Word Made Flesh Blog

Word Made Flesh is a contemplative community. One of the ways that we contemplate what God is doing in the world and in our lives is through the reflection articles that we write. We invite you to read, learn, and celebrate with us.

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The Cry for Submission: Letter from the Editor by Emily Fales

Submission is a word that provokes significant discomfort for me. When I first saw that this was one of our lifestyle celebrations, ...

The Legacy of John Lewis

July 18, 2020

John Lewis 1940-2020 Wondering what you can do in your 20s? Consider John Lewis. Wondering what you can do in your 70s & 80s? Consider John Lewis. From being one of the original Freedom Riders in ‘61, to speaking at The March on Washington before Dr. MLK jr. in ‘63, to crossing into Selma with…

Leaning-In: Action Steps for Increased Organizational Health and Flourishing

July 3, 2020

July 3, 2020 As part of our commitment to being an organization that is leaning-in to implementing industry best practices and in a follow-up to our June 12 communication about the harmful and inappropriate behavior of a past executive director that occurred 2012 and before, we want to share information about next steps WMF will…

Life Together

June 19, 2020

“Community… grows from [knowing] that we are alive not for ourselves, but for one another.” — Henri J.M. Nouwen Our bodies jerk as we stop and start for each passenger along the road. It’s a bustling morning as cholitas with their pleated skirts and shawls climb in with babies and wares on their back. Businessmen scoot…

Statement on the Wrongdoings of Past Leadership

June 12, 2020

June 12, 2020 In recent weeks, victims of abuse by former director of Word Made Flesh, Chris Heuertz, have come forward and named some of the harms that they suffered. Word Made Flesh’s then Board of Directors and Chris and Phileena Heuertz severed their working partnership just under a decade ago in 2012. Word Made…

Lamenting Injustice

June 6, 2020

Word Made Flesh International continues its almost 30 year journey around the world of seeking justice through advocacy and community-building. We walk and work long-term with and among people in desperate need experiencing vulnerability, oppression, and marginalization. Part of our journey is making sure that we are learning from wise voices from multiple communities that…

Blessed to be a Blessing- Extended Lockdown

June 1, 2020

By Anna Monteviller WMF Peru Field Director On Sunday, May 24, the Peruvian government extended the mandatory social isolation order until June 31st.  This means that ALL movement in ALL public spaces will be restricted for at least another month.  I am not fundamentally questioning whether this is necessary, rather to give witness to how…

The Power of Home

May 31, 2020

Home. So. very. thankful. I deeply want everyone to have welcoming home spaces shared with others who lovingly exclaim in all manner of ways, “you are cherished,” “you are welcome,” “you are celebrated,” and importantly, “we are us!” As we all know, not all spaces meant to be home are as they should be. For…

Prayers of Hope

May 29, 2020

Are you hopeful? Are you tired? Are you uncertain? Are you thankful? In many ways, I am all these things. Does anyone else feel “all the feelings” every now and then…does anyone else sometimes seem to feel them all almost all at once? Of course, our affective fluctuations are part of the fabric of the…

Listening in vibrant stillness

May 18, 2020

Morning coffee & some prayerful paying attention as the week begins. Listening in vibrant stillness to the bursting energy of morning. All the possibilities of a new week yet ahead. It is good to pause and be thankful for the moment that is. Birds sing their morning songs. Squirrels scamper along their known ways. A…

Thank you for Giving to the Blessed to be a Blessing Campaign!

May 18, 2020

By Anna Monteviller WMF Peru Field Director It was practically inevitable that the Covid-19 lockdown in Peru would have a huge impact on workers and their families- about ¾ of the local economy is driven by those working informally. This unfolding new reality spurred us to reconnect with people who had been part of Palabra…