Carol Howard Merritt: I needed community to be able to heal my spiritual wounds
The author of “Healing Spiritual Wounds” talks about how the church was a source of both wounding and healing.
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A crying angel organist statue at Malostransky Cemetery in Prague, Czech Republic. Bigstock / JosefKubes
Mel Williams: We need to teach our people to pray and to weep
These two practices help us connect to the Holy One, the source of love, compassion and justice, writes a retired Baptist pastor.
In the Sacred Heart, Jesus' heart is not protectively shrouded but rather vulnerably laid bare. To the author, the image is a reminder that Christ knows the depths of human suffering. Wikimedia Commons
Laura Everett: My feminist strategy for dealing with criticism as a Christian leader
What do you do when you’re called shrill, hysterical or bossy? The executive director of the Massachusetts Council of Churches responds by feeling deeply and sharing her pain.
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Jessica Brown: The holy practice of looking at things
Nineteenth-century scientists and artists were preoccupied with noticing things. Could contemporary Christians adapt this practice to the working world?
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Gretchen E. Ziegenhals: This Lent, adopt the role of comforter as a spiritual discipline
Being “called to the side of another” is a difficult venture, but one that is a mandate from God, writes a managing director of Leadership Education at Duke Divinity.
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Cricket Cooper: The midweek healing service
It was one thing to lead the Wednesday healing service, quite another to do so while undergoing treatment for cancer, when her own illness was on full display, an Episcopal priest writes in this excerpt from her new book.
Those who flourish in ministry are intentional about their well-being
Challenges are part of any ministry, yet some clergy thrive despite the inevitable setbacks. New research shows that their keys to success can be boiled down to a few simple strategies available to anyone.
A frightening summer storm destroyed dozens of trees on Samuel Rahberg's family farm. Photos courtesy of Samuel Rahberg
Samuel Rahberg: Befriending your limits
Part of effective Christian leadership is learning when to reach beyond and when to accept our own limitations. A spiritual director offers some thoughts and advice on how to do that.
Neurons in the human brain. Bigstock / Rost-9
Edgar Moore: The biological foundation of our common humanity
A book on the science of the microbes within our bodies pushes us to see ourselves less as individuals and more as interconnected, interdependent multitudes. What happens when the checks and balances of these teeming multitudes dissolve?
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Bridgette A. Lacy: Giving thanks in a difficult season
Enjoying the Thanksgiving meal was impossible for a writer recovering from brain surgery. But she has come to appreciate that Thanksgiving is about celebrating what you have, not grieving what you have lost.