A few weeks ago, Casey and I spent some vacation time in Minnesota. While staying with friends in the Cooper neighborhood of Minneapolis we were invited into a charming, annual neighborhood ritual: waiting for the baby bald eagles to leave their nest. “Did you see the eagles today? Do you think the babies are Read more
Have you ever paid $12 to see a two-hour movie in the theater and had a spiritual experience? What made this experience so powerful? Did you even realize how much time went by? I am willing to bet you were completely immersed in the experience, never once taken out of the moment to notice what time it was. You Read more
Finally the seasons have changed and spring is here! It was a long, slow journey out of winter this year, but as I write now the sun is out, the birds are chirping, and the warm air smells of dirt and new life. Everything is changing, and I couldn’t be happier. Some changes, like the […]Read more
In mid-March I sat on a panel hosted by the Inter-Religious Council of Linn County as part of a series called “Know Your Neighbors.” Throughout the series all of the panelists made it clear that we were not speaking on behalf of everyone in our entire faith tradition. I made sure to emphasize that not […]Read more
What does it mean to live “the good life?” Perhaps it is a little different for everyone but I suspect we all want basically the same things: love, time with family, good food, good friends, a fair society, meaningful work, and a sense of purpose. It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? But these things don’t just happen Read more
“Empathy is full presence to what’s alive in the other person at this moment.” – John Cunningham As a student at the University of Minnesota I heard a story I will never forget. A young man, a college freshman from the Deep South, had just moved to Minneapolis and was experiencing his first real Read more
“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the (people) to gather wood, divide the work and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.” -Antoine de Saint-Exupery What comes to mind when you think of leadership? Do you imagine someone busy defining projects, giving orders and Read more
Growing up Unitarian Universalist, I never knew about the season of Advent. It wasn’t a part of my religious upbringing or Holiday traditions. But when I first learned about it in my mid-20’s I was instantly captivated and drawn to it, much more so than the merriment and celebration even of Yule Read more
How can it be first week of November already? I barely caught up with October! I never did figure out my Halloween costume, I still can’t find my fall sweaters (let alone my winter boots!), and yet there is no escape: the Holiday Season has arrived. At least that is how it feels. Christmas decorations fill the Read more
“The earth is a forgiveness school,” Anne Lamott says. It is that simple and it is completely terrifying. We are here to learn how to forgive. Across our lifetime we are given lesson after lesson, day after day. We are hurt and disappointed over and over again. We get angry and jealous time after time. […]Read more