Articles on Nature
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Iona: A Touchstone to a Longer Horizon
The Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh loved to tell a parable about a man and his horse. The horse is galloping quickly and everyone who sees the man fly by assumes that he is on a mission, going somewhere important. At some point a man standing along the road shouts at him, “Where are you…
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Stepping Out…to Step in More Deeply
Why does a person participate in a spiritual pilgrimage? Is it a desire for knowledge… or a vacation with friends? My heart has been drawn to pilgrimage for a long time. Choosing to travel for the purpose of drawing closer to God is quite different than being in a “tour group” or on a “vacation…
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A Sense of Belonging
Several years ago, during a difficult time in my life, I found comfort in reading books that introduced me to a new way of experiencing God that was different from the AME church I attended as a child, and was different from the Baptist, Methodist and non-denominational churches I found myself cycling through as an…
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Signs Along the Way
“Pay Attention to the Signs” is on a placard at the entrance of a local farm/event venue, directing people to their gathering location. A good reminder. I know that I need to look at the signs to see God, whether it be in a little sign (the whisper– like Elijah’s) or a big one. And…
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Keep Walking
One morning about halfway through my pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, as I was standing outside the hotel in my walking gear, a mother with two young children – a boy and a girl – emerged from the hotel. The mother smiled at me and asked if I was walking to Santiago.…
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Judge Me with Love: A Spiritual Practice Inspired by Julia Child
Listen. Let me tell you something. I guarantee there is something beautiful and delicious about your life and it’s part of what makes this world good. Julia Child had butter and the desire to cook with it. Roses in that same buttery yellow are named for her. Those roses now grow in the dirt beside…