Stability: How an ancient monastic practice can restore our relationships, churches, and communities by Nathan Oates

As Christians in a hypermobile culture, most of the time we talk about going and doing, about the need for meaningful action, service, and pilgrimage.

Here, we listen to a quieter call. We consider the foundation, the roots, the bass note, that place of origin from which the building rises and the fruit blooms and the music soars and all the action comes—the place of stability. This call is rooted in the being of God; the faithfulness, reliability, and unchanging character of God. 

Drawing from some of the best writings on Benedictine spirituality and from his personal experiences raising a family, pastoring a church, and spending time living with monks, Nathan Oates offers a compelling invitation to find inner peace and stillness right where we are. 

When faced with decisions to stay or go, we rarely consider a beautiful, challenging third option—embracing the value of stability, which is moving closer to the root. Rather than pulling up our tents or simply enduring, we can choose to press deeper into the core of the question, to lean into the source of life, the real need, the true passion.