Spiritual Practice

Beau Denton reflects on the gifts the poet Mary Oliver left us with, and what her life and work reveal about the nature of love.

Rebekah Vickery writes that the hope and peace of Advent—especially amidst darkness and chaos—is so much more than a once-a-year story.

Gabes Torres reflects on the story of Mary, and on how we respond to our own calling to live as people of hope in a world of division and fragmentation.

Emma Groppe offers a moving meditation on the rhythms of Advent and the liturgical prayer “Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy.”

Danielle Castillejo writes about everyday moments when stress looms close in the dark, and the ongoing proclamation of Advent that carries in the light.

Lisa Daley shares a portrait of Jerusalem that reflects her experience of feeling unfinished—caught between the birth of Christ and the coming restoration.

For The Seattle School’s annual Advent series, Kae Eaton writes about an incarnational posture that affirms the dignity and humanity of all people.

Nicole Greenwald reflects on the disruption of incarnation, and on the Advent invitation to ponder consent, receptivity, belief, and asylum.

Lacy Clark Ellman explores Sabbath as an essential practice that connects us with the holy in the midst of day-to-day work.

Brittany Deininger offers a ritual for waking that is helping her learn how to remain close to herself as she begins each new day.

As we near the end of the Lenten season, here’s a roundup of a few of the resources that are helping ground us in this season. May they allow you to pause, breathe, and feel the movement and hope of new life—even long after Easter Sunday has passed.

As we near the end of our Lenten journey, Dr. J. Derek McNeil, Senior Vice President of Academics, reminds us that the challenges of the wilderness are part of the quest toward transformation and the call to collective healing.