The “Examen.” A prayerful reflection, made famous by the Jesuit leader St. Ignatius of Loyola. Sometimes it takes you to places you could not imagine. Like it took me, today. Examen in Five Steps Originally, the Examen was designed for the end of a day, but you can do it anytime. Just follow these five steps.…
COVID, Religion, Conflict: A Podcast
COVID-19, religious conflict, and government communication. That’s the theme of this podcast mini-series. It’s just seven 10-15 minute bundles of information! Meet the multi-faith, interdisciplinary project research team. (Yes, I’m part of it!) Learn about COVID public health communications in various countries. Find out how consultation, conflict, and power dynamics affected community responses. In each…
Deborah: Bee Peaceful
Deborah: biblical judge, prophet, warrior, singer, peacemaker. Here are three perspectives on her story: feminist, zoological, and Kabbalistic. Deborah, The New Miriam First, a feminist take. Deborah is the new Miriam. She’s a more modern version of a heroic woman. A bolder version. Take a look at the parallels between their stories. Then, note the…
Why Kabbalah? 2nd best post
Kabbalah, of course. My second most popular post is about the Kabbalistic prayer Ana Bekoach. Read by 6,200 (so far). And why not? The post is simple, clear, and deep. In it, I connect the prayer with the deep magic of creation. Then, I note it has 42 words. And I suggest ways to explore…
Jason Byassee: Writing, Tradition, and Pluralism
Thanks to my colleague Rev. Dr. Jason Byassee for agreeing to this interview! Jason works with me at the Vancouver School of Theology. Officially his title is Butler Chair in Homiletics and Biblical Hermeneutics. Jason is a busy person! He teaches preaching, organizes summer school, runs our Ph.D program, lectures in the community, walks in…
Video: Sulam on Sophia Street Concert
Friends, here is the video of the Sulam on Sophia Street concert celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Sophia Street blog. If you’d like to get oriented first, here’s a sneak peak at the program. And here’s a link to donate to First United, a project helping those hardest hit by the pandemic. Thank you…
Locust: Best Post Ever
So I checked my blog stats! And thus I found my most-read post ever. It’s “Grasshoppers and Locusts: Biblical Power Animals.” Looks like almost 20,000 people read it (so far). On the one hand, it’s just a great post. It’s religious, spiritual, and ecological. And it hints at current events: immigrants, inclusive communities, global locust…
Rachel Barenblat: Poetry, Liturgy & Spiritual Practice
Rachel Barenblat: the interview! I’m so delighted to interview poet and Rabbi Rachel Barenblat! We chatted about poetry, prayer, spiritual practice, and writing. Rachel is spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Israel (Massachusetts), a Founding Builder at Bayit: Building Jewish, and author of the blog Velveteen Rabbi. Writing is a Spiritual Practice Laura: You’re a life-long writer and…
Program: Sulam on Sophia Street
Tenth Anniversary Concert Thank you for joining us! You may know Sulam as a party band. Usually we play upbeat music together. But in this time of pandemic lockdown, we can’t play together. And we don’t feel as upbeat as we usually do! So, today, we are sharing music on more contemplative themes. Soul. Love.…
Pray for Peace?
Shalom. Peace. Integration. Wholeness. Hello and goodbye—an entire cycle of welcome. A face of the divine, according to the priestly blessing. And part of the name of a holy city. An aspirational name. Jerusalem, Yerushalayim: yerushat shalom, an inheritance of peace. Jewish liturgy is full of prayers for peace. One famous version closes every Jewish…