In Christian scriptures, one of the many descriptions of God is "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end" (Rev. 1:8a, 21:6b, 22:13 NRSV). It's a name that covers everything, because Alpha (Α) and Omega (Ω) are the first and last letters of the Classical...

The Christmas carol we know as "Good King Wenceslas" is a translation of a poem written in 1847 by Czech poet Václav Alois Svoboda that was put to music by John Mason Neale in 1853. Neale was a British scholar and hymnwriter who knew about the real Wenceslas: Václav, the...

I used to believe that being "blessed" was something that was always positive. That it meant a life full of good things -- food, clothing, shelter, love. I believed the contemporary understanding is that we are "blessed" when life is "good," when events unfold to fit our plans and...

Today's blog is Part Two of a three-part "Spiritual Toolbox" series on simple, practical meditation exercises.

Have you heard about Sinkies? Sinkies are people who eat right over their sinks, especially when they're eating messy, dripping kinds of food. There's even an organization called Sinkie International -- "The International Association...

Today's blog is Part One of a three-part "Spiritual Toolbox" series on meditation.

When I told a friend that I was preparing this blog, she gave me a copy of The Time Paradox, a recent book by Stanford psychology professor Philip Zimbardo. My conversation with Dr. Zimbardo at the APA...

Over the next few weeks I am going to post excerpts from a course series I've led with my good friend Debra Satterwhite called "Spiritual Toolbox." Today's blog is Part Three of Saying "Yes" Begins by Saying "No".

The Datebook as a Tool for Spiritual Life

First, before you read...

Over the next few weeks I am posting excerpts from a course series I've led with my good friend Debra Satterwhite called "Spiritual Toolbox." Today's blog is Part Two of "Saying 'Yes' Begins by Saying 'No.'"

"Yes" and "No" -- each day we are pulled in many directions. The ability...

Over the next few weeks I am going to post excerpts from a course series I've led with my good friend Debra Satterwhite called "Spiritual Toolbox." Today's blog is Part One of "Saying 'Yes' Begins by Saying 'No.'"

I keep a quotation taped to my bathroom mirror so...

As current "religious"...

Regarding the discussion of whether to "forgive and forget" those who were "just following orders" to engage in illegal methods of torture, it is important to remember that the issue of power is central.

Studies have shown that bystanders tend to side with the perpetrator and blame those with less...

Over the years, I have found that the gift of service is that it challenges and changes me. When I lead workshops or retreats that include reflection on service, I share a number of exercises that have helped me frame and re-frame this topic over the years. Here are three...

Across time, the advice is constant: those engaged in the care for others must care for themselves. Indeed, caring for our own souls is how the gentle art of soul care is best learned. My work with well over a hundred artists has taught me that the basic requirements...