Uncover the timeless power of storytelling with the Winter edition of our Seasons Quarterly. This issue invites readers to explore identity, memory, and shared journeys through moving narratives. From the role of the Bard in preserving wisdom to the Palestine peace-building legacy of Rizek Abusharr to the joy of discovering beauty in nature, each piece offers a window into the soul. We explore with a man, who in his 50s as he learns he has autism, experiences a revelation that transforms his ...| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Step into the creative universe of Kaeti MacNeil, an award-winning artist whose work bridges painting, animation, and the mysteries of human consciousness. In this exclusive interview, Kaeti shares her journey—from crafting toys to creating the award-winning Carasoul: a Portrait in Nth Dimensions. Discover how her fascination with cosmology, cognitive science, and process philosophy shapes her art and invites viewers into unseen dimensions of the human experience. Whether you're an art love...| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
In this piece, members of Process & Coffee, the Cobb Institute's longest-running learning circle, delve into the nature of joy—how it slips from our grasp, only to return in subtle, unexpected ways. The group explores the complexity of joy as something dynamic, shifting with the tides of life, particularly in trying times. Through their contemplations, they discuss how joy is not a constant state, but a relational force found in the smallest moments—through connection, shared experiences,...| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
In this interview, we dive into the mind and heart of a playwright and self-proclaimed fool. Thomas Atwood embodies the spirit of the fool, whose mission is to lift spirits and spread laughter in a world that often feels heavy. Through his creative process and life experiences, including his involvement with the Faithful Fools Street Ministry and his passion for mystical traditions, Thomas shows us how humor, empathy, and storytelling can help heal and connect us. His epic play, Akashic Folli...| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Dive into the liminal space of “The Crossroads” in the fall edition of our Seasons Quarterly. This issue invites readers to explore the mystical junctions of possibilities and decisions through story and reflection. We stand at a crossroads not knowing which way we will go, because the decisions of others affect us all in an inter-relational world. In this issue we feature poignant stories, poetry, and music. Each piece captures the essence of critical choice points and their transformati...| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Dive into the heart of the human psyche with this provocative reflection as it unravels the enigmatic layers of fear that drive our destructive behaviors. Here Kat Reeves explores how our evolutionary need for social connection transforms into a monstrous force, exacerbated by modern social dynamics and political polarization. Discover the shadowy depths of collective fear, its impact on our society and hopes to build an ecological civilization. According to Kat, as we battle this unseen mons...| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Embark on a spiritual odyssey alongside the artistic duo, Paul Colbert and Becky Goodwin, as they intertwine their lives, love, and artistic gifts in a mesmerizing exploration of modern religious iconography. With a fusion of tradition and innovation, they delicately craft timeless expressions of faith, resonating profoundly in the fabric of our contemporary existence. United and driven by a profound devotion to both spirituality and art, Paul and Becky draw inspiration from the venerable tal...| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
In this issue of our Seasons quarterly, we invite readers to embark on a journey to explore the dynamism, intensity, and wonder of adventure. Here we delve into the concept of pilgrimages, offering creative interpretations that inspire personal and spiritual growth. As vacation time approaches, consider eco-tours and eco-volunteering as meaningful ways to connect with nature and contribute to sustainability. Contemplate death as the final mysterious adventure, encouraging openness to all life...| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
This post explores the profound notion that life's seemingly random events are infused with deeper meaning and divine purpose. Drawing from biblical stories, the insights of Carl Jung, and the wisdom of spiritual traditions, this reflective piece suggests that moments of synchronicity—those unexpected, meaningful coincidences—can guide our paths and reveal God's presence in everyday life. By being open to these moments through prayer, meditation, and attentiveness, Bruce Epperly proposes ...| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
God is the poet of the world, and inspiration flows from diverse sources and experiences. Sometimes, it arises from the simplest moments—a fleeting glance, a whispered conversation, or the rustle of leaves in the wind. Other times, it emerges from the depths of introspection, intense study, or profound challenges. Bruce Epperly, one of most prolific writers in the process tradition, shares his creative process. The poet of the universe needs companions to create and further God’s aim at b...| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Step into the enchanting world of Seasons, a creative quarterly that embraces the transformative power of change in all its forms. Dive into the stories of our first issue to explore the intricate dance of shifting seasons in our lives, from personal growth and evolution to the urgent changes needed for our planet's sustainability. Through thought-provoking art, personal essays, and mesmerizing poetry, Seasons captures the heart of metamorphosis and the beauty it unveils. Immerse yourself in ...| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
At the Cobb Institute Andre van Zijl is somebody. He is our Visual Arts Laureate and a regular attendee at many of the gatherings. But what Andre desires most of all is to be “nobody.” Inspired by the teachings of Ramakrishna, the 19th-century mystic and spiritual teacher, Andre has strived for ego transcendence and spiritual humility. By recognizing the transient nature of the self and surrendering personal desires and attachments, one can attain a state of egolessness where the boundari...| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
With abstract art, the connection between art and feeling is intricately woven through the deliberate manipulation of visual elements such as color, form, and texture. In artist Elvi Bjorkquist’s paintings, we experience forms of feeling and forms of meaning that are freed from the constraints of literal representation. Her expressive use of color palettes, dynamic compositions, and gestural brushwork serves as a visceral conduit for the artist's emotions, enabling a direct and intuitive co...| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
How much do you love music? Can an old song transport you to another time? Can a sad song make you cry? Do you tap your foot to the beat, or jump out of your chair to dance like nobody's watching? Maybe you are a maker of music, or just learning. Music is part of our lives all the way down to our bones. Don’t miss a beat! Join us in this celebration of music in the many ways it touches our lives.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
As we raise our voices in song, the sentiments carried by each lyric become threads weaving a tapestry of shared reverence and celebration. The hymns we sing, even if they are not always “theologically correct,” represent embodied theology and spirituality. In the warmth of familiar melodies, we find a sanctuary where sentiment and devotion harmonize, offering a profound connection to the divine. These songs, though they may not always adhere strictly to theological norms, become vessels ...| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Cooking is an intricate and dynamic event that embodies the interconnectedness of all things. Each culinary process, from ingredient selection to preparation and consumption, is a series of interrelated events in which the "process" of cooking is a fundamental concept. Ingredients evolve and interact, engaging in a dance of transformations, as they shift from raw to cooked, solid to liquid, and separate to blended states. Jennifer Zechlin is an excellent cook and she shares her process approa...| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Like many troubadours and jesters through the years, Thomas Atwood is a singer. In Whiteheadian terms, every musical experience he had was a prehension of healing, and Thomas needed a ton of lessons about healing. Spiritual teachers have said that if you learn enough about any field of knowledge with sufficient complexity, sublime mystical experiences can be invited to enter the soul. For those with a gift for receptiveness, the invitation is more easily accepted. Abilities, life experiences,...| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
In the fall newsletter we explore relationships large and small. We examine the interconnectedness of all creations, from people to animals and insects, to plants and inanimate objects. We strive to remember that we all live within a larger system of relationships, and must maintain balance and harmony with all other real and perceived spiritual beings with whom we share this realm.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Artist Andre Van Zijl says that he approaches "a blank surface, canvas, watercolor paper, or document with Beginner's Mind. I don't want to get in the way of what is waiting to be birthed through me. I am not an artist making art, or an author writing a book, I am a deep-sea diver coming up for air." In this piece, the Cobb Institute’s Visual Artist Laureate discusses his creative process, his philosophy of art, and some recent works.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Clarence White is retiring this year after enjoying a rich career, a career that others predicted he could never have. Clarence also has a devoted wife and family, a family that others also predicted he could never have. Clarence has Cerebral Palsy, and the "others" who doubted his potential were proven wrong. He had possibilities they couldn't see. In this piece he talks about embracing those possibilities even as new challenges present themselves. Clarence inspires us to focus on our dreams...| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Architecture is a form of art. Sung Sohn created a dome using Superadobe which is a form of earth-bag architecture. The building process was a conversation between Sung and the dome that involved the becoming of a HwaBang. A dome is a relational structure. The ceiling and the walls work together to hold everything in place. Sung shared his architectural drawings so we could peek into his imagination and dream with him—a dream that became an actual occasion.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
The Cobb Institute summer newsletter is a celebration of books and writers of books. No one in the process movement has written more books than John Cobb, and we celebrate him, along with Thomas Jay Oord and Bruce Epperly. We will consider the inspiration and also expansion of the process audience to include but also go beyond academia. We also highlight Process Century Press, a process publisher. We hope you might find a new process book to add to your bookshelf.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
It all began with a walk. In this piece Kat Reeves describes the moment a shift in awareness occurred, and she began to feel part of the process-relational world rather than just reading about it as a philosophy. That moment is still affecting her possibilities many years later as she helps launch a new cohort at the Cobb Institute—Process Mindfulness. Could you be affected too? We invite you to find out.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
In this piece we observe a conversation between a Pagan and a Christian about the meaning of their respective spring holidays and the theological significance for them. They are both influenced by process and relational thinking, and that approach has allowed their friendship to flourish in wonder and exploration. There are many lessons to be learned here but, most importantly, that a process-relational approach to friendship has many layers.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Some artists can make you feel the wind on your face and the sound of the leaves as they dance. Lesley Haflich is one such artist. She paints mostly natural settings that seem to come to life. They breathe and flow. Lesley worked as a commercial artist for most of her career. One day, with encouragement from her husband, she began to paint the beauty she saw in her part of the world. We invite you to appreciate the moving beauty in Lesley's paintings.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
The Cobb Institute, a community for process & practice. That’s who we are. And if you are reading this, you're probably part of our community. But what do we mean and hope for when we talk about building community? In this newsletter we consider a variety of ways in which togetherness has shaped our identity.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
One way to reflect about a person’s contribution is to imagine what the world would be like now if she or he had not been part of it. In this post, John Cobb uses that method with David Griffin. He frames his reflections around two speculations: one, there would now be no substantial movement seeking truth about what happened on September 11, 2001; two, there would be only fragmentary and scattered interest in Whitehead and the implications of his thought outside the church.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Artist Georgette Unis seems to conjure trees and horizons onto her canvas. Only someone who is in relationship with the natural processes of land can partner with them and assist in their becomings. Nothing is painted in isolation from the world, because the artist understands the effects of sky, air and weather and she captures that and brings us into the relationship as well.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Scout Reina Wiley was always destined to be the Freak Priest. As above, so below. she does not ask whether or not all things are related—she only asks how. And if all things are related, of which she is arrogantly convinced, it matters not that God is dead. It matters not that lives appear to unfold in linear fashion towards a seemingly endless void. It matters not that death is, because there are no endings in this world—only changes.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Kurt Wenner is an American artist living in Italy, most known for inventing 3D Interactive Pavement Art. This art form uses a hyperbolic anamorphic illusion that transforms a pastel drawing on the pavement into a 3-dimensional illusion. Wenner’s images often appear in textbooks to illustrate mathematical principles, perception, perspective, or other arts and science-related topics.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
In this piece we observe a conversation between a Pagan and a Christian about the meaning of their respective December holidays and the theological significance for them. They are both influenced by process and relational thinking, and that approach has allowed their friendship to flourish in wonder and exploration. They are two very different people, but their friendship is warm and full of discovery. There are many lessons to be learned here but, most importantly, that a process-relational ...| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
It is clear that the Western mind is divorced from Nature, the primary condition that has led to the current ecological catastrophe. Artist Angela Manno feels that the only way back, indeed our own survival, depends on nothing less than a re-enchantment with the Earth as a living reality. It is for this reason she chose to depict non-human species in a traditionally religious form - the icon. Her aim in creating these works is to elevate non-human species to their rightful and equal place in ...| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Help, Thanks, Wow! According to Anne Lamott all prayers usually fall into one of those three categories. As a process thinker and a hospice chaplain, I weave them together when I pray with my patients. That’s what I tried to do in this newsletter, because life is full of “Help, Thanks, Wows”. This woven prayer is the everyday prayer at the Cobb Institute. The work of the Institute requires the help of friends like you, and we are grateful for the help we receive. Thank you! When we look...| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
We have a great need to visually express ourselves—be it on a cave wall, the side of a building, inside a subway car, on a piece of paper or canvas. Veronica Michalowski explores multiple mediums, allowing the creative idea to lead the way. She elevates the ordinary, such as eggs, guitars, even sewer covers and explores their possibilities.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Tennessee to Alaska seems like a long way. Parts of Alaska are still wild and untamed. This retired Presbyterian minister moved to be near his Grandchildren. He became a photographer and poet in order to spotlight God, the poet of the world. Process theology gave him a language from which to communicate with in those moments of pure awe and wonder. Join us as the Rev. Dr Dwayne Cole takes us on an adventure to beautiful and wild Alaska.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
“I am crowned in Lukumi” is where artist Lolei Pavão begins. In this month’s Novel Becomings post, we explore art from the religions that grew from Africa. As African religions encountered other places they began a process of becoming something novel. In some of these practices, religion is a way of life, and can never be separated from life. Here we see art that is part of religious practices, and we get a rare peek into some of the religions of the African diaspora and the sacred art...| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Drawing is seeing. Seeing is understanding. Understanding is the beginning of wisdom. This is Steve Thomason's approach to life. In each interaction between art and viewer something new happens that is unique to that moment. Hans Georg Gadamer calls it the fusion of horizons where the interaction creates something new that expands the viewer into a new way of being in the world. We invite you to enjoy Thamason's own fusion of horizons.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Gardening is a process in praxis. It is an act of rebellion. It is a creative act done in partnership with the earth, so it provides an excellent concrete example of one of the technical terms used by process thinkers: concrescence. Concresence means "growing together." At the Cobb Institute we are imagining the possibilities of urban agriculture, restorative farming, and sustainable local sources of food. Check out our fall newsletter to see what's been growing together at the Institute.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Ken Grunewald is an artist, but he only discovered his talent a few years ago. Before retirement Ken worked in military intelligence. It took a pandemic for him to discover his interest in and talent for drawing. We are all constantly becoming, and Ken became an artist.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Comedian turned poet John Roedel takes on his journey of “becoming” with a surprising number of vocations. Roedel has been changed along the way. He is going with the flow because as Heraclitus said, “No man ever steps in the same river twice. For it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.”| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Featured artist Patrick Lockard is a joyful soul who delights in discovering the world around him. He has a fun-loving spirit and enjoys music, art, sports, and community activities. He also has autism and is intellectually challenged. With the support of his mother, Marlene Terrazas, he has flourished. This month's Novel Becomings shares Patrick's gifts as an artist who loves to draw, color, and sing.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Uvalde. Buffalo. Tulsa. Sacramento. Indianapolis. Boulder. Charleston. Orlando. Aurora. Columbine. These are just a select few of an ever-increasing list of places we have come to associate with mass shootings in the United States. Each time, we ask ourselves, “Why?” In this post, Sheri Kling considers the question through a process-relational lens to understand how the illusion of separateness and mistake of a mechanical world contribute to the problem.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Often art brings joy. Its novelty grabs our attention in a world of sameness. In this case art was created to burst through endless grey and snow-filled days, and it became a life. Whitney Relf lives art. She surrounds herself with fun and whimsical items to bring her joy. She constantly changes little things and big things so there is always something different. It might not be every one's cup of tea but it is a house full of wonders and color.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
To understand the truth about reality is a common human impulse. And one of the many ways to satisfy that desire is the creation of and reflection on religious symbols. The most powerful sacred symbols have the capacity to illuminate not only the meaning of our lives but also the nature of our world. This piece considers one such symbol, and the beautifully tragic truth that it evokes.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
We have been thinking about beauty a lot lately, as we are imagining a beautiful world for the common good. Our aim is to build an ecological civilization that would include artists of all kinds. Beauty comes in many forms, and we hope you will be inspired to seek out beauty too.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Meet Dave Huth. He loves beetles, salamanders, frogs and all creatures very small. He is a teacher, storyteller, picture maker, and whistler of jaunty tunes. In this piece, Dave offers a glimpse into his obsession with finding new and effective ways to draw people into deep thinking and even deeper feeling about ecology and human life.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
In this wonder-provoking piece filled with fascinating photos, Dave Huth invites us to see with fresh eyes, learn from, and feel into the lived experience of creatures. His view is that developing deep empathy, care, and love for the non-human world is "one of the very important things that might save us."| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
As Ukraine is struggling to maintain its sovereignty, many are lifting up Ukrainian art. In this post we are sharing some inspiring examples in the hope that it evokes feelings for you.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
We all have memories and places that inspired wonder and adventure in our childhood. As time passes we grow and change and so do the places of our younger years. As the world around us becomes more developed, some of the wild places from our formative years get paved over. This is a story about one of those places, and why we should grieve such losses.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
In this piece, Kat Reeves interviews Doña Paula, a textile artist in Guatemala whose work provides a vivid example of the interwoven nature of things, by participating in a program that not only involves the coming together of individuals from multiple cultures but also invites her to create unique pieces that combine multiple cultural expressions.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
For John Cobb's 97th birthday, we asked some of the people he has inspired to say a few words in honor of his special day.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
February is a time to give special attention to those we love, and spring is just around the corner. In this issue we invite you to look forward with hope to the emergence of new life and to fall madly in love with the world. May world-loyalty and world-love fill our hearts and move us in a new direction.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
There is always a way to find hope as long as we believe in something. If we don't have hope, we have limited our possibilities. In the new year, we have 365 possibilities at the very least.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
In this piece, Jared Morningstar describes the challenging but rewarding process of producing an artistic rendering of the 112th Surah of the Qur'an—Surah Al-Ikhlāṣ (tr: The Chapter of Sincerity). "I found the process of creating this work to be rather demanding. A high degree of precision was involved, both in perception in order to begin accurately reproducing the piece, but also with the strokes themselves, especially in the final pass with pen."| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
On Christmas, we recall that certain places more fully reveal divinity, enlivening and enlightening. The true light shines in a child’s birth, and from that shining the universe is illuminated. From this moment on, nothing is ever the same.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
What did I receive from others today? What did I give to others today? What difficulties did I cause others today? The practice of Naikan reflection invites us to carefully consider these three questions.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
At the Cobb Institute it's time to look at the possibilities and "Dream Bigger." In this issue we reflect on the changing seasons, and then consider what's possible with ambition. Come Dream Big with us!| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
What we call God, is not some abstract entity watching us from afar. He – or she – is inside of us, all the way down to the subatomic particles that make up every cell of our bodies. God is as much a part of us as we are a part of God. Together we make up all that exists.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
In this piece, John Cobb responds to the following question: Are there aspects of Teilhard’s theology that you regard as superior to Whitehead’s?| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
If you wish to cleanse the world, cleanse yourself first. If you wish to cleanse the world by fire, then know that this fire can, must, and will work in and through you as well.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Ever since I joined the Cobb Institute, I felt like I gained an instant family. That is exactly how we want it at the Cobb Institute. Our theme for July is "Building Community." In this newsletter you will find thoughts and poems about what it means to be connected with others.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
What does it mean to be a process farmer? According to the Reverend Farmer Stephen Yorba, it's about understanding our place in an ecosystem. It's about remembering our relationship to the earth. It's about being brought into right alignment with our food. It's about slowing down, paying attention, and understanding how we're all interconnected.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
What does the Cobb Institute mean to you? For me it means community. It is also a place where I can learn how to contribute to an ecological civilization. I think the time is right for us to make an impact. I put my hand in yours, so that together we can do what I cannot do alone. In this issue, we celebrate our community while planning for the future.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
The Cobb Institute promotes a process-relational way of understanding and living in the world. One area in which the Institute’s openness and relationality is most evident is in its support of and work with the many streams of religious faith. This essay is but one example of our engagement with the world’s many traditions.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Through stories, we share passions, fears, sadness, hardships, and joys, and we find common ground with other people. Stories can be universal, conveying meaning and purpose that help us understand ourselves better and find commonality with others. The process family has stories to tell. We hope you enjoy the ones included here.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
We often talk about putting process in praxis, and try to explain what that would look like. Can process philosophy be a practice? How do you practice process? Increasingly I have come to understand process not so much as things to do, but, rather, as an awareness. Process philosophy is not just a field of study or a theological approach. It is about seeing the world in a process way.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Earth Day is an annual event celebrated around the world on April 22nd to demonstrate support for environmental protection. At the Cobb Institute it provides an opportunity to reflect on our commitment to bring about an ecological civilization.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
While modern, industrial farming has segregated itself from indigenous farming practices, urban communities, family, and spirituality, process farming pursues a holistic worldview, connecting the intuitions of revitalization, biology, horticulture, agriculture, permaculture, community, and spirituality.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
In March 2019, the seeds were planted. In 2020, the seedlings sprouted. In 2021, the Cobb Institute is starting to bloom. We are grateful for the growth, and for all the volunteers who make it happen with their time, patience, and nurturing.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
Love! How to know what it is? What kind of LOVE do we speak of when we use the word LOVE? Is it a feeling, a presence, a noun, a verb? Can it be drawn out from its dark cave of unknowability by the deliberate poverty of the pure soul, and romanced into the bright glare of noon, for all to see?| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
In this month's newsletter, we explore theme of love from a process-relational perspective. We believe that if everyone fully understood and embraced the idea that we are interconnected, we would seek the well-being of others, and act in ways that are more loving and compassionate.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
The practice of a process philosophy in daily life has been the topic of many discussions within the Cobb Institute. What better way to focus on putting process in praxis than to explore it through a blog? We hope to include many voices on this topic over time.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice
January brings chilly nights and more opportunity to slow down and simplify. During this time of hunkering down, we invite you to create home adventures and reflect with us on the simple things that really matter like finding community in different ways.| Cobb Institute: A Community for Process & Practice