Pray Not with Swords in Hand: Reflecting on A Prayer by Violent Insurrectionists

Last updated on: January 20, 2021 at 7:47 am By Teresa Blythe

Imagine the shock and disgust that rippled through mainline and progressive Christianity in this country after the New Yorker video from the January 6 insurrection showed a group of rioters standing around the Senate President’s chair in the Senate chamber pray, holding hands in the air praising God for their success at storming the Capital. One rioter who was interviewed after the event said he consulted God three times before coming, and each time “he didn’t hear a no.” Discerning... Read more

Imagining the Birth of Jesus: Engage with Christmas Scripture

Last updated on: December 19, 2020 at 11:58 am By Teresa Blythe

The Bible isn’t one-way communication, we can engage with it. This living text invites us to respond, question, debate, and celebrate its offering. When we begin to “talk back” to scripture, it comes alive and becomes interactive. Our critical thinking skills engage with our spiritual “feelers,” strengthening our faith. There are numerous ways to engage with scripture, but below is one I find incredibly useful: Read the Luke version of the birth of Jesus, Luke 2: 1-20. Read it slowly... Read more

Visualization of Inner Freedom: Releasing Ourselves from Self-Fastened Shackles

Last updated on: November 28, 2020 at 9:27 am By Teresa Blythe

Sports psychologists use visualization. So do shamans and spiritual directors. Visualization is a powerful tool for releasing minor fears and negative self-talk. Here are a few suggestions from experts in imagination: Lock It Away: In “Bird by Bird,” writer Anne Lamott shares a technique for silencing negative self-talk. Each nagging voice is visualized as a mouse that she picks up and puts in an imaginary jar. The mice lose power as their voices are silenced in the lidded jar.... Read more

Are You OK?: A Few Thoughts on Life and Spiritual Direction

Last updated on: October 22, 2020 at 6:57 am By Teresa Blythe

Two commonly heard phrases (or some variation) I have noticed on social media: “Are you OK?” “2020 can’t come to a close fast enough.” So, I thought I’d ask: are you OK in this long presidential election pandemic year? Can you say with Julian of Norwich “all will be well” and mean it? I’m mostly OK, thank God, but I have moments of cloudy thinking, blue moods and yes, sometimes, a small crisis of faith. I’m grateful that no one... Read more

Defining Spiritual Direction: An Interview with Dr. Melissa Hofstetter

Last updated on: August 28, 2020 at 1:24 pm By Teresa Blythe

What exactly is spiritual direction? Shepherd Heart Ministry Consulting’s Executive Director Dr. Melissa Hofstetter sat down to interview me about that very question — because the term “spiritual direction” needs to be fully understood. Generally, spiritual direction means meeting every few weeks with a spiritual director, or spiritual companion. Since there’s a form of it in just about any religion (it comes up a lot in the Catholic faith), directors go by many names. What all of these forms share... Read more

Back To School Pandemic: Choosing Without Obvious Choices

Last updated on: July 22, 2020 at 7:59 am By Teresa Blythe

Parents of school-aged children are currently facing the hardest discernment situation one can face: making a choice when there is no good choice. If children are forced back to school in person, there is the risk of contracting the Covid-19 virus — which, if contracted, can hurt children. It can also make them a vector, someone who carries the virus with no symptoms and infects others. If children are not allowed to go back to school, they must learn in... Read more

Heart Work is Hard Work – The Spiritual Direction Workout

Last updated on: July 6, 2020 at 8:54 am By Teresa Blythe

It’s not uncommon to hear a client say, “I’m exhausted at the end of the spiritual direction session.” Spiritual directors also can feel wiped out after a series of sessions in one day. That’s because heart work is hard work. The same thing can happen in therapy or pastoral care. Taking a long look at your inner life with someone trained in helping you do that is a deeply personal and soul-searching kind of work, probably much different than... Read more

Getting the Most from your Spiritual Direction Session

Last updated on: June 16, 2020 at 7:21 am By Teresa Blythe

You’ve made the commitment. You’ve set aside the time for spiritual direction. But you wonder: “What do I need to talk about at today’s session?” When we have a burning question, situation, or spiritual experience to explore with a spiritual director, then it’s no problem. That’s where you begin. But what if you don’t have a mystery sitting right in front of you? Here are some ways to get the most out of your spiritual direction session regardless of whether... Read more

Prayer During A Pandemic – It Can Be Challenging!

Last updated on: May 29, 2020 at 10:15 am By Teresa Blythe

Don’t know about you, but I’ve needed a lot of help with prayer during the Coronavirus pandemic. Practices that used to draw me closer to God suddenly were flat at a time I felt I needed God the most! Many other people are having this same experience: more time on their hands to slow down and consider their contemplative life with God, yet not feeling able to. And there could be many factors making this the case. What I share... Read more

Mindfulness: Developing Spiritual Awareness Through Meditation and Prayer

Last updated on: May 27, 2020 at 9:39 am By Teresa Blythe

It’s not always easy to sit down and meditate, but practice makes perfect! If you’ve ever thought you couldn’t do silent or meditative prayer, this video is for you. In it, I go over some simple methods to warm up to silent prayer exercises that build on mindfulness. Mindfulness, explained simply, is about focusing our awareness on the present. Often, it’s confused with an idea that claims that we ought to find peace by completely clearing our minds —... Read more

Who said, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you"?