“The work…is to carry grief in one hand and gratitude in the other, and to be stretched large by them.” ~ Frances Weller* All who knew, read, or heard Rachel Held Evans are reeling right now–stunned, shell-shocked, speechless, raw, overwhelmed, grieving. It’s a tragic loss, and the ripples of her life will spill out for generations to come. I originally met Rachel when she first started blogging; she has been one of the most generous supporters of both Down We Go and... Read more
I just got back from Iona, Scotland with a group of friends who have been meeting for the past year to prepare for what we have called a “Contemplative Adventure.” My friend is the founding director of The Celtic Way, an organization in Denver dedicated to Celtic Christian practices. Almost two years ago now I told him that going to the island of Iona—a hub for Celtic Christian spirituality—was on my bucket list and wondered if he wanted to work... Read more
It’s been a whirlwind around here with big life celebrations for our family and my dad’s death and I haven’t written here at Patheos for a while. However, in the midst of it all I been following the reality of our current political administrations’ policies related to immigration and the ravages it continues to create for families. I have seen the polls that reflect that white evangelicals continue to be the lowest supporters of helping refugees—the supposedly most “Christian” the least... Read more
Today is Resurrection Sunday. It’s a day where Christians tell the Easter story and Jesus risen from the tomb and remember that out of the death and darkness, hope and new life emerge. I know so many of you reading here have found yourself in an awkward position with Easter and the only thing we can muster is a cold and broken Hallelujah. Despite many shifts in faith over the years, I am still thankful for resurrection and that without... Read more
I have 5 kids. Well, they aren’t kids anymore; my oldest is 26 and the twins are now 18. When I play the game “2 Truths and a Lie” I always have a good one because I delivered all 5 of them naturally, with no pain meds (not always my choice, ha ha). Honestly, though, I attribute this to having midwives deliver 4 out of 5 of them. The love, care, nurturing and support I received through the entire process... Read more
As we finish off the first month of a new year, I wanted to take a little time to center on an often-overlooked topic in the faith deconstruction process–how do we tend to our souls and spiritual lives when we’re in the midst of so much upheaval? Sure, many of us might be allergic to some old spiritual practices, but are there new ones we can try that might help us feel less lonely and disconnected to God in the... Read more
We all know Christianity is certainly in an interesting season. The divides are great. The mass exodus from “going to church” continues. The number of men and women of all shapes and sizes and ages and experiences now Unraveling in their faith keeps growing. The political party leap-frog game from Republican to Democrat or Independent is hotter than ever. I personally think it’s a good thing. While some see it as a decline in our moral fabric or a complacency or... Read more
I haven’t written much here in this past season, but it’s been a wild several weeks learning of my dad’s cancer diagnosis and moving him in with us from California for hospice care. We are grateful to have this time with him, and we have great support from our Refuge community and family but it’s been a wild few weeks. I have shared a few posts on my personal blog that reflect some of my sentiments from Thanksgiving to today,... Read more
Part of finding our way forward through a faith shift is celebrating what was and also acknowledging what is no longer part of this next chapter in our story. It’s easy to evaluate some of these things as good or bad, but often they are just neutral. We used to do and believe certain things and now we don’t. Sometimes it’s a really helpful exercise to respect where were were and where are now. It’s about recognizing and giving language... Read more
Healing from a radical shift in faith is a raw and weird process. Everyone navigates it differently, but one thing I’m clear on across our different paths is this: we have to take extra good care of ourselves in the process. After sometimes learning the hard way what is and isn’t a good idea, here are a few suggestions to consider as we travel this path of losing so much of what we once held dear: 1. Be careful what... Read more
Faith Shift
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