Stacking stones claims ordinary moments of life for God and invites those who pass by to notice the holy ground on which they already stand. Truth be told, an altar was the last thing I expected to find at the…
The spiritual practice of load shedding
By Jayne Hugo Davis Does it ever feel like the demands upon you require more than the resources you have to give? Maybe it’s time or energy that’s in short supply. Maybe it’s money or creativity or answers. Or compassion…
The spiritual practice of stacking stones
By Jayne Hugo Davis Truth be told, an altar was the last thing I expected to find at the end of a long hike. We were hot and sweaty, a bit worn out from the steep climb up the cliff…
The spiritual practice of pressing on
By Jayne Hugo Davis There are few places as special to me as St. John’s Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in Collegeville, Minn. The peace of the lake, the beauty of the art, the stability of the community, the ordering of…
Sabbath: The spiritual practice of exhaling
By Jayne Hugo Davis I never thought of myself as living life holding my breath. Certainly, not like a child demanding the resolution of some grievance, willing to voluntarily turn blue. Not even with wonder and delight in anticipation of…
‘It is finished’: The spiritual practice of daily examen
By Jayne Davis “When Jesus had received the drink, he said, ‘It is finished.’” — John 19:30 “It is finished.” Such powerful words. Jesus’ last words in his earthly life, the culmination of all that the Father had asked of him,…
The spiritual practice of taking the next step
By Jayne Davis “The road emerged only as I walked it.” — Jurgen Moltmann One of the most exciting things for me in a coaching conversation is listening for the next question. Rather than coming in with the expert hat…
The spiritual practice of creating margin
By Jayne Davis My weary body slid into the lounge chair by the pool like Derek Jeter stealing second base — out of breath, a bit scuffed up and like I had taken something I wasn’t supposed to have: a…
The spiritual practice of running the race
By Jayne Davis “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”— Hebrews 12:1b Running a 5K on the first weekend in January is not ideal, even in the South. It can be a bit brisk, to…