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Ryan Taylor

Denver

A spiritual activist... encouraging presence in hard places and a more honest way of spiritual formation.

Interests: Dreaming, Engaging poverty, Enneagram, Gardening, Spiritual Formation, Encouraging the Weary, Teaching, Writing, Guiding, Stirring the Pot for the good of the world...

Recent Activity

the work of re-membering

“Hey Rodger! Welcome back!“ It had been 7 years since Rodger graced the coffee house with his presence. Appearing fit and fiddle Rodger’s first stop upon re-entering the world beyond the cold concrete cube of a jail cell was to... Continue reading

Posted Apr 4, 2017 at Tall Monastic Guy

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If there’s anything that 2016 has taught me it’s that I am a man who wants to see. In the ancient gospel story of blind Bartimaeus, Jesus was walking on crowded streets when a particular shout transcended the many and... Continue reading

Posted Dec 28, 2016 at Tall Monastic Guy

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my civil war (reflections on visiting Indiana during this election)

I can’t begin to understand or adequately articulate what exactly has transpired in my subconscious due to the rise of Donald Trump as the Republican presidential candidate. Nevertheless, like so many of my generation who grew up within traditionally Bible... Continue reading

Posted Nov 7, 2016 at Tall Monastic Guy

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Trusting your disgust

Last week I had the privilege of leading a group of students though a class in which I introduced them to a hero of mine named Silas Soule. The class was held at Riverside Cemetery where Captain Soule’s life is... Continue reading

Posted Sep 19, 2016 at Tall Monastic Guy

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(Re)awakening a contemplative culture

What is contemplation? I would expect the common response to the question to land somewhere in the realm of a glorified exercise in naval gazing. For many, contemplation conjures up images of Buddha rather than Jesus. It’s also understandable to... Continue reading

Posted Sep 8, 2016 at Tall Monastic Guy

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The divinity of vulnerability

Recently at Network a scene played out that is not exactly uncommon for our community. Lenny claimed to have his bike and his phone stolen. Lenny lets his anger fly marching around in a colorful rage proclaiming, “I’m gonna kill... Continue reading

Posted Jun 24, 2016 at Tall Monastic Guy

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the move toward irrelevance

For some years now I’ve been persistently drawn to the dichotomy and tension between relevance and irrelevance. About the time we moved to Denver 13 years ago I bought a subscription to a new Christian magazine called Relevant. The magazine... Continue reading

Posted Apr 29, 2016 at Tall Monastic Guy

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The integrity, abundant, joy-filled path of being alone.

In other words, emptiness is the prerequisite for beginning to see through the lens of abundance. Can you imagine if our politicians would speak from a platform of abundance rather than the rhetoric saturated with fear and scarcity? Calling out people and places of abundance certainly won't get you elected. Abundance is a foreign language within capitalism. Continue reading

Posted Mar 23, 2016 at Tall Monastic Guy

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Treasuring doesn’t make for a good American. Treasuring doesn’t blindly follow the leader. Mary paid attention to the questions her life was asking. Continue reading

Posted Mar 2, 2016 at Tall Monastic Guy

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disrupting the hustle

One thing this naïve country boy has learned over the years of ministry with folks on the street is the reality of the hustle. What’s the hustle? The hustle is the distinct bag of self preserving skills – deceptions, tricks,... Continue reading

Posted Feb 15, 2016 at Tall Monastic Guy

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The (irresponsible whimsical) Way

Last week I anxiously drafted a letter. It struck me as the responsible thing to do. Recently, the donations for one of the non-profits I lead took a dip in a season where expenses are on the rise. How inconvenient.... Continue reading

Posted Nov 6, 2015 at Tall Monastic Guy

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Straight Outta Nazareth (what Jesus shares in common with N.W.A.)

Maybe it's a stretch to place N.W.A. and Jesus in the same article. At the least, they share a common thread of breaking new ground through the element of disturbance. Continue reading

Posted Sep 10, 2015 at Tall Monastic Guy

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re-imagining God as friend

Is that ok? Is it orthodox & biblical to allow our primary image of God to be that of a friend? Continue reading

Posted Aug 20, 2015 at Tall Monastic Guy

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Above all, trust in the slow work of God. We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay. We should like to skip the intermediate stages. We are impatient of being on the way to something... Continue reading

Posted Aug 3, 2015 at Tall Monastic Guy

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Refusing to be possessed

I’ve watched the haunting dashcam video of Sandra Bland’s arrest. For days I couldn't get the scene off my mind. I've watched the southern pleasantry “hello ma’am” escalate into threats and physical brutality ultimately resulting in the execution of yet... Continue reading

Posted Jul 29, 2015 at Tall Monastic Guy

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pastimes & exclusivity

How many big decisions (within churches, non-profits, businesses) get sorted out in pastime spaces like golf courses? And yet the contributions of the diverse body of Christ are often unconsciously left out of the process due to the nature of the pastimes that bond us. Continue reading

Posted May 22, 2015 at Tall Monastic Guy

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Are we there yet?

There was a time when we were barely able to see over the dashboard. A time when we agonized and ached from the boredom and all that youthful restlessness contained within the sealed off confines of the family car. Are... Continue reading

Posted May 11, 2015 at Tall Monastic Guy

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the unreasonable notion of abundance

We hired Richard to tile the floor in our basement kitchen. Was that a wise decision? It depends on the lenses you see through. Some folks would have taken three days to wrap up that job. Not Richard. After three... Continue reading

Posted Mar 4, 2015 at Tall Monastic Guy

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Called to activism... without being Superman.

The following invitations are the counter balances in which I'm recognizing as essential for me to become more of me - the contemplative activist. Continue reading

Posted Jan 16, 2015 at Tall Monastic Guy

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Approaching Race (through the lens of privilege)

The issue of systemic racism and the invitation to respond to our white-privilege is nothing short of disorienting invoking all sorts of reactions. In the intensity of our disorientation I tend to feel afraid and insecure often leading me to overcompensate to make myself feel better. Continue reading

Posted Dec 29, 2014 at Tall Monastic Guy

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a three dimensional gospel

I don’t much care for 3D movies. On at least a couple of occasions I’ve bought my ticket and claimed my seat at the theatre without knowing that I was watching the 3D version. I really don’t enjoy wearing the... Continue reading

Posted Dec 3, 2014 at Tall Monastic Guy

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“Mitakuye Oyasin” (We are all related!)

In March of 2012 I made a visit to Pine Ridge Lakota Reservation located in one of the poorest counties in the US. There were many aspects of this brief visit that have profoundly formed my vision of prayer and... Continue reading

Posted Nov 21, 2014 at Tall Monastic Guy

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the paradox of second-hand theology

We give our second hand worn out clothes to the poor. Do we also hand down our used up and worn out theology? Continue reading

Posted Nov 17, 2014 at Tall Monastic Guy

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What if God stutters?

The redemptive listener approaches the craft through the lens of belonging rather than belief. Unlike the majority of us, the one who really listens values fellowship over competition always holding a preferential option for the poor among us. Continue reading

Posted Nov 10, 2014 at Tall Monastic Guy

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I'm a mass of contradictions

On the one hand acknowledging this to you feels risky and on the other I know it’s true of you as well. I see it everyday in our nation - one that calls itself the land of the free and stamps In God we trust on currency while ignoring native people on reservations, unjustly deporting immigrants, and turning a blind eye to police brutality. Continue reading

Posted Aug 20, 2014 at Tall Monastic Guy

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