As I invite you to reflect on your inner door this month, I wonder whether you are noticing a quiet—or perhaps not so quiet—voice of caution within, whispering: What is on the other side of the door? Sometimes what keeps us from opening that door is the need for a new or expanded image of the Divine.

A relationship with the Divine can feel like a game of hide-and-seek. The good news is that God is always inviting you to return home. Wherever you are in your relationship, the Sacred will meet you.

We all have an inner door that opens and closes to God's love in ways we may not even realize. I recognize the rhythm of opening and closing the door, depending on what is happening in my life and when old wounds reappear. In this reflection, you are invited to reflect on door imagery to help you sort through questions that may be buried in your heart. May the belief in the endless love on the other side give you the courage to engage in the journey.

Each Sunday throughout this month, I have been offering a practice you can use to help you unearth the still voice of God calling you to a deeper wholeness. This week, I invite you to use imagery to unearth your truth.

All this month, I am inviting you to reflect on your growth and to try a practice. This week’s practice may help you uncover an area of growth you are being called to. One thing I like to do when I am in deep discernment is write a prayer to help me focus my thoughts and intentions.

Breathe. Breathe in God. Breathe in hope. Sometimes that is the most basic thing you can do to re-center yourself in times that feel hopeless.

All this month, I am inviting you to reflect on your growth and to try a practice. This week, I invite you to try a breathing prayer to help embody hope.

This month’s theme, “Pause and Practice” is an invitation to reflect on your growth. Each Sunday throughout this month we will offer a practice you can use to help you unearth the still voice of God calling you to a deeper wholeness. 

Too often in life, we run from one event to the next or from one crisis to the next without taking the time to reflect on what happened and how we are changing and growing as a result. Here at Retreat, Reflect, Renew, our retreat season is like a school year, running from September through June. My intention with these reflections is to create a journey for you throughout the season.

You may think you don’t have time for this kind of thing. Speaking strictly as an adult, you probably do not, and that is entirely the point of the exercise.

Work hard, serve, do your duty, sacrifice. Know your mission, purpose, and influence. These are words and phrases I remember hearing a lot about from childhood through adulthood.

I have always been one who never wanted to miss anything. Anything fun, that is, even going so far as to create a system for myself so that I wouldn’t miss anything.

I invite you to connect with the God of Play. Try skipping, humming, dancing, singing, even daydreaming, and invite God into those moments with you. Invite God into your laughter as a way of recognizing the joy in the ordinary and accepting the imperfections of life. 

After hearing your reaction to last month’s reflection (“Let’s Talk about Church”), I realize there is a lot more to talk about. A common theme emerged from your feedback: many who struggle with church do so because they have a deep desire for community. And with good reason. Community can help us get through the roughest times in life.

Practicing your faith in a changing world is challenging no matter what religion. Whether you are happy with your church, feeling empty without one, or fall somewhere in between, I offer you my personal story in the hopes of opening up a safe place to talk about this issue that is weighing heavy on so many hearts.

When you commit to a journey of faith, you are on a lifelong pilgrimage, persevering through the ups and downs of life step-by-step. You are forever a pilgrim walking into the light.