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Mark Twain once said something like this: When someone you love dies, it is like having your house burn down. Often, it isn’t for years that you realize the full extent of your loss. Not only do we miss what we used to experience with our loved ones, but over time, we recognize the loss…

Several years ago, I read Ronald Rohlheiser’s Sacred Fire. In this interesting book, he recasts the three traditional stages of spiritual formation in a unique way that I find remarkably compelling. Taking the more classic language of Purgation, Illumination, and Union, he refashions the spiritual journey into something that feels a bit more accessible and…

Within the Quaker community, you will sometimes hear Friends reference the wisdom to not “outrun our Guide.” Less frequently, but issuing from the same wisdom, Friends will remind one another to avoid “lagging behind the Spirit.” In this way, we remind one another to live such a centered existence that we walk in step with…

Many years ago, I worked as a budding minister with youth in the juvenile justice system and among runaways living on the streets of Portland, Oregon. A wonderful band of volunteers and I engaged in outreach efforts to get to know these young girls and boys and, if possible, walk alongside them in an often-challenging…

Bah-da bah-da-da-da Bah-da bah-da-da-da Bah-da bah-da-da-da Monday, Monday, so good to me Monday mornin’, it was all I hoped it would be Oh Monday mornin’, Monday mornin’ couldn’t guarantee That Monday evenin’ you would still be here with me This day is called “Bright Monday” or “Renewal Monday” in the Eastern Orthodox Church and Byzantine…

Forty-plus years ago, my wife and I met at the zoo in Portland, Oregon. I was working as an assistant manager in Visitor Services, and she was on her way to becoming a zoologist. During her tenure as an animal keeper, Janine worked with lions, tigers, and bears (oh my!). More regularly, she worked with…

In a world where so many people often feel invisible, the idea of “being seen” is significant. In the midst of injustice, those living on the margins find hope when someone (anyone!) sees and seeks to understand their situation. When we feel like we toil in obscurity in our jobs, someone taking the time to…

According to Luke’s gospel, as Jesus nears the end of his days on Earth, he fixates on getting to Jerusalem. The word used in the text (Luke 9:51) means he “set his face” in a resolute and determined manner. Whether by divine understanding or simply by being able to sense the inevitable, Jesus anticipates his…

Like many of you, I begin most of my days in quiet, trying to find that place beneath the Silence where there is Stillness. I am a better human being and can better face the day when I dwell in that Center and Loving Presence. One of the disciplines I regularly practice includes reading and…

One of the best and worst gifts to my spiritual growth came early in my faith journey in the form of a small group of friends. For a few years, we met regularly to pray together, read books together, be honest with one another, and seek to encourage one another in our experience of God…