How many consecutive days have you spent living in a human-made world without reconnecting with your first mother, Earth? Do not judge your answer; just notice. Give yourself time to pause and go outside. Be open to re-connecting with Mother Earth.

Experience the Bible story of the Woman at the Well (John 4:1-42) in a new light. Recognize this story as one that holds the longest-running conversation between Jesus and anyone in the Bible. I am having a new conversation with Jesus through this story. I invite you to be open to a new one as well.

Let Your God Love You is the title of a prayer by Edwina Gately and the inspiration behind one of my prayer practices. I invite you to let this beautiful phrase inspire you to connect with the gentleness of God.

I invite you to chose a word for 2024. I like this exercise because it is not about creating a goal or adding one more thing to your “to-do” list. It is about being attentive and listening. What are your values and desires when making choices with your time and energy throughout the year?

How do you start a conversation about God? Is there a way to do so without sounding preachy? In what ways can you tell if your sharing is appreciated or offensive? The holiday season often brings more gatherings than usual with family and friends we do not see regularly. Are you wanting to share your faith with them?

What do you do when your questions have no answers? Or no good answers? When no answers bring comfort? Sit with them. Pray with them. Place them with Jesus’ questions.

A life change rocks your world. You feel as if you are in a state of free fall. You ask yourself, What happened to my security?

It is easy to become focused on our individual roles in life. How are you connected to the whole?

The couch. Netflix. A bag of cheese popcorn. I have to admit these are the first things that come to mind.

Dancing. The Holy Trinity. Embracing joy and mystery. I have a lot to share in this reflection as I invite you to dance for the joys of life and with the awareness of the beauty of life—in all its mystery. Dance with an awareness that however you are moving through life right now, God in all the dynamic and mysterious ways of the Holy Trinity is dancing with you.

Hope is the belief in your eternal value. The belief in a God who is present with unconditional love for you. This definition is rooted in your relationship with God. It does not include circumstances. Nor does it say anything about things turning out as planned. Hope is not optimism, nor is it wishful thinking. It is a deep knowing—mind, body, and soul—that no matter what happens, God will be there for you.

It is Palm Sunday, a day of celebrating Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem, palms waving, crowds cheering. It feels festive, and there is a sense of anticipation for we know what is to come, Holy Week and the crux of our faith, the Resurrection of Christ. This is a season where our faith is at the forefront of our lives, a very holy time. In an Easter sermon, St. Augustine preached about being “Easter People”, a call to live resurrected life every day. Believing Jesus rose from the dead, we are called to live in the resurrection every single day. Not just during the holy seasons of Lent and Holy Week. Not only when we feel like it. Every. Single. Day.

What is your word for 2023? The invitation to focus on a new word for the year has become a January ritual for Retreat, Reflect, Renew. Every year I get excited to share this question with you and listen to your intentions here in the comments space and during our Sacred Circles. I like this exercise because it is not about the need to have a goal or add one more thing onto the “to-do” list. Being attentive to one word can help remind you of your values and desires when making choices with your time and energy. It is your invitation to continually check in with how God is calling you into health and wholeness.

These days we are nearly back to the social merry go round of pre-covid days, looking ahead and filling our calendars with gatherings and events. Life feels full, and I notice that much of my time and energy involves planning for the future. There is an expectation to schedule, get it done, check it off, and move on to the next thing.

We are all inescapably called to let go at certain points in our lives. Retiring, moving, sending the kids out into the world, all require this act of releasing that which we love. Sometimes the rug is violently ripped out from under our feet. At these times we wonder, who am I without this person that I loved? Who am I without my home and community? Some letting go is invisible to others. It is an inside job, like a spiritual awakening, private and personal.

After hearing your reaction to last month’s reflection (“Let’s Talk about Church”), I realize there is a lot more to talk about. A common theme emerged from your feedback: many who struggle with church do so because they have a deep desire for community. And with good reason. Community can help us get through the roughest times in life.

Practicing your faith in a changing world is challenging no matter what religion. Whether you are happy with your church, feeling empty without one, or fall somewhere in between, I offer you my personal story in the hopes of opening up a safe place to talk about this issue that is weighing heavy on so many hearts.

Throughout this month, our Sunday reflections will offer an invitation for you to answer some “Questions of the Heart” in the form below. Your thoughts and feelings will help all of us here at Retreat, Reflect, Renew as we discern how we are called to respond to this constantly changing world and the many people who are seeking community.