Recently the ongoingness of my life journey has become clearer. I have become aware of some wide patterns I seem to live, one in particular. Throughout my life I have enjoyed “moving on”—I start an adventure/experience, dig into the learning and practices, become knowledgeable and/or somewhat proficient; and then something new will catch my attention…
DetailsRecently I was treated to a late summer tour of Prairiewoods by Aaron Brewer, the Land Sustainability Coordinator. The weather was perfect, with clear skies and a lovely mix of late summer heat and autumn light. We rode in the “Mule,” the all-terrain vehicle that I’ve often watched Sister Nancy Hoffman drive fearlessly over the…
DetailsFrom all the studying and seeking and praying, I have learned that the more I learn, the less I know about spirituality. I evolve to a point where I think I know something, then I learn something else, and I evolve again and again. This is the spiral of spiritual evolution. My beliefs will be…
DetailsMany of us know and love the poetry of Rumi, Hafez, and Kabir, medieval mystics whose passions and insights have been translated into modern language as a gift intended to help us cultivate our own love for God. I’ve been working on a project that has allowed me to see this kind of work from…
DetailsWhen I think of spirituality, my mind journeys to the heart of nature. It’s like I can see the trees swaying in the wind, feel the vastness of the open sky, and hear the gentle babbling of rivers. I can’t help but feel that these beautiful elements of nature are part of something much, much…
DetailsA few summers ago, I was fortunate to stay at Prairiewoods for an artist’s retreat of blissful painting, reading and walking in the woods and prairie. But the surprise highlight of my five-day personal retreat emerged each night just before night fell. At dusk that first night, I noticed some lights out the window in…
DetailsEverything is energy. Light. Quantum physics speaks of 94% of the universe as being made of energy or light. That includes you. Spiritual traditions have been speaking of this life force energy as Light or Spirit filling and interconnecting all of creation—including humans—for thousands of years. In India it’s called prana, in Hebrew it’s ruach…
DetailsThe Way It Is There’s a thread you follow. It goes among things that change. But it doesn’t change. People wonder about what you are pursuing. You have to explain about the thread. But it is hard for others to see. While you hold it you can’t get lost. Tragedies happen; people get hurt or…
DetailsI circle around God, around the primordial tower. I‘ve been circling for a thousand years and I still don’t know: am I a falcon, a storm, or a great song? —Ranier Maria Rilke I find much comfort in and resonance with these words of the poet Ranier Maria Rilke. I too am one who has…
DetailsMy spirituality has evolved over many years, as have the spiritual practices that embody it. It now centers on listening with reverence to mystery and practices that open the heart to pain and suffering. “Every being has its own interior, its self, its mystery, its numinous aspect. To deprive any being of this sacred quality…
DetailsI ask “What is NOT spirituality? Every breath, every moment, we are living with Spirit. With Divine breath, we are experiencing all of life. Rumi speaks “Oh human angel, your path is perfection in the divine sense—not in some artificial absence of struggle, but in the wrestling of darkness and light that ignites the fire within…
Details“Everything that exists has its true name. The power of magic is nothing more than the power to command, based on the knowledge of the thing’s true nature.” —Sparrowhawk, “Tales from Earthsea,” 2006, Studio Ghibli Tall grass, by any name, has given safe harbor to my enemies for most of my life. Initially lured to…
DetailsSolar power is the fastest growing source of energy in the world because it avoids pollution from burning fossil fuels and can be installed in a cost-effective manner. In the United States, more than 2,500 churches and other houses of worship have now added solar power. On April 23, congregational leaders and members gathered with…
DetailsSpirituality in my life is best described as a journey. It is a path that has ebbed and flowed, weaved and twisted. It has been filled with joy and peace, resistance and angst. I have felt enlivened and renewed and downtrodden and deep despair. One of my favorite poets, Rainer Marie Rilke, writes, “The only…
DetailsWhen I think of spirituality, the image that comes to my mind most is that of a craft. The crafts I most often think of when I put it to this metaphor would be something like preparing a tea or seasoning blend. This is because, to me, spirituality is best defined as practices we use…
DetailsIn these challenging times of climate disruption, political upheaval and dire forecasts for the future, one thing we could all use more of is resilience. Resilience—it’s our ability to recover quickly from difficult circumstances, to be able to stretch to our limits like a rubber band that bounces back into shape. I wish I could…
DetailsIn early spring, when the snow reveals the sleepy black earth, my mother and I would take a short walk around my childhood home in northern Michigan. Behind the house, the yard dips lower to reveal a birch-filled marsh where deer have had a path since before I was born. My mother would take my…
DetailsAs the earth cycle turns toward spring here in the middle lands, the claxon of Canada geese returning north fills my soul with a profound sense of belonging to the wildness of existence. Perhaps Mary Oliver says it best in one of her most well-known poems, “Wild Geese”: Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,…
DetailsMay marks a 15-year anniversary for me: 15 years since hearing a diagnosis of bipolar type 2, 15 years of taking mood disorder medication, 15 years of trying different doses—and trying different times of day for taking those doses. 15 years of different therapists, different psychiatrists … May also marks my sixtieth birthday, so of…
Details“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…
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