Spirituality blog I wrote
Springtime is drawing near in the northern hemisphere. Days are becoming longer as sunlight continues into the evening. Snow and ice have begun to melt off in many regions. The first flowers poke out of the ground while tree limbs swell and buds begin to appear. There’s a sense of… Read More »Renewed in Spring
He was sweet and full of energy: a blond-haired, blue-eyed six-year-old boy. He had a smile and laugh that conveyed joy to others. His name was Chris. I met him when on the pediatric unit of the hospital I served as a chaplain in the early 1980s. Over the next… Read More »Faith in the Midst of Tragedy
A profound hopelessness. A feeling of helplessness. The experience of powerlessness. A pessimistic outlook for the future. These are various aspects of despair. Despair is a common human experience. When things are going poorly, really poorly, when it seems like the bottom is falling out of life and we don’t… Read More »The Way Out Is Through
It’s the middle of February. A couple of weeks ago, on February 2, a welcome messenger delivered good news: Punxsutawney Phil, a weather predicting groundhog, emerged from his burrow and didn’t see his shadow. This legendary sign is a prediction that there will be an early spring This past week,… Read More »Faith and Hope that There Will Be Spring
The following is a brief excerpt from my book, The Integrated Self: A Holistic Approach to Spirituality and Mental Health Practice. In this passage, I explain that the commonly used distinction between religion and spirituality is very narrow and prevents us from appreciating that spirituality is a dimension of all… Read More »Spirituality: A Dimension of Human Experience
In a few days, we in the United States will mark a national holiday commemorating the life and legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. As we approach this commemoration, many people will participate in volunteer events to improve their communities through activities ranging from cleaning up neighborhoods, repairing homes for senior neighbors,… Read More »Can We Have a Dream?
Sometimes I attend services in an Episcopal Church. Before people share the bread and wine known as communion, the priest makes a dramatic gesture. Holding the circular bread-wafer so that all can see, the priest exclaims: “Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.” In unison, the response comes from the… Read More »A Progressive Christian Minister Reconsiders Atonement
At night, I’d slip out to the backyard of my family’s home to watch the night sky. Growing up in the country, I’d often see a lot of stars. In my youth, I didn’t know one from another. Yet, on those nights in the backyard, I felt a deep connection… Read More »Starry Connections