Years ago I sat in a circle of people whom I had just met a few days before. We were classmates, a cohort to journey together through the next few semesters of grad school. At the close of our weeklong residency, someone had suggested we take time to tell each other the truth, to tell […]
Gutted by Grief
I was knocked to my knees yesterday as I heard the news of my dear Sister Carol‘s sudden passing. Carol has been my spiritual director for nearly 3 years and became (in her words) my “spiritual grandmother.” We loved one another deeply, in the way only Jesus could orchestrate. I feel a bit lost already […]
Overflowing Joy
These past many months I have been marveling at the sweetness of God. I have experienced His presence, His nearness with me almost constantly in a way more intimate than before. Rather than only noticing God at work around me – in conversations or in nature – my spirit is simply aware of Spirit, comfortably […]
Justice and Humanity
From July 11-20, I was experiencing the lush country landscapes of Guatemala, meeting the beautiful people – both Spanish and indigenous – and learning historical, cultural, and justice lessons with my fellow cohort friends and professors. This intensive residency is a part of our graduate program – a Master’s in Spiritual Formation and Leadership. The […]
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Homes of Hospitality
I’m going to suggest something crazy: what if God’s call for his people – for us – is to create lives and communities of hospitality? From the time of creation, through the covenant with Abraham, to the sending of the Spirit: all of these pivotal moments in the story of God’s People has had to […]
Stay in the Cloud
The essence of this exercise is nothing else but a simple and direct reaching out to God for himself…not (asking) to be released from pain or for his reward to be increased; in a word (the practitioner) asks for nothing but God himself; so much so that s/he takes no account or regard of […]
My Loving Priority
As part of my grad school coursework, I am instructed to participate in various prayer practices during the week. Last week in my practice of the Jesus prayer, I noticed two important shifts in my thinking and I am thankful for my experience with the Lord. Praying the Jesus Prayer is simple and profound. Lord Jesus […]
The Slow Work of Grace
I know there are plenty of analogies for how Americans have created an “instant gratification” culture. We like fast cars and fast food, microwaves and Netflix without commercials. (Can I get an “Amen?!”) I like all of those things too. But in the past few weeks, I have been continually reminded that our cultural mindset produces a […]
When God Shows Up
Throughout the past seven days, I have experienced the peace of God in a more surprising way than ever before. In the weeks leading up to my Master’s class residency, I was anticipating a serious contention with anxiety. I would be away from my family – including my one year old daughter for the first time – […]