Christmas has never been my thing. I was a real pill as a kid. We did not know much about ADHD back in the 80’s, it was still treated as a retardation and had not quite made it to a learning disorder or behavioral health concern it is today. In my most recent training on Autism, the presenters even put ADHD under the umbrella of neurodivergence. Needless to say, I was often overstimulated, often hollered at and my family put... Read more
This week, in my discussion on civil discourse, I want to demonstrate how we can talk about how we can understand and support the LGBTQIA+ community in a compassionate, Christ centered manner. As a word of disclaimer, this is not my wheelhouse. What follows is not meant to speak for a community of God’s people I will never fully understand. This is my attempt as a healer and a pastor who cares deeply for all of God’s creation to bridge... Read more
Advent week 2 is about Peace. Back in July, I asked whether peace was achievable in a peaceless world. As I believe that peace starts with us and our relationship with God, whether naively or not, I still believe peace is achievable, if only on a micro scale. Like gratitude, which I have also written on, peacefulness is contagious. Consider this verse from Isaiah: “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young... Read more
An oft overlooked point of reference for many Christians is the fact that Jesus, who is at the heart of our faith was more than likely a brown skinned, middle Eastern, Palestinian Jewish male who lived in an occupied country by people who were probably lighter in skin color than him. Ironically, I have spent a lot of time in churches that have never depicted Jesus this way. My grandmother even had the classic blue eyed, ivory white skinned and... Read more
I have the privilege to sit across around one hundred people per month and hear all sorts of stories, tragedies and victories. I have been doing this in some capacity for the last twenty-four years. A lot has changed in the world since my beginning. I have noticed that people are more calloused, emboldened, entitled and ignorant. I want to sit for a moment with the notion of ignorance. It is not an Insult Perhaps the most famous example... Read more
Advent 2024 Week 1 – Hope This week, we enter the four weeks of Advent, a time of preparation for the symbolic celebration of Jesus’s birth. The first week is about hope last year, I wrote on this, noting that the world was in an ugly state, it still is, and we still need to hold on to that hope. This week, Christians will light the first of four candles on the Advent Wreath. This first week’s candle is... Read more
You are a spiritual practice. “Each of us is a work-in-progress. The spiritual practice of you challenges us to become all we are meant to be as God’s beloved sons and daughters. We are, after all, co-creators of the Great Work of the universe. By attuning ourselves to what in different traditions has been called the image of God, the everlasting soul, or the higher self, we are able to fulfill our mission in life.” I had a client in desperation the... Read more
John Wesley said there are two types of holiness. Personal holiness, where you grow your personal relationship with God, and social holiness, which is loving and supporting your neighbors. To be a complete Christian, we need to focus on both. He wrote: “The Gospel of Christ knows of no religion, but social; no holiness but social holiness. Faith working by love is the length and breadth and depth of Christian perfection.” I want to end the year with a series... Read more
My vocational job is as a professional listener. People pay me a lot of money to listen to them. This week, I want to reflect on two practices, silence and attention and demonstrate how they co-exist in our spiritual practices. Attention Requires Silence I wrote previously this month on the practice of attention, I want to shift my focus to the practice of silence. Silence, I have found over the years of contemplative work amplifies my ability to pay... Read more
Psalm 82:3 tells us to defend the poor and the orphan. This has been my vocational call since I was in college studying to be a social worker. In the time span between then and now, I have been a social worker, a minister and a therapist. I have been a Benedictine Oblate for 22 years. Peace and justice runs through my veins. Something odd happened last week that seemingly started a long time ago and is a reminder... Read more
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