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.…
Category: Spirituality
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…
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.…
Hanukah's Hidden Light
Hanukah has a clear spiritual meaning. On one level, it’s simple. And, on another, it’s mystical. Winter is a dark time. Daylight is short. Night is long. With just a few hours of sun, we humans don’t get enough vitamin D. So we get a little depressed. We need a lift. Something to substitute for…
Mystical Morals for Abraham
Melchizedek: the mystical stranger who shows up to bless Abraham. And then disappears. Is he even real—not historically, but in the story? Or is he just one of Abraham’s visions? And why would we care? Because the answer tells us something about the nature of mystical experience. How it relates to emotion. And also to morality.…
Infinity: God in My Soul
Infinity: A perfect topic for my interview on this innovative podcast. It’s called PTR: Philosophy, Theology, and Religious studies. Or, if you prefer, “Poststructuralist Tent Revival.” PTR is hosted by Jacob Given, a doctoral student at Villanova University. Here we discuss ideas from my book The Infinity Inside: infinity, kabbalah, God’s existence, dreams, and mystical…
Negative Thoughts, Be Gone!
Negative thoughts, be gone! I’m reading the handbook for combatting demons by Evagrius Ponticus, a 4th c. Christian monk. He clearly states that his demons are negative thoughts. And that he talks back to them–in Bible verses. Evagrius’s handbook is very personal. It’s a long list of his own habitual negative thoughts and the verses…