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Retreat where you are
by Kimberly Knowle-Zeller Are you looking to carve out some time for yourself? Are you looking to connect with your faith? Are you looking to deepen your sense of the sacred in our midst? Come and retreat. This one-day retreat is designed for you. And the gift of this retreat is that you can take […]
Blessed to be an ally
by Amanda Llewellyn A young woman, probably in her early 20s, looked deep into my eyes. “I can have communion? I wasn’t confirmed . . . my pastor wouldn’t confirm me.” “Yes. You can have communion here.” Moments like this make the hard work of serving as an ally incredibly powerful and humbling and so […]
Strength and dignity are her calling
Ina, etsi, shi maa, itangu. These are some of the ways I’ve heard indigenous people say, Mother. These are in the languages of just a few of the Indigenous people of North America, more specifically Lakota, Cherokee, Navajo, and Hopi, in that order. As a Lakota woman, I grew up using ina and unci (grandmother), but […]
The Poem That Prays
by Sarah Carson For as long as I can remember, there have been two places I’ve turned when things get challenging: 1) to my faith, 2) to poetry. As someone who grew up in church, I’ve learned prayer can be powerful when I have questions, doubts, and even anger. It can be a way to […]
Everyday Earth Day
by Amy Waelchli When I think about the state of the environment–all the facts, figures, predictions, and failures–I’m completely immobilized with fear. Scientists have been issuing warnings and admonitions to get our acts together for a while now, and we’ve ignored these modern-day prophets. What can one little person do to make a difference? I […]
Perfect Imperfection: How words can fail and hold us at the same time
In the university town where I live, there’s a new club dedicated to what might be this moment’s most celebrated cultural phenomenon. Members of the Taylor Swift Club get together to listen to music and bond over a shared appreciation for all-things-Taylor. “Music tends to have a deeper meaning,” freshman Abby Snelling told the university […]
Stories that feel
by Sarah Carson There is a wealth of scientific data in support of the power of a story to make a difference. Storytelling has demonstrated benefits across disciplines—from treating survivors of abuse and trauma to helping students learn more effectively to selling us things we don’t need. Interestingly, it’s not just that a story itself […]
Faith Reflection: From tension to transformation
by Emily Carson Jesus consistently stepped into tense situations rather than tiptoeing around them. He didn’t avoid difficult interpersonal dynamics; he embraced them and recognized that tension is often a catalyst for transformation (of people and systems). Tension can be defined as the state of being stretched. We can experience it individually, and it also […]