Taking rituals and ceremonies that aren’t yours and using them contrary to their original purpose: this form of cultural appropriation commonly happens with spiritual practice. In a time when interspirituality has become common, what is important to consider about the appropriation of the beliefs and rituals of others? The following… Read More »Spiritual Appropriation: Exploiting the Rituals of Others
Enlightenment. Spiritual growth. Personal fulfillment. While many people pursue these aspects of growth, is there a dark side to this quest? The following is a text version of this posting. It’s a multi-billion-dollar industry. People who are rich and poor alike spend huge sums of money on it. What do… Read More »The Dark Side of the Quest for Enlighenment
It’s an age-old question … one that people continue to ask. Why is this happening? Things happen to us that we view as bad. We look for a reason. We ask these questions when we don’t get the job we want, when a relationship doesn’t work out, or when a… Read More »Jesus, God’s Glory, and the Law of Attraction
Spiritual teachers, gurus, and clergy all tell people how to engage in spiritual practices. Often, they have a “one size fits all” approach. There’s wisdom in recognizing that we each need to pray as we can, not as we can’t. The following is a text version of this posting. A… Read More »Pray As You Can Not As You Can’t
It’s an ancient tradition. Over the last 1500 years or so, Christians have observed a period of prayer and fasting prior to Easter. In time, a forty-day period (Sundays aren’t included because Sundays are a memorial of Easter) emerged within the Christian tradition and came to be called Lent. The… Read More »Lent and the God of Jesus
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
“Be yourself. But, not like that.” The messages we receive from others are confusing. In this video, I talk about being our true selves and the way deep spiritual practice enables us to live consonantly with our inner selves. The following is a text version of this blog. This isn’t… Read More »Three Steps To Being Our True Self
It’s a myth. Spiritual and religious teachers convey that spiritual practices like meditation, prayer, and contemplation are easy. While the techniques are easy, the practice can be challenging. It’s time to bust the myth and address the realities of spiritual practice. The following is a text version of this blog:… Read More »The Unspoken Myth of Spiritual Practice
