The whole scene was so familiar. This was how I grew up—in church basements, at the VFW, the fire hall, the school auditorium. These were the places where my worlds and my people came together for fish fries, weddings, funerals, BINGO, bazaars, festivals, bake sales, school plays, and concerts. These gathering places were home away from home.
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As the sun made its final descent into the silvery waters of the Pacific I watched, trying my best...
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My father was born in the Cherokee foothills along the border between the Carolinas in 1929. His...
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I am a Christian. It’s a loaded word these days, and I don’t use it very often, because I don’t...
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When I finally read the Gospels for research in my mid-fifties, over and over I am struck with the obvious: the ways in which Jesus loves those who are left out, marginalized, shunned and unloved. It is what David Nantais of Mercy College says: “Those who approached Jesus desired to be acknowledged as possessing dignity. I believe Jesus fulfilled their desires by looking them in the eyes and gently speaking simple words that we all hope to hear: that we are beloved, that someone sees and affirms our beauty, and that we do not have to face our fears alone.”
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The Braided Way is a framework to see every faith tradition as a strand, braided into a larger whole of spiritual awareness. In the Braided Way, combining spiritual practice from various faiths allow us to explore sacred experience and wonder in forms that resonate with our personal spiritual needs and sacred intuitions. In today’s culture, many people shun religious dogma, but yearn for spiritual connection. The Braided Way allows the ceremonies and practices of multiple faiths to be available without the confinements of cultural dogma.