What Do I Mean When I Say “Spiritual?”

Last updated on: November 3, 2022 at 4:21 pm By Andrew Lang

(UPDATE: My book, Unmasking the Inner Critic: Lessons for Living an Unconstricted Life has now been released! You can check it out here.) For many of us, the word “spiritual” is tainted by our experiences with organized religion. It’s tainted by the promises made and not kept, by our encounters with “spiritual people” who turned out to be emotionally harmful, and with so-called “spiritual practices” that too often gave cover to tactics of manipulation, domination, and control. There is good reason... Read more

What are Contemplative Practices?

Last updated on: November 3, 2022 at 4:23 pm By Andrew Lang

(UPDATE NOVEMBER 1, 2022: My book, Unmasking the Inner Critic: Lessons for Living an Unconstricted Life has now been released! You can check it out here.) When people first encounter the phrases “embodied spirituality” or “contemplative practices,” there are usually questions. These are terms foreign to many of us who grew up in the Global North, approaches to spirituality not often emphasized in our local churches and parishes. And yet, here I am rooting most of my life in these... Read more

How Are You Tapping into Your Creative Nature?

Last updated on: April 16, 2022 at 7:56 am By Andrew Lang

Creativity is not a superpower. It isn’t a form of magic that is bestowed upon some and not others; it isn’t an exclusive ability that some have access to and some do not. It is, at its very core, the basis of what it means to be alive. Creativity is lifeblood. (As Christians, this is part of our story! If the Divine has created us in its own image, then we must have some of this inherent creativity as core to our... Read more

A Mystic for our Times – Julian of Norwich (Book Recommendation)

Last updated on: April 16, 2022 at 7:40 am By Andrew Lang

I’ll start with a disclaimer: I can’t stop thinking about this book. For a long time, Mirabai Starr has been one of the greatest influences on my life; I included her on my list of Wisdom Teachers and two of her books (Wild Mercy and her translation of Teresa of Ávila’s The Interior Castle) on my list of books that have shaped my spirituality. She is a deep well of wisdom for those of us seeking to embody a more... Read more

I’m Not Sure I Want Community

Last updated on: November 3, 2022 at 4:23 pm By Andrew Lang

(UPDATE NOVEMBER 1, 2022: My book, Unmasking the Inner Critic: Lessons for Living an Unconstricted Life has now been released! You can check it out here.) I’m not sure I want community. I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. For years, I’ve said I’ve been “yearning” for community, deeply desiring a space where people come together and share their lives. I’ve imagined dinner tables with people laughing and deep conversations with the same folks that continue from week to... Read more

What is an Online Journaling Café and Yoga Studio? A Conversation with Melissa of Atelier Grace

Last updated on: April 18, 2022 at 7:04 am By Andrew Lang

A few months ago, I was sitting down to write in my journal for a bit. This is a practice I regularly return to when I need to get my thoughts in order or my inner narratives down in front of me. It helps me make sense of what I’m currently experiencing. But, as happens, I got distracted scrolling through Instagram instead. Five, ten, maybe fifteen minutes went by and just as I was starting to realize I had been... Read more

Experiencing Easter as a Universal Story

Last updated on: April 14, 2022 at 1:07 pm By Andrew Lang

Holy Week has historically been my favorite part of the Christian calendar; it’s earthy, emotional, raw, and real. There is a story told of steadfastness, rejection, humiliation, loss, waiting, and finally some form of rebirth – of new things coming. It’s a story I can see myself in and can therefore be moved by – I’ve experienced all of those things, large or small, at some point in my life; we all have. Rather than a tale of one man,... Read more

Experiencing God in the World Through Pedestrian Dignity

Last updated on: April 3, 2022 at 8:12 am By Andrew Lang

Last week, I posted the first half of a conversation with Jonathon Stalls. Jonathon is an artist, social entrepreneur, and advocate for social, economic, racial, and LGBTQ+ justice. He has founded two incredible organizations, Intrinsic Paths and Walk2Connect, and has just recently finished a new book, WALK: Slow Down, Wake Up, and Connect at 1-3 Miles Per Hour. Here is part two of our conversation! Andy: One of the things I’ve been most drawn to – and deeply challenged by... Read more