Sacred time is all around us, though we are often too distracted to notice. The standard increments of time as we know it in our modern world — seconds, hours, days, months — are tools that help us mark our place in both our own personal experiences of reality and the collective human story. Indeed,…
When describing spiritual direction and companionship, I usually mention the term spiritual hospitality. Though not original to me, I love how this phrase captures a sense of preparation, care, and attention towards another person. Spiritual hospitality is the act of listening in a way that creates a sacred, safe space for another. This applies to…
I recently read one of Marcus Borg’s notable books, Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time. It’s a fascinating, brief book on the “pre-Easter” and “post-Easter” Jesus. I’m wrestling with many of Borg’s ideas but I was captivated by his section on the Hebrew words for compassion and womb, which are really from the same…
Many years ago I sat in a small seaside office as a domestic violence survivor advocate. My work focused on safety planning, connecting folks with community resources, and facilitating support groups. I loved it. Many days were emotionally difficult, but it informed so much of my life and faith since then, including my approach to…
How were you taught to pray? I wasn’t so much directly instructed on how to as much as I watched how others prayed at church, before meals, and often before class. Spontaneous prayer was a frequent choice and sometimes the Psalms were used. People usually spoke from their heart and used common phrases of gratitude…
Spiritual direction (SD) is a term for something we look for all the time: companionship. In various forms, companionship is essential for physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual flourishing. Isolation in any season of life, such as a period of transition, parenting, grief or illness, or evolving faith, can be painful. Spiritual direction is a formal…