MORRISVILLE – At work recently, we had training on conflict resolution. After learning about the harm that unresolved conflict can have on a place of business, and going through ways of dealing with conflict rather than ignoring it, we ended with a gratitude exercise. Each person had a paper with[Read More…]
Voices of Spirit
Jesus is inviting you to supper
EAST CRAFTSBURY – At a recent discussion group, someone told a story about a car their father left when he passed away. It was a Dodge Omni that hadn’t been driven in decades, as it had been sitting in the garage. When he passed, there was suddenly a passionate fight[Read More…]
The full meaning of “bless you”
WOLCOTT – Many of us say “bless you,” when someone sneezes, whether we know them or not. Although perhaps primarily a cultural habit, it can also be a warm wish for the person’s good health (and by fearing contagion, our own). A blessing extended between strangers and family members alike.[Read More…]
“We all have a voice that comes from our spirit”
GREENSBORO – Greensboro resident Eleanor Guare has been curating Voices of Spirit column in The Hardwick Gazette for some time now. Voices of Spirit is intended to offer commentary and reflections, sometimes about current events, while providing a religious perspective or tying in a spiritual theme. Guare shared her inspiration[Read More…]
We are each other’s harvest
GREENSBORO – On October 19, many Vermonters stood up for democracy by attending No Kings Day 2 rallies, a reminder that freedom isn’t self-sustaining, as if we needed reminding these days. Democracy, like faith, depends on ordinary people who care deeply about one another and about the common good; people who keep[Read More…]
The Meadow Across the Creek
GREENSBORO – Whatever preserves and enhances this meadow in the natural cycles of its transformation is good, whatever opposes this meadow is not good. My life orientation is that simple. It is also that pervasive. My understanding of the Great Work began when I was quite young. At the time[Read More…]
Regift grace every day
EAST CRAFTSBURY – In the Gospel of Luke, some Pharisees and scribes asked Jesus, “Why do you eat with sinners?” To which Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:30-32)[Read More…]
It’s time to reclaim the practice of the presence of God
EAST MONTPELIER – On a recent week-long visit to the Island of Iona off the west coast of Scotland, I was reminded of the rich traditions of Celtic Christianity. Brought to Iona from Ireland by St. Columba, Christianity, spread throughout the British Isles and flourished there through the 12th century.[Read More…]
Joy is a resistance
BURLINGTON – When was the last time you experienced joy? Take a moment: the birth of a grandchild, a perfect summer day, being in the presence of a dear one, that time you couldn’t stop laughing? Has it been a while? Are there days or headlines or experiences that steal[Read More…]
Listening for the sounds of silence
GREENSBORO – The philosopher Nietzsche famously had a fictional character declare that “God is dead.” That was, to be sure, a metaphorical statement, and one that was meant to be predictive of things to come. (Traditional religion was still prevalent when Nietzsche wrote in the 1880s.) We might think of[Read More…]
Despair does not have the final word
GREENSBORO – Danish priest Henry Nouwen once said, “the resurrection is God’s way of saying that despair is never the final word.” That is a comforting, even empowering thought, if you believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christians profess to believe in it. Their worship on Easter Sunday is[Read More…]
Is empathy a sin?
EAST MONTPELIER – In recent months, I’ve been taken aback by things I’ve seen online that referred to empathy as both a sin and a weakness, an idea that has gained traction in some parts of the church. This is astonishing and deeply disturbing to me, as I have always[Read More…]
