“Before enlightenment, chop wood and carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood and carry water.” —Zen Proverb In any kind of spiritual practice, whether that be prayer, routine meditation or silent retreat, we might glean sudden wisdom or understanding for something that previously had us feeling stuck. No matter how profound the discovery, life will give…
I know we’re weary. I know we’re worried. I know we’re impatiently waiting for an answer we’d hoped would come quickly and decisively. This whole year has been about waiting and worrying and being oh-so-weary in the face of an unprecedented global pandemic. For those of us in the Cedar Rapids area, the last three…
“Active Hope is waking up to the beauty of life on whose behalf we can act. We belong to this world. The web of life is calling us forth at this time. We’ve come a long way and are here to play our part. With Active Hope we realize that there are adventures in store,…
What is it about taking a deep breath that settles everything? A deep, full-belly breath is like touching a reset button somewhere inside. When I do this, I instantly feel calmer and more relaxed. I remember my psychology professor sister telling me once that taking deep diaphragmatic breaths stimulates the vagus nerve. My artistic self…
The Killdeer is a bird that lays its nest on the ground, a couple of brown-spotted gray eggs in a raised hole of roots and stems, in the middle of a field. When you approach, they act wounded in an attempt to draw your attention away from what they are really concerned about. For thousands…
This weekend we “control time” as we set our clocks back one hour to facilitate more efficient energy use. Nature ever so gently invites us to consider the unitive energy between darkness and light. Between the full moon and the vibrant, red dawn, sacred, liminal space exists. So, too, our nation has been marking time…
On Sunday, we came together with six other area organizations to host the first of three seasonal Treasuring Our Trees events. Nearly 100 individuals and families joined us via Zoom to honor our beloved trees and our deeply felt connection to them. It was a time of song and poetry, of ritual for mourning and…
We all need the opportunity to get distance and perspective. Unfortunately, this can be especially difficult in the midst of a pandemic. Last week, I was lucky enough to get away to the North Shore of Lake Superior, to a cottage where I could be safely distanced from others while also having a much-needed change…
As we approach Oct. 31–Nov. 2, the days of Halloween or All Hallows Eve, Day of the Dead, All Saints Day, All Souls Day and Celtic Samhain, I am thinking of my ancestors. I feel a deep curiosity, a sense of wonderment and gratitude. When I ponder the mystery of my ancestors, as I often…
The topic for the day was “faith journey.” I wrote this poem some time ago for a gathering of the Women in Interfaith Dialogue, a group that has been meeting for many years at Prairiewoods (now virtually). I share it here in honor of the Interfaith Women, hoping that we are finding nourishment for body,…