapter of the International Thomas Merton Society. We will meet at Baker Book House in Grand Rapids, Michigan, at 7pm, Wednesday, August 10th. Download a pdf of our marketing flyer here. E-mail it to friends who might be interested. This time, … [Read more…]
We are thrilled to introduce the new Grand Rapids, Michigan, chapter of the International Thomas Merton Society. Our first meeting will be held Wednesday, May 11, at 7pm in the Community Room at Baker Book House, which is located near the corner of 28th Street and East Paris in Southeast Grand Rapids. That evening, we’ll … [Read more…]