When 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…
In 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…
As 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,…
May 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…
“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,…