Angeles Arrien’s chapter for August in Living in Gratitude focuses on the theme of Cultivating Peace. She begins with one of my favorite stories, one in which the Jewish teacher Zusia tells his followers of a powerful vision he had received that had shaken him profoundly. In his vision he had learned the standard by which he would be judged after his death. “I learned that the angels will ask me about my life,” he told his followers. “They will not ask me... Read more
Some months ago my friend Jan visited the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, and came back with this command: “You absolutely must visit it, Lori. You will love it.” Of course, I didn’t need much persuading, given my fondness for holy sites, particularly those dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Last week I finally got the chance to make a pilgrimage to the shrine, and it more than lived up to my high expectations. Forgive me if... Read more
Today’s post is my monthly column for the Episcopal News Service: Some years ago, a priest in our church made a passing comment that has stuck with me ever since. Looking up at the stained glass window behind our altar depicting Jesus as the Good Shepherd, he said, “That sheep Jesus is holding sure looks more like a cocker spaniel.” This is the sort of comment that once heard, you never forget. Many Sundays I’ve sat in church contemplating the... Read more
Today’s post is by Susan Bailey, a faithful reader of this blog (you may recognize her name from her many thoughtful comments). Her contribution describes a book that touched her heart: Death can be sudden and random, and grief’s journey capricious. Yet if we allow ourselves to be swept along in the journey, it can be transforming. Mohan K. describes his grief journey after the random death of his healthy four month-old son; it is called A Child Lost in... Read more
Let me begin by thanking everyone who left such thoughtful comments on my previous blog post about the death of my friend Teri. I always learn from you and appreciate your insights–my gratitude goes to Susan, Rebecca, Mississippi Pilgrim, Jim, Anne, Darcy, and Annechien, and to those who sent private notes as well. Turning to happier subjects, today’s post is an excuse to post some beautiful pictures. If you’re like me, you’ve probably heard of Tiffany stained glass windows but... Read more
Those of you who took my challenge to interweave your year with gratitude may have noticed I’m a month behind in giving an update from Angeles Arrien’s book Living in Gratitude. Even if you’re not reading the book, I think it’s good to be reminded of how life-transforming a regular practice of gratitude can be. In the June chapter, Arrien writes of the power of equanimity. These weeks mark the middle point of the year, which is a natural time to... Read more
Following up on my post of two days ago, I want to share a few more pictures and impressions from our visit to the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Bob and I were honored to be warmly hosted by Jim Stands and Sylvan White Hat, Lakota men from the reservation. The Rosebud was unexpectedly beautiful (we thought it would be more like the neighboring Pine Ridge Reservation, which is dryer and harsher in its topography). Instead we drove through... Read more
Today’s post is my monthly column for the Episcopal News Service: Each week, my home church hosts eleven Alcoholics Anonymous, Al-Anon, and other 12 Step groups. I know a number of parishioners who struggle with alcoholism. But addiction has been largely a hidden disease and tragedy for our church, just as I suspect it is in many parishes. Recently we sponsored an adult education series on spirituality and alcoholism that helped shed light on this disease-in-the-shadows. We heard stories from... Read more
One of the most interesting parts of our trip to Salt Lake City was visiting the Family History Library on Temple Square. I know that some of you who follow this blog are avid genealogists, so I don’t need to tell you that for people tracing their roots, this library qualifies as a holy place. It’s really quite remarkable. The library’s five floors contain more than 2.4 million rolls of microfilmed genealogical records; 727,000 microfiche; 356,000 books, serials, and other formats; and... Read more
On our way back from Utah we took a detour through Salt Lake City. Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City is the headquarters for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and a holy site for the church’s 14 million members around the world. It’s the friendliest and best-organized spiritual site I’ve ever visited (and I’ve seen quite a few). Members of the LDS Church came to the area in 1847 after having been persecuted and driven from... Read more
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