Intentional Living and Discernment

Growing up in Pennsylvania, I was aware of people who were Amish and Mennonite.  Both groups are from the same branch of Christianity called Anabaptists.  Neither group is simply a religion.  They are ways of living, cultures, with social structures and customs which include their religious beliefs.  To leave these… Read More »Intentional Living and Discernment

A Life of Meaning

I started college as a philosophy major.  If I was to be ordained, it was recommended that I have a background in philosophy before studying theology.  It did help me to learn to think more critically.  However, one of the first courses I took in college was in theater arts. … Read More »A Life of Meaning

Divine Relationships

I had to be very young, perhaps three or four years old.  My mother taught me the gestures of what’s called “the sign of the cross” and to say the words, “Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.”  I liked ghosts.  I grew up with Casper the Friendly Ghost, so I knew… Read More »Divine Relationships

The Experience of God

What does it mean to experience the Divine?  That’s a very difficult question to answer.  The experience of the Holy One is deeply personal.  When the experience is new for someone, it can be confusing.  But over time, it becomes familiar. Spiritual writers over the ages have used various images… Read More »The Experience of God

Church

Each Sunday morning, a friend of mine goes hiking.  It’s usually something he does alone.  Taken while on his hike, he’ll post a picture on social media of something that caught his eye.  The caption is always the same.  It’s a one-word exclamation.  Church. For decades, I’ve facilitated workshops on… Read More »Church

Transitions

I first read about this when I was a grad student.  Theoretically, it made sense to me, but I hadn’t experienced it.  I tried to imagine what it would like.  Perhaps I got a glimmer of the experience, but not much more than that.  Today, well….let’s just say I’m living… Read More »Transitions