Tidings of Comfort and Joy We believe this is the season for tidings of comfort and joy. Some of us find it more than a little ironic to expect to hear tidings of comfort and joy right now. It might be particularly helpful for us to receive some of those tidings this year. What we hear, though, are usually tidings of what new products we need to buy to make our lives complete. We check our social networks and find… Read more

We Prepare to Begin Why is it such a challenge for us to begin something new? Many of us resist beginning each morning. Some of us procrastinate to put off beginning new projects. I know people who practice distracting themselves with obstacle after obstacle so they do not have to begin. Some people rely on preparation to avoid beginning. They may not feel they are ready to start. There is so much more for them to learn and take into… Read more

What Sparks the Fire of Spiritual Life? There are days when sparking the fire of spiritual life can feel like too much of a challenge. I care about spiritual life and spend a lot of time reflecting on it, and it can be difficult even for me. Some days it seems like more than we can do to get excited about spiritual life. There are days when we are tired. We may feel frustrated, repeating spiritual practices which do not… Read more

Turning Things Upside Down Some of us believe spiritual life is a warm, soft blanket we wrap around ourselves to be comfortable. We like to think spiritual life is full of traditions and stories to make us feel safe. Spiritual life can seem like getting a flu shot. Every so often we experience a jab of inconvenience but it is good for us and saves us from suffering. There is an assumption spiritual life is fine for people who enjoy… Read more

Taking Steps Toward Spiritual Life Many of us are looking for a set of clear, measurable steps we can take toward spiritual life. We are not looking for easy answers or for someone to tell us what to do. If only we had somewhere we could start, a plan for taking our first step and our next. We understand spiritual life is neither a checklist nor a math problem. What can we do? Our steps do not bring us closer… Read more