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madeforpax

@madeforpax

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PAX provides contemplative activism & cultural identity formation for Christians of color pursuing a world made whole. Join the Fellowship Waitlist!

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Contemplatives distinguish between pain & performance.
They differentiate between invitation & exploitation.

Contemplatives are not ancient, solitary mystics,
secluding themselves from the chaos of the world.
Contemplatives can enter chaos
and stay anchored to themselves.

Becoming contemplative is a choice to do the long, slow, often grueling work of becoming a more discerning person. A person who clocks and notices what’s going on inside them & around them.

Start by embracing the parts of you others would try to shame.
Become a person who notices patterns.
Resist doom-scrolling through your life.
Don’t anesthetize yourself when encountering the pain of another.

I have some writers, thinkers, and creators tagged here who will help you be more rooted in who God has created you to be.

Resistance is a group project.

Find their books. Subscribe to their lists. Follow their work:
@madeforpax (all sorts of contemplative resources)
@tiffanybluhm (fierce advocate for holistic flourishing)
@d.jacksonpoetics (book forthcoming!! check it out!)
@rachelwahbadunkley (fellow contemplative activist)
@jaredmstacy (Find his book! Reality in Ruins)
@ryankuja (Therapist & spiritual director w/ forthcoming 📕)
@thuhtyler (Born Beloved book is everywhere!)
@kateboyd.co (bible scholar for spicy ones)
@lizadaye (bible scholar for weirdos)

And follow along on the Order of Holy Mischief, linked in my bio, where I dish up more thoughts on becoming a contemplative with teeth.

@jenaiauman 🌾 ✌️

#spirituality #spiritualformation #contemplative #resistance #becoming

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What happens when the people who care run dry?

Recently, I sat on a call with Black leaders across the Southeast (pastors, school leaders, founders), and one question wouldn't leave me: who is caring for the people our cities need most?

In 1932, Highlander Folk School answered that question for a generation. Tennessee eventually shut it down, not for failing, but for working. The work kept marching anyway.

This week's essay traces that line from Highlander to a retreat center in the Arizona desert, where I just walked with the inaugural Men in Leadership cohort at @madeforpax

Grateful for the people carrying this work: @tiffanybluhm, @mayacymone, @d.jacksonpoetics, @mondoscott

No one is coming. But we were never asked to go alone.

Full essay on Substack, link in bio.

#NoOneIsComing #ContemplativeActivism #LeadershipFormation #Highlander #CivilRightsHistory

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I couldn’t put this incredible, heartfelt, and divinely appointed adventure into words….until they were given to me. And it’s only just begun.

Thank you isn’t enough @madeforpax 🥹🤍

Read “The Cradle in the Desert: Pursuing a World Made Whole” on my Substack today. ✨

#madeforpax #retreat #poetry #community #explore

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August 2026 - part 1

Phoenix, Portland, friends, and blessings.

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I’m so excited to be part of the 2026–2027 PAX Fellowship in the Contemplative Activism + Spiritual Formation Cohort.

We had our Connection + Contemplation Retreat this past weekend, and I came home deeply encouraged, inspired, and recharged for the year ahead—and, even more, for the work of bringing a little more peace, healing, and wholeness into the world.

I’m especially grateful for the space to wrestle honestly with faith and justice, to think about the interior work required of us if we want to participate in meaningful change, and to imagine together what healing, reconciliation, and collective flourishing might actually look like.

I’m still finding the words for everything this weekend held, but it definitely felt like a “thin place,” a space where heaven and earth were particularly close.

I’m grateful to be part of it and curious about all that this year will continue to form in me and in the work I do through Candela.

(Some of these photos are borrowed because i am terrible at documenting most things.)

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It was another dope year of co-creating with these beloved siblings at the @madeforpax contemplation retreat!! 👉🏾 So you know we had to commemorate it with another JC Penny’s family photo shoot sesh!! 😜 But this time with matching tees!! 📸👌🏽🖤🤎✌🏾

#jcpennyphotoshoot #madeforpax #y2ksurvivors

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Coming back to @madeforpax in Scottsdale this year as an alum, I thought I knew what this place and this experience would feel like.

But God has a way of showing up with fresh faces, new connections, unexpected healing, and fresh waters. 🌿

Sometimes you have to return to a place to realize just how far you’ve come.

Here’s to the PAX 2026–2027 cohorts. 🤎
Here’s to rest.
Here’s to giving ourselves permission to pursue the very desires God has placed in our hearts.
Here’s to holy creativity, joy, inclusion, and community.

God of color, what a joy it is to live in Your world.
What a joy it is to find each other in it. 🕊️

#madeforpax

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“Contemplative Activism”
Visio Divina for @madeforpax

“Cultural Identity Formation”
Visio Divina for @madeforpax

“Pursuing A World Made Whole”
Visio Divina for @madeforpax

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With a mission to provide mentorship and instruction for emerging Christians of color with a focus on peace, justice and contemplation, CAC grantee @madeforpax's project “Unlocking Potential: Elevating the Voices of BIPOC Creatives” will elevate approximately 66 fellows to participate in multiple PAX Fellowship creative cohorts, including visual storytelling, poetry, songwriting and writing. When emerging Christians of color are given the mentorship and vocational resources needed to thrive in their careers and their callings, they create art that changes the world. Rooted in their cultural and spiritual identities, the fellows will be further encouraged to embrace a wild and beautiful spirit of creativity, and the fellowship itself naturally becomes a place of healing and restoration.

Find out more from Made for PAX Executive Director Tiffany Bluhm share about the project, and learn more about the CAC grantmaking initiative at the link in bio 🔗

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Today is the last day to apply for the PAX Fellowship.

The last day is also the day when the PAX teams gets the biggest influx of applications.

I’m leading my cohort on contemplative activism and spiritual formation for the 3rd year! And I’ll get to hang with fellows this year during the retreat in Scottsdale, AZ this August.

You can find everything on the @madeforpax website. You can also find other cohorts on writing, songwriting, poetry, leadership, and my friend & former fellow @rachelwahbadunkley is leading Cohort B on contemplative activism and spiritual formation.

Other facilitations are @michaelstalcup, @yougochante, @dannybristerjr, @seawright__, @traceygee.me, and @chenoa_daniels! 💃

If you know of someone who might feel empowered by becoming a fellow, share this post with them or tag them in the comments!

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My heart is overflowing with gratitude for the genuine warmth, hospitality, and shared moments with the incredible PAX alumni and staff.

Thank you to @madeforpax and @jesuitswest for creating such a soulful, welcoming sanctuary for us to come alive. 🕊️

Shoutout to @seawright__ from the @commonhymnal ecosystem for leading us in worship!

We brought our whole selves to this space. From the quiet acknowledgment of frustration and anger to moments of pure comedy and joy, there is a unique kind of grace found when we allow ourselves to be truly seen by others in the unclarity of our shared journeys.

Nestled in the quiet hills of Los Altos, I learned to slow down and simply stand in awe of the path—even when the next step isn’t entirely clear. 🌲

We walked into the fog of the wilderness with blind steps and uncertain hearts, only to discover a beautiful truth: we are never truly alone in the wilderness. This retreat became a sacred provision in disguise, revealing itself through quiet moments of contemplation, deep reflection, and the incredible people surrounding me.

Ps: Amidst all the deep soul-searching, I also officially learned how to catch lizards! 🦎✨ @mondoscott

#PaxAlumni #JesuitRetreatCenter #WildernessProvision #madeforpax

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🚨 Applications close in a few days on June 15 (or sooner as cohorts fill up) for the PAX Fellowship! ✨ This year @madeforpax is offering eight incredible cohorts to choose from:

Writing as Spiritual Formation — led by yours truly 😊
Writing for Social Impact — led by @yougochante
Poetry — led by @chenoa_daniels
Songwriting — led by @seawright__ of @commonhymnal
Women in Leadership — led by @traceygee.me
Men in Leadership — led by @dannybristerjr
Contemplative Activism + Spiritual Formation A — led by @jenaiauman
Contemplative Activism + Spiritual Formation B — led by @rachelwahbadunkley

Scholarships are available if money is an obstacle. Don’t miss this great opportunity and community that has been a game-changer for so many!

Sign up at madeforpax.org/fellowship 🤎

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