“Love says ‘I am everything.’ Wisdom says ‘I am nothing.’ Between the two, my life flows.” ―Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj As Charlotte Joko Beck explains in her book Ordinary Wonder, it was many years ago that I, without entirely understanding what was happening, pulled myself into a boat, but it had no oars or rudder. I…
On a retreat, one of the first things I did in my guest house room was open the shades all the way to the top. I wanted to be as close to the trees and the sky as I could. Surrounded by trees, there was no need for privacy shades. Books are another form of…
What is spirituality? Different people have different answers to this question. For me, spirituality is the fuel we need for our life-long journey to God, the Source and wellspring of life. It is about becoming conscious of and intentional about a deepening relationship with God. The purpose of spirituality is to give birth to a…
When I was fresh out of seminary trying to learn how to be a pastor in my first (and ultimately last) church appointment, there was a retired preacher who invited me out to lunch so we could get to know each other. During our conversation, I expressed a whole lot of doubt about what I…
Sixth in a series of reflections on the questions posed in The Web of Meaning by Jeremy Lent, Prairiewoods’ Spirituality in the 21st Century facilitator, April 28–29, 2023 The last chapter in Jeremy’s book, The Web of Meaning, is called “Weaving A New Story of Meaning,” and it is chock full of avenues to explore…
As I read the recent Prairiewoods blog Many Voices, Shared Questions (Leslie Wright, Jan. 6, 2023), I asked myself, do I identify as religious or spiritual? The answer for me was a bit of each. After all I am a Licensed Leader at my Unity Center here in Cedar Rapids, so that makes me religious,…
Fifth in a series of reflections on the questions posed in The Web of Meaning by Jeremy Lent, Prairiewoods’ Spirituality in the 21st Century facilitator, April 28–29, 2023 “I am here to weave my unique strand into the web of meaning.” —Jeremy Lent, The Web of Meaning Last week I attended the presentation of The…
I have been privileged to be a part of a small book group that is reading The Web of Meaning by Jeremy Lent, who will be our featured speaker at the Spirituality in the 21st Century 2023 conference on April 28–29 with Prairiewoods. This is a profound book that looks deeply into the situation that…
Fourth in a series of reflections on the questions posed in The Web of Meaning by Jeremy Lent, Prairiewoods’ Spirituality in the 21st Century facilitator, April 28–29, 2023 “As a living being in the midst of life, I should pursue symbiotic, fractal flourishing for myself, for humankind and for all life.” —Jeremy Lent, The Web…
Self-described “author and integrator” Jeremy Lent, who will be visiting Prairiewoods in April for Spirituality in the 21st Century, calls for creating a new web of meaning to enable the development of an ecological civilization in which “all humans flourish as part of a thriving Earth.” Following the flood in Cedar Rapids in 2008 I…