Articles on Community
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There is a Crack in Everything
Ring the bells that still can ringForget your perfect offering.There is a crack, a crack in everything.That’s how the light gets in. -Leonard Cohen These words are the refrain from Leonard Cohen’s famous song Anthem, published in 1992. I may be one of few people in my age range who does not remember this song…
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A Theme Psalm for this Lent
Psalm 25(from Psalms for Praying: An Invitation to Wholeness by Nan C. Merrill) To You, O Love, I lift up my soul!O Heart within my heart, in You I place my trust. Let me not feel unworthy; let not fear rule over me. Yes! May all who open their hearts savor You and bless the…
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Wasting Time with God
As a former energizer bunny with a calendar in my head, I’ve always been physically and mentally doing something. So, attending the Group Spiritual Direction Workshop three different times – both as a participant and assistant facilitator – was life-changing for me. Each weekend during these programs gave me the opportunity to practice the art…
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Going Deeper: A Spiritual Respite When Needed the Most
When a last-minute opportunity to attend the Going Deeper: Clergy Spiritual Life and Leadership program presented itself to me in the summer of 2022, I could only say “Yes, how can I make this work?” I’d known for some time that my spiritual self-care as a pastor needed a boost. In that moment of decision,…
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Crossing The Threshold: Revelation of an Amazing Spiritual Adventure
In my early years, the word “Revelation”– on the cover of the James Redfield book, The Nine Revelations (The Celestine Prophecy)— caught my attention. When the book came out in the 1990’s, it was a huge hit as the great spiritual adventure that conquered millions of readers around the world. Redfield weaves a tale about…
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Living with Joy: Spiritual Companions Across the Centuries
When I first encountered St. Francis of Assisi, I was struck by many similarities in our situations despite the 800 years separating us. He lived in a time of war, displacement of peoples, injustice, prejudice, religious strife, and illness, to name a few. Shaken to its core by political and religious conflict, his society had…