You may only know that Lent is a Christian season during which practitioners, “give something up,” as a spiritual practice. You may even know it is a season for preparing for Easter, or a big change more generally. This Lent which began for Christians on Feb. 26 has...
I warned you. This is my year of shameless self-promotion. Along the way I’ve hit roadblocks. (Not surprising.) As someone who is specializing in teaching mindfulness and self-care, people are always genuinely interested in what I do, then tell me they can’t for a...
Most days, I masquerade as a perfectly normal Mainline Protestant. Phrases like “priesthood of all believers,” “saved by faith alone” and “congregational meeting” roll off my tongue like honey. I’m just fine with there being only two Sacraments. I creatively mold...
Just a couple of weekends ago, I participated in a workshop on the yogic practice of Sankalpa. In this practice, you pick something that you truly desire to see happen in the next 6-18 months. It is akin to a New Years resolution, only it goes far deeper. The practice...
This is part of my Listening in Lent series in which I reflect on my experience of practicing listening during this holy season. This winter I’ve really come to love the kind of darkness only present in the pre-dawn hours. Admittedly, I’ve always been a morning...
This is part of my Listening in Lent series in which I reflect on my experience of practicing listening during this holy season. I can’t remember what exactly we were doing, but my brother and I were driving my mother crazy that Good Friday. Having attended Catholic...
This is part of my Listening in Lent series in which I reflect on my experience of practicing listening during this holy season. Six months ago, I crammed my Subaru Forrester with things (I consider) essential — clothes, shoes, yoga mat, spices, kitchen knives,...
This is part of my Listening in Lent series in which I reflect on my experience of practicing listening during this holy season. There’s something about the dark paneling, brown, leather couches, paintings from local artists along with the cacophony of multiple...
This is part of my Listening in Lent series in which I reflect on my experience of practicing listening during this holy season. It started with my hip. That may seem like a weird thing to listen to. Other than the first-morning pops and groans, what sound does your...
Although I rarely got in trouble in school as a kid, the few detentions I did get in high school were for talking too much in study hall. After that, my mother always made me take an extra book to read during those times when I was done with my homework and had spare...
Giving Up Grief for Lent: A Lenten Blog Series that explores the things the Mainline church needs to grieve in order to embrace a new Easter reality. See my worship resources page for more prayers, liturgy and discussion starters … Surrounded by snow covered hills and...
Giving Up Grief for Lent: A Lenten Blog Series that explores the things the Mainline church needs to grieve in order to embrace a new Easter reality … I don’t think there are many life lessons that can’t be derived from the movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” On the day...
Giving Up Grief for Lent: A Lenten Blog Series that explores the things the Mainline church needs to grieve in order to embrace a new Easter reality … As an elementary school-aged child in the 1980s, I can remember the JCPenny’s store being THE destination for...
A Lenten AdjustmentMy blog appearing on Iowa Conference UCC website.