Mystic Musings: Lent 2/19
Take ten minutes and breath deeply. Ask the “soft animal of your body” what it really needs right now.
Mystic Musings: Ash Wednesday
“For you are dust, and unto dust you shall return.”
Genesis 3: 19 from the Hebrew Scriptures
Lent 2026: Mystic Musings
This year I will attempt to honor both by using the Christian practice of Lent to offer musings based in the mystical experience and writings.
Rome to Rumi: The Historic Last Gasp
Christendom, the marriage between Christianity and cultural and political power is definitely dying.
Rome to Rumi: Budgets and Buildings…
“Before Christianity was a rich and powerful religion, before it was associated with buildings, budgets, crusades, colonialism, or televangelism, it began as a revolutionary non-violent movement promoting a new kind of aliveness on the margins of society.” Brian McClaren
Rome to Rumi: The Crack in Christendom—Pt. 2
Somewhere in my unconscious I still thought I could enjoy the benefits of Christendom and have both a church pulpit and a community pulpit.
Rome to Rumi: The Crack in Christendom—Pt. 1
There was already a crack in Christendom. I just was able to cheat it for one very short four-year period.
Rome to Rumi: Why Trump Now?
So…..it is no surprise that Christian nationalism is trying to fill the vacuum and Donald J. Trump is taking advantage of this historic opportunity…
Rome to Rumi: An Invitation
Today, I am announcing that a book under a working title, “Rome to Rumi: Recovering the Mystical Tradition from Christendom” is in the works.
Whispers from the Camino—The Pilgrim Song
I end this “Whispers from the Camino” with the words and the link to my “pilgrim song.” In many ways it captures so much of what I experienced on the Camino. Thank you for taking this “little walk” with me.
Whispers from the Camino—Day 36
I expected this to be the final day on the Camino trail. With just less than 20 kilometers and an early start I anticipated getting into Santiago de Campostelo by about noon.
Whispers from the Camino—Day 35
It felt harsh. But I knew the story. In my early 20’s I had to make a decision—either allow my childhood trauma to dictate my life or take action to create the life I wanted.
Whispers from the Camino—Day 34
I didn’t know where this would take me, but I did know that I couldn’t waste any more energy trying to fit in.
Whispers from the Camino—Day 33
That night in Palas den Rei, three of us from the albergue buddied up to find a place for dinner—an American, a Frenchman, and a Spaniard.
Whispers from the Camino—Day 32
My life really started when I quit running. It started when I began making decisions based on my actual reality rather than my preferred reality.
Whispers from the Camino—Day 31
I still wanted to have that feeling of “having a life,” but now with my new awareness I wondered if that meant less about putting roots down in a certain place and lifestyle…
Whispers from the Camino—Day 30
The day just confirmed what had been growing in me for quite some time. When push comes to shove my need to embody my spiritual vocation is stronger than my need for financial security.
Whispers from the Camino—Day 29
It was a stunningly beautiful day of walking with vineyard covered hills, quaint little villages, sheep crossing the road, marvelous cloud formations, a good connection over lunch with a woman from Denmark, and constant reminders of the spiritual nature of the Camino.
Whispers from the Camino—Day 28
I found myself repeating a short message to myself, “I grieve that we live in a society so addicted to controlling life that we shut ourselves off from the experience of life.”
Whispers from the Camino—Day 27
I took a few minutes before the cross and pondered, “What do I need to unburden myself from? What is holding me back? What in my life or character needs some self-forgiveness?”