I’ve been working at an affordable senior living complex for almost a year. The role includes serving as pastor of the church that meets on site as well as creating initiatives to nurture spiritual wellness within the community and the…
Faith communities are undergoing upheaval, awakening and maybe transformation
Something is happening in the religious and spiritual universe. Many people, if they care about religion at all, have noticed the changing face of religion and spirituality in the United States and throughout the world. Most Americans consider themselves spiritual,…
In spiritual direction, I practice intentionally reorienting toward God
When I tell my friends and family that I participate in spiritual direction, I am most often met with a blank look, followed by a “What?” As with many things of faith, it can sometimes be hard to find adequate…
Focus on ‘we’ rather than ‘me’ when praying, professor counsels
Although Rick Landon never has taught English grammar, he has urged students to choose their pronouns carefully. Paying attention to pronouns while praying is one way to start nurturing a closer relationship with God, said Landon, who recently retired as…
Is religion more important amid COVID or is this just a phase?
More Americans say religion is increasingly influential in society even as faith’s importance on the personal level remains flat, according to new research by the Gallup Organization.
Faith leaders see ‘nones’ coming to church for community, spiritual direction
The number of religiously unaffiliated Americans has continued to grow, yet many of them are drawn to churches and retreat centers in search of spiritual direction. Ministers and religious educators say so-called “nones” and other non-Christian seekers are hungry for…
What’s your spiritual practice?
Is our faith something we are or something we practice? Last week, one of the first questions I was asked at the Chaplaincy Institute for the Arts and Interfaith Ministries while attending a training in the art of spiritual direction was: “What…