‘Joyful, Anyway’
In this excerpt from her book, bestselling author and Duke Divinity School professor Kate Bowler reflects on the ways that joy is possible even when happiness is elusive.
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How to pray like a psalmist
To prayerfully metabolize their experience and discern God’s presence in their lives, Christian leaders can draw on the embodied example of Psalm 31, writes a spiritual director.
Link to author Samuel Rahberg
By
Samuel Rahberg
Director, Graduate Certificate in Spiritual Direction at Saint John’s School of Theology and Seminary
This year, Lent feels overwhelming
Exhausted by living with disability, a writer reflects on the watching and waiting that are part of the Lenten season — and her daily life.
Link to author Allison Backous Troy
By
Allison Backous Troy
Writer and educator
Finding abundance in our connection with God and one another
It is especially important in difficult times to understand what an authentically abundant life is and to engage in spiritual practices to sustain it, writes a psychologist who focuses on faith and mental health.
Link to author Jessica Young Brown
By
Jessica Young Brown
Licensed clinical psychologist
Relationships make a difference even in the hardest times
History reminds us of the importance of relationships, especially when our humanity is threatened.
Link to author Emma Akpan
By
Emma Akpan
Writer
A priest whose life has been shaped by suicide offers a book to help others
“Suicide and the Communion of Saints” offers theological and practical resources to help individuals and communities deal with suicide and its aftermath.
We are not OK. Does it help to start saying so?
In casual conversation, I am now admitting not all is well, writes an editor of Faith & Leadership.
Link to author Aleta Payne
By
Aleta Payne
Senior editor, Faith & Leadership
How a clergy respite helped spiritual leaders weather the storm of Hurricane Helene
When Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina in 2024, pastors were on the front lines of the recovery efforts. A retreat offered by the United Methodist Church helped them rest and recover.
Kenneth H. Carter Jr.
Kim Ingram
Why I turned my board room into a dojo
When a pastor created a space for embodied faith and tae kwon do in a campus church building, stressed-out students embraced the movement practices.
Link to author Erica Liu
By
Erica Liu
Executive director and pastor, Pres House campus ministry, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Pizza, WWJD bracelets and bad theology: How a church’s youth group throwback night became a space for healing
Young adults at an Atlanta church reenacted their youth group experiences in a safe, adult space. What happened felt both cathartic and complicated, writes a program coordinator at Candler School of Theology.
Link to author Ryan Snider
By
Ryan Snider
Program coordinator, BRIDGE Young Adult Innovation Hub, Candler School of Theology
How itinerancy taught me to give up the illusion I’m in charge
The United Methodist Church’s system of itinerancy means accepting that I don’t have control over my life. But after all, nobody does, writes the wife of a UMC pastor.
Link to author Sarah Grace Thompson
By
Sarah Grace Thompson
Writer, editor and chaplain
