who is…

I am a lover of God.  I try and live the way of Jesus, but find it hard to consider myself Christian or even religious as the words in 2020 have been trashed of all sacred meaning

Far from having arrived, I am still journeying, knowing that God is the faithful One in this relationship. And rather than espousing traditional Christian doctrines or dogmas of any religious denomination, my faith is about experiencing God through mindfulness, contemplation, compassion, service, and living a spirituality of curiosity and wonder.

I am faith-filled but still dance delicately on the edges of doubt. I am passionate and pragmatic; mystical and rational.  I am also in long-term recovery from addiction.  I love the mountains, my dog, wild hope, reckless abandon, coffee and being Velveteen Rabbit real.

In August 1985, I had one of many Spiritual Awakenings involving Divine Love. Since then, I have called myself by many titles — Protestant, evangelical, ecumenical, Catholic, Mystic, Agnostic, and None of the Above (and feel comfy with all and none of those ‘titles’). I rarely use any title to describe me spiritually (only that I am…). However, I am grateful for all the experiences I have had over my 5 decades of living that have allowed me to feel deeply and safely at home with God in this body, in this world.

Over the last 30 years my life’s work – both my jobs and my Mission – have been a patchwork quilt of being with the addicted, the homeless, people living with HIV/AIDS, and those on the margins. I’ve been a counselor, a trainer, a manager, a CEO, a friend, and hopefully a servant. Thrown into that mix for good measure are quite a few years as a consultant (whatever that means) doing social enterprise, community building and development, and even a short spell in the ‘Dot Com’ craze. All of this, whether tent-maker or not, has been because of a hunger to ‘flesh out’ Divine Love in the world and in me and to do “good work by doing good.”  I have also spent many years working and advocating for addiction recovery and healing.

The real deal is I love God, Juno, coffee, Music, movement, and the mountains. I love writing, all of it, from nonfiction to poetry. I love the crazed, the confused, and all who are on a conscious, intentional journey. I love darkness and light. I’m into crazy Love, messy Grace, lavish Mercy, and abundant Beauty.  I love body art (I have some). I dig Dorothy Day, Wendell Berry, Thomas Merton, Richard Rohr, Thich Nhat Hanh (to name a few), all miracle workers, poets, and all artists.  I like the friends of Bill W.  And the simple, the earthy, the sacred and the profane. I love the Silence.  I love being and growing in the Rooms.  I love fellowship around the Table. I dig the Spirit’s movement.  I am playfully irreverent and all about comforting the disturbed and disturbing the comfortable.

For…Now,

N.