I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.

—Henry David Thoreau, Walden

Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.

— Simone Weil

We have spent the whole last year around a theme of reimagining faith, life together & a better way of being human here - and it was in stopping all of the planning & doing that I received a crash course.

To be human is to recognize what is enough.

Being mortal not only means we will die, it implies

our time,

our bodies,

our energy &

our attention are limited.

[Art: Communion of Saints by Elise Ritter.]

What a fun weekend of being reunited with our beloved Well community! It wasn’t just Kevin & I who were welcomed back from sabbatical; some who had been traveling most of the summer also returned just in time to enjoy a weekend of camping, exploring & just being together.

Beautiful space was created …

Sabbath is not merely the pause that refreshes. It is the pause that transforms.

- Walter Brueggemann

On sabbatical, we spin a cocoon around ourselves - a protected place for disintegration in order to find re-integration eventually.

- Ruth Haley Barton

The breezes at dawn have secrets to tell you

Don’t go back to sleep.

- Rumi

For the last 6 months or so, I’ve had the same morning ritual. After pouring my first cup of coffee, I sit down, light a candle, practice some slow-deep breathing, journal some reflections, then offer myself this lovingkindness meditation:

May I be loved. May I be free. May I be peaceful and at ease. May I be present and connected each moment of this day. Thank You, thank You, thank You.

It’s been a very life-giving meditation & morning ritual. I noticed recently, though, that I’ve started moving through it with a little less intention and a little more rote-ness. This is usually a sign that it’s time to make some tweaks.

When it comes to the rituals we practice as a faith community, this can also be true. The point of reimagining rituals is not to strip them of meaning, but to make sure their meaning is not lost - to help us remember why we do them in the first place. [click on image to continue reading]

As a community, practicing our faith has always been central to our identity. Most people who find their way to The Well have little interest in checking boxes or attending church because they should. Instead, we are seeking to live in more just, loving, connected and healing ways here. For some of us, this is what it means to practice the way of Jesus - for others who participate in our life together - practicing is simply the path they find life-giving, grounding and more in tune with what it means to be human.

Whichever of these describes you, we invite you to share a simple practice with us during this season of exploring stories of how we navigate change, loss and transition… [click image to continue reading]

So many of the conversations I’ve had lately have been about how to navigate the host of changes we are experiencing all. the. time. Directions, identities, vocations, desires, beliefs, bodies, laws and families change. And that’s just the short list! We are constantly asked to learn new ways of relating and being in the world, which often involves letting go of old ones - and I don’t need to tell you that letting go can be hard.

Despite our discomfort, our dismay and at times our dread, change is an unavoidable part of being human.

During our upcoming Sunday gatherings… [click image to continue reading]

All summer long, we’ve been spending our 4th Sunday “Church in the Wild” gatherings near water. It has certainly helped to have a place to cool off in the scorching heat; but, I think we’ve gained more than just a reprieve from the hot temps. These gatherings have helped to rekindle a deep appreciation and reconnection with water, and a reminder that she is one of our most vital and life-giving resources.

As we floated down the Ichetucknee last Sunday, I was reminded that our rivers and oceans are teaming with life. We caught glimpses of birds, turtles, fish, and other critters who call the waters their home. Dragonflies danced by, herron feasted on minnow and large trees grew out of the riverbank edge offering much-needed canopy. Nourishment, growth, resiliency, and new life were palpable. [click on image to continue reading]

Each fourth Sunday, we gather outdoors to spend time communing with nature. The summer heat caused us to switch things up a bit. Instead of our usual park and wilderness gatherings, we’ve decided to be outdoors together near water. This past Sunday, we were invited to enjoy the hospitality of friends in their backyard oasis. We began with the sounds of singing bowls, the company of new and old friends and these soul-stirring words to guide our conversation… [click on image to continue reading]

“Sabbath is not simply a pause. It is an occasion for reimagining all of social life away from coercion and competition to compassionate solidarity.” - Walter Brueggeman

This blog post entitled I. Can’t. Breathe. was written several years ago, but it could have been written today. This week, families have been struggling to breathe in the face of losing their children to yet another senseless act of gun violence. People of color are still struggling to breathe in a country whose air is polluted with white supremacy. Many of us are struggling to catch our breath as we face the reality of America, the gun capital of the world.

Despair, numbness, anger and apathy fill the air here.

Where do we go from here? What do we do with this mess we find ourselves in?

What comes to mind when you hear the word soulful?

Maybe it’s a particular kind of music or food or poetry. Perhaps it’s a walk in the woods or a conversation with close friends. Whatever comes to mind, I imagine it describes something that stirs what’s deep inside of you. It makes you feel something.

Soulful is about more than that though.

The soul is not just the center of feeling; it’s the core of our being - our truest selves - our lives - and according to Jesus, it’s possible to gain the whole world but lose our own souls.

[click image to continue reading]

I was surprised and giddy with excitement to find myself waking up on the Mediterranean Sea a few weeks ago. I’d been facilitating a monthly gathering of 11 ministers for 3 years and part of our journey together was to include a fully-funded trip to Israel and Palestine. The trip had been scheduled and postponed twice - this was the third try. I don’t think any of us believed we were actually going until we landed in Tel Aviv.

Other than my barely under the 44-pound limit suitcase, I arrived with nothing - no expectations, no assumptions, not even a concrete itinerary.

It was an odd place for me to be. Almost always leading the way, I tend to be in the know about all of the details, and I also tend to have at least some expectations about how things will go. Not this time - not on this pilgrimage. [click on image to continue reading words for the journey from Sunday, May 15th]

He came down into this world,

and even though he made all things,

the world did not recognize him.

Even his own tribe did not welcome

or honor him.

- John 1:10-11, First Nations Version

Betrayed, abandoned & unjustly executed, today we remember that Jesus died a criminal's death. (click image to continue reading)

"Gethsemane" by Mary Oliver

The grass never sleeps.

Or the roses.

Nor does the lily have a secret eye that shuts until morning.

Jesus said, wait with me. But the disciples slept.

The cricket has such splendid fringe on its feet,

and it sings, have you noticed, with its whole body,

and heaven knows if it ever sleeps.

Jesus said, wait with me. And maybe the stars did,

maybe the wind wound itself into a silver tree, and didn’t move, maybe

the lake far away, where once he walked as on a

blue pavement,

lay still and waited, wild awake.

Oh the dear bodies, slumped and eye-shut, that could not

keep that vigil, how they must have wept,

so utterly human, knowing this too

must be a part of the story.

[click on image to comtinue reading]