Category: Leadership & Spiritual Life

Written by Andrea Severson, Licensed Mental Health Counselor & Spiritual Director

A little more than a decade ago, I was a young pastor with two congregations, a husband and two small children. My churches and my family were all wonderful, but I struggled with finding balance and finding myself in the midst of my roles and responsibilities. I began PrairieFire desperately seeking to revitalize my spiritual life and to find some peace and clarity. I hoped it would provide a sense of contentment and confidence that would enable me to be the pastor (and wife and mom) that I thought I was supposed to be. I didn’t anticipate just how it would turn my life upside down!

Within a year of beginning PrairieFire, I’d applied to Drake’s counseling program; I began taking classes part-time in the summer. Two years later, I graduated from PrairieFire in the midst of saying goodbye to the churches I served and moving to begin as a very part-time chaplain and a full-time student.  (I took the husband and children with me!)  Three years later, I completed the PrairieFire third year practicum in spiritual direction and began interning as a mental health counselor at what was then the Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center (now Mind & Spirit Counseling Center). Four years later, I graduated from Drake and began working as a clinician and spiritual director at the Center.

All of these changes in my life unfolded through a process of growth that invited me to see God, myself and my vocational calling in new ways. Rather than finally becoming the person I thought I was supposed to be, I leaned in to loving and living more fully as the person I actually was. I began to consider the ways that my passions and my heart’s deepest longings might reflect God’s desires for me. Call became less about obligation and more about invitation. 

It would be impossible to identify every person and experience that nurtured this growth, but I will name two distinct moments that served as turning points along the way. The first is a listening exercise we were asked to do early in my second year of PrairieFire. As I was sharing with my partner about a change I was exploring, Mary Jo asked me a simple question: “What do you want?” I was startled to discover how unprepared I was to answer the question!  While I had given a lot of consideration to what other people—and God—might want or need or expect, it hadn’t occurred to me to think about my own experience. As I was finding my way, that question encouraged to see myself as a person worth considering too. The second moment that stands out is a conversation I had with my spiritual director several months later as I was discerning next steps vocationally. She asked a clarifying question about a particular possibility, and my candid response expressed a sense of unfreedom so strong that I shocked myself! My spiritual director sat with me in silence that allowed me to hear the truth my heart was speaking. I left that session with a great deal more clarity than I had when it began.

We live lives that often feel rushed, distracted, overly busy and anxious. We tend towards quick fixes that provide some instant relief or gratification rather than allowing ourselves (or others) to slow down and to be in the discomfort of stillness, uncertainty and ambiguity. I still find that the quiet truth of my spirit, the call of the Divine in my life, can get lost in the clamor of voices in the world around me. This is why spiritual community and spiritual direction matter to me. I don’t generally need advice or validation, though that doesn’t stop me for seeking both at times. What I need is someone who will invite me to notice the sacredness of time and space, who will be present with patience and compassion to welcome the most true and honest version of myself, who will listen deeply for the wisdom within, and who will trust the unfolding of my path, even when I don’t. I am truly grateful for those who have—and do—come alongside me to meet these needs.

I hope that you have trusted people in your life who are present with you to listen for the truth your heart speaks. If you are looking to deepen your own sense of community and connection with deep listeners, you might consider finding a spiritual director or learning more about PrairieFire. (Our next class will begin in September 2025.)  Keep in mind that there are no guarantees about what you might discover along the way… it might just turn your life upside down!

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Andrea Severson, (she/her), Co-Director of PrairieFire, is a spiritual director and Licensed Mental Health Counselor at Mind & Spirit Counseling Center and an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church. Her degrees include a Master of Science in counseling from Drake University and a Master of Divinity from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University. She is a member of Spiritual Directors International and graduate of the PrairieFire program. Andrea is grateful for opportunities to hear the unique stories of others, to explore intersections between mind, body and spirit and to bear witness to the work of the Sacred through her work in spiritual direction and counseling. In her practice, she works with adults from a variety of backgrounds and faith traditions.  Outside of work, Andrea enjoys reading historical fiction, listening to live music and camping with her family.

Parker Palmer suggests that it is actually a good thing to be “disillusioned.” So, whenever I find myself saying “I feel disillusioned,” I am learning to say, “Thank you,” because I do not believe my life is better in any way by living in an illusion. One of the gifts of meeting with a Spiritual Director is the gift of disillusionment.

In one of our monthly conversations, I was particularly frustrated, and angry, with a loved one who was not willing to make a change that I believed was very important. Perhaps even more troubling, I was tormented by my inability to accept in my heart, that which I knew to be true in my head. I did not have the power to make them change in any lasting way. I had shared my concern. I had asked for them to change, but they were not willing to make the change.

I knew that, but I could not accept it for some reason.

Frustrated, I put my Spiritual Director on the spot. I sensed he had been where I was and had moved through the experience wiser and more at peace. I wanted that so badly for myself.

“How did you do it?” I asked. I thought he might give the question back to me, which is the usual way of spiritual direction. I respect and practice that myself, but sometimes the personal experience of the director is helpful. I am thankful that he sensed that this was one of those times.

He said, “One day I realized that the script I was following was simply not true.”

“What was that,” I asked.

“That if I was good, played by the rules, and did all of the right things, everything in my life would work out great.”

As I let his words sink in, I could feel my stone heart soften. “Me too.” I said.

Then, I had a strange vision. Actually, it was a memory of a scene from the movie, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” But it was indeed a sort of “vision” or epiphany.

Farris is a fun, playful, and mischievous teenager who everyone loves except his big sister, Jeanie. She despises him because he breaks rules, has a good time doing it and never gets caught.

Watching the movie as a teen, I could relate to her and I was not sure that I “approved” of the movie because of the way in which Ferris was presented as “the good guy.” After all, he was skipping school, sneaking out of the house and even crashing a Chicago parade by the end of the movie. He was not cruel or destructive. Still, he was not a very well-behaved young man.

As the movie draws to a close, Jeanie has been arrested as a result of the failure of her scheme to “bust” Ferris. She is sitting at the police station by a rough looking teenager in jeans and a leather biker jacket. As they talk, she expresses her anger and frustration about her brother:

Jeanie: All right, you want to know what’s wrong?

Young Man: I know what’s wrong, I just want to hear you say it.

Jeanie: In a nutshell, I hate my brother! How’s that? . . . He was ditching school. When I went home to check, some guy was there. The cops picked me up for making a “phony” call.

Young Man: What do you care if your brother ditches school?

Jeanie: Everybody else has to go.

Young Man: You could ditch . . .

Moments later we see them passionately kissing as her mother arrives to pick her up.

Not only did I recognize the false script that had me stuck, I also realized that I was not even the right person for the part. Beyond what is moral and loving, I am not all that interested in being well behaved. I never have been.

I am all about fun and mischief. I bristle at the words “should” and “ought.” I don’t believe “getting all of my work done before having fun” is even possible, and most importantly, I have come to accept that “seeking the best,” as if it were an actual destination, is toxic. “The best,” while inspirational as a general trajectory, is toxic when I think of it as a specific destination. Why? Because there is no “there” there. There is no objective way to define “the best” or even “my best.” I can always imagine better. I am never “good enough” if the measure of my effort or my being is “the best.”

I credit this awareness to another Spiritual Director who, upon noticing my tendency to use the phrase “my best self” in our conversations suggested, “Perhaps instead of worrying about whether you are always bringing ‘your best self’ to every situation, you might consider that it is okay to show up as your ‘good enough self.’

I am so glad she said that because I love that guy! He’s a hoot!

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If you’re seeking deeper insight and guidance on your own spiritual journey, we invite you to explore the transformative opportunities available through spiritual direction at Mind & Spirit Counseling Center. Discover how you can connect with experienced mentors, like Chris, who can help illuminate your path. Read more here to learn and take the next step toward a more fulfilled spiritual life!

We will also be open to receiving applications for the upcoming PrairieFire Program soon. For more details, please click here and do not hesitate to contact us if you’re interested in joining!

At Mind & Spirit Counseling Center, we are filled with joy and gratitude as we celebrate the remarkable achievements of twelve individuals who have recently become our next cohort of PrairieFire Graduates. This milestone marks not just the completion of their training, but a testament to their dedication, growth, and the profound journey they have undertaken.

Over the past year, these graduates embarked on a transformative journey through PrairieFire, a unique program designed to deepen spiritual understanding and enhance the ability to companion others on their spiritual paths. Their commitment to extending their learning for a third year is a reflection of their passion for developing their listening skills and their earnest desire to support others in their spiritual explorations.

The PrairieFire program has been a beacon of hope and renewal for those seeking to clear the inner clutter that obscures their connection to their true selves. Through rigorous self-reflection and community support, participants like our graduates have learned to navigate their own spiritual landscapes, and in doing so, they have become more effective guides for others.

Our celebration honored not just the academic achievements of these graduates, but also their personal growth and the gifts they bring to their communities. Their perseverance and openness have paved the way for them to earn their certificates of completion—a symbol of their hard work, insight, and the spiritual maturity they have developed over their time with us.

For those unfamiliar with PrairieFire, it is a two-year program dedicated to spiritual renewal, deepening, and formation. PrairieFire provides a safe and sacred environment where participants can clear their inner terrain, allowing new growth to flourish. Within this supportive community, individuals explore their beliefs, challenge negative attitudes, and uncover the divine nature present in their everyday lives. This transformative process involves confronting harmful thinking and embracing a more profound understanding of oneself and one’s relationship with the divine.

Mind & Spirit Counseling Center will be accepting applications for the next PrairieFire class starting January 1, 2025. If you are interested in joining a community dedicated to spiritual growth and renewal, we encourage you to consider applying. You can contact Andrea Severson with any questions or to be added to our interests list.

As we reflect on the journey of our recent graduates, we are reminded of the power of perseverance, community, and spiritual dedication. We are honored to have played a role in their journey and look forward to the continued impact they will make in the lives of those they encounter.

Congratulations to our PrairieFire graduates—your journey is just beginning, and we are excited to see where it leads you.

Putting Down The Pushers

by Chris Waddle, Director of Leadership and Spiritual Life

May 2021 –If anyone asks me what I love most about being a part of the Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center, “the people” is always at the top of that list. When I consider the employees at The Center as well as the external partners with whom I work, I feel so fortunate.

One person, with whom it has been a great joy to work, is Rev. Bill Selby from the Center for Pastoral Effectiveness of the Rockies. Bill has been a mentor to me and it has been great to partner with him for a seminar and three small groups devoted to leadership as an emotional process.

Bill offers a simple way to begin building emotional connection in any small group, including committee meetings. Invite each person to:

• Share your name.
• Tell a story about how you got your name.
• Tell a story about how you got here today.

He encourages leaders to take the time to do this kind of safe emotional sharing even though some may feel it is a “waste of time.” I can tell you from personal experience, it is not. It changes the nature of the group. It helps build empathy and trust. However it is also important to remember that if any new person is added to the group, this process must start over again. Why? Because adding anyone makes you a new group!

Bill also teaches that one of the most important things leaders can do is create “emotional space” when interacting with others. Anxiety has a constricting effect. Even in small amounts, such as when we are trying to keep to a schedule, or when we are not sure where a conversation is going, or when we are not sure we are being taken seriously, anxiety works against emotional connection. We become less playful, less creative, less flexible, less curious, and more emotionally reactive.

Bill suggests we create this emotional space, not by paying more attention to other’s emotional state, but to our own. In order to open up emotional space. Pay attention to “the pushers”.

We all have them and most come in one of these four emotionally-suffocating varieties.

Hurry up!

Be perfect!

Please others!

Be strong!

After we notice the “pusher” that is compressing the emotional space we can begin to give ourselves and others grace or “permission” to put down the pusher. Here is what this might look like:

Hurry up!. . .   No, there is time for us to talk and we do not have to do everything in this one conversation. It is ok to ask curious, and clarifying questions. It is ok to just enjoy being together.

Be perfect!. . .  No, I do not have to be perfect. I can be unsure, I can change my mind. If I am not sure what I believe or feel I can say so or even say “my best guess is.”  So can others. I don’t have to say it “the right way.” It is even ok to have an awkward conversation.

Please others!. . .   No, It is ok to say what I need or even what I just prefer. It is ok if others do not agree with me. It is ok for me to say “no” or “I do not want to talk about that.” It is ok for others to do the same.

Be strong!. . . No, no one is ever always strong. it is ok to be vulnerable. It is ok to show emotion. This is actually how strong emotional bonds are formed. Others do not have to play pretend roles of ‘always strong’ for me either, even those whom I admire for their strength. It is ok and human not to always be strong.

Which one of these, or perhaps another, has a tendency to compress your emotional space? What is your “primary pusher?”

Think of some conversations or contexts when you feel the pusher the most. Perhaps a particular group or a person comes to mind.

How might you create more emotional space in yourself and “put down the pushers?”

If you would like to learn more about leadership as an emotional process or if you have resources you wish to share with others, please let me know. You may email me at [email protected]

Your partner in hope and healing,

Chris

 

For more blog posts by Chris: www.dmpcc.org/Chris

What is faith?

by Chris Waddle, Director of Leadership and Spiritual Life

April 2021 — What is faith? I have heard faith described as “believing things you don’t really believe.” I’ve also heard faith defined as “believing things you cannot ultimately prove.” I like the latter better than the former. Still, it misses a bit of the point of faith to me. It seems to me faith is not primarily about believing beliefs. Beliefs matter. By this I mean core beliefs. Beliefs that relate to ultimate meeting and our relationships with God, creation, each other, and our selves. Still, faith is more than belief — it is about actions. It is about investing ourselves, being vulnerable, and taking risks. Faith is not a passive act of believing beliefs but a courageous act of risking ourselves based on those beliefs.

One day, when I was a pastor, I was visiting someone in his office. He was a collector of antiques and he invited me to sit down on this flimsy looking antique chair. I was honestly not sure whether or not it would support my weight. I considered just hovering over it and not putting my full weight on the chair. However, that was impossible since the chair had no arms, and I did not want to spend the whole meeting looking like I was sitting on the toilet. So I took a leap of faith and sat down. Thankfully, the chair did support me. This story is both an example of simple faith and a metaphor for all acts of faith.

Sitting on ancient chairs is easy compared with other leaps of faith in my life. One of the biggest leaps of faith that I ever made felt more to me like an abandonment of faith at the time. It came right on time. I was in my first year of college when another campus ministry invited our campus ministry to participate in a discussion about creation and evolution. We agreed to a discussion. However, what they had planned was more of a lecture.

I can sum up the whole presentation in three sentences:

• The Genesis creation story is scientifically accurate and historically true.
• If you believe in evolutionary theory you cannot be a Christian.
• We have biblically accurate dinosaur coloring books for sale at the table in the back.

I remember thinking to myself, “This is not science! This is The Flintstones! If this is where taking the Bible seriously is going to lead me, then I cannot be a Christian! Wait a minute! Why should I believe ANYTHING anyone taught me in church?”

I began questioning everything I had ever believed about God, Jesus, and my United Methodist Christian tradition. I also questioned every religious experience I’d ever had. I believed it was entirely possible, and most likely probable, that my religious experiences were just a combination of wishful thinking and emotion.

It was a gut wrenching experience. However, I was determined that I was not going to trust the full weight of my life on anything that could not stand up to my most rigorous questions. Just like that antique chair, I figured my Christian tradition, rooted in an unscientific world-view would crumble beneath the weight of my reason and I did not know where that would leave me. My whole world view and my most significant relationships were rooted in my church culture. However, I wanted to know the truth, even if it meant discarding my whole belief system.

Since this leap of faith, I have let go of some beliefs. Other beliefs I hold more loosely. Still, most of my core beliefs remain and I can tell you why I hold them and why I believe them to be rational and compelling. However, the truth that I found was not quite the truth I was seeking.

The truth I was seeking was a knock down drag out argument for the existence of God, the divinity of Jesus, and the loving, forgiving nature of God. What I discovered was that faith, by its very definition, can never have the kind of lock-down drag-out kind of proof I wanted. However, most of what makes life good and meaningful is a matter of faith and not ultimately testable and provable. I began to see that there is no life without faith even If I did let go of my belief in God. I also learned that the core beliefs of my United Methodist Christian tradition actually did take seriously the integration of science, reason, and experience. In taking the leap of faith to challenge my tradition I discovered an intellectual rigor to my tradition that I did not know was there. It welcomed and was even able to engage my most challenging questions. This allowed me to be more open to the possibility that my spiritual experiences were more than just wishful thinking and emotion. Of course, they could be. But that is the nature of faith and I am ok with that now.

I hesitate to say this because it seems that when I feel at peace with my beliefs is also when I have an experience that challenges me to grow once more. Still, there is a difference in me now. I just don’t get as worked up about it as I once did. I now have more perspective and, I dare say even faith, in the midst of my doubt. I’m not sure I even understand what I mean when I say this. However, let me share how I have experienced it.

I remember one morning, while in seminary, thinking to myself. “I’m not sure I really believe in God today.” Then I chuckled when I sensed God saying to me. “That’s OK Chris, I still believe in you.” and I went on with my day as usual. My freshman college “me” would not have found this compelling at all. . . but it is so very compelling to me now.

Back to my original point. Core beliefs matter but they are not the same as faith. Faith happens when I invest in and risk are when I am vulnerable based on my core beliefs. Faith is not a noun, it is a verb. Faith is not something we have. Faith is something we do, exercise, and practice. It always involves risk and it always involves vulnerability.

Dr. Brené Brown is an expert on courage and vulnerability. She is very quick to correct people when they say “I understand what you are saying, if I am vulnerable and live courageously, I might fail.”

“No,” she says, “I am saying if you are committed to a life of courage it will require you to be vulnerable and if you consistently live this way, you WILL fail many times.” While I know I am paraphrasing a bit, this is the spirit of her words and she is talking about the life of faith.

Since I was a young child I have sought to live prayerfully. As I have grown I have tried not to make decisions based on fear and have tried to listen and respond to what I believe the spirit of God is guiding me to be and do. However, things do not always work out. I have lost a job, I have lost money, I have lost friends, I have made mistakes, and, I have been an ass at times when I thought I was being faithful or prophetic. Faith has not always protected me from pain and loss, even when I have been prayerful and courageous. Still, living prayerfully and courageously has often helped me sense and avoid danger, endure pain and difficulty, and drawn me into life-giving relationships and experiences. I believe that most of what is best about me has come from big and small acts of faith.

If you have taken enough time to read this far then my guess is that you are somewhere on an intentional journey of faith. My question is “Who is on this journey with you?” Churches synagogues, mosques, temples, and other communities of faith can often be these kinds of communities. However, I find that we also need communities within and outside of these communities. We need a smaller circle of people with whom we can develop deep trust.

If you are looking for this kind of community, one option is the PrairieFire community at the Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center. It has been a place where many people have discovered and rediscovered genuine courageous faith. If you’ve read this far, perhaps you might want to learn more about our next two-year community that begins this fall? Make no mistake, it will cost you something. You will not come out of the experience the same as you entered. However, I believe you will find that change a welcome one. If you would like to know more about this community of courageous faith please go to https://dmpcc.org/prairiefire/

Your partner in hope and healing.

Chris

Anxiety Amped Up to “Eleven”

by Chris Waddle, Director of Leadership and Spiritual Life

(March 2021) I thought he was about to hit me! His face was red. His voice was loud. He was invading my personal space. The veins in his neck were even popping out! He said it was because I did not use the pronoun “He” when I talked about God in worship. When I suggested, perhaps I could use both “He” and “She” I thought his head would explode! I decided to refrain from sharing my strong belief that God did not have genitalia.

Still, under mental, emotional, physical, relational, or existential stress, I can feel attacked, insecure, or frightened by other’s anxiety. Today, not so much. Partly because the more I know, the more I am aware of what I do not know. But more importantly, I have learned that people rarely hear me when I come at them emotionally. I know that this is true, because it is also true for me. When people come at me, my natural response is to go into self-defense mode. Fight, flight, or freeze! I was definitely in fight mode in the encounter I just mentioned.

This was not a private encounter. It happened in front of others in the church. I wanted to show folks I could take this guy on, that I could “beat him” and “win” the argument. I did stay calm, and that was good. Still, knowing what I know today, I would have approached him differently. I would not have argued. I would have not explained. I would not have tried to defend myself. I would have done my best to keep calm, stand straight, and let him say everything he wanted to say. I would have clarified that I understood what he was saying as well as the emotion behind it. I would have thanked him for trusting me with his perspective and his feelings. My goal would not have been winning the argument or changing him in any way. My goal would have been modeling to him and to those who are watching a healthy way of engaging with him.
I do not like it when someone gets upset over some little thing and loses all sense of perspective. But do you know what bothers me even more? . . . I know there are times in my life (even this year) that this has been me. I do not like to admit it, but it is true.

I believe I have grown. I believe I am getting better at catching myself and being aware when I feel cornered, attacked, threatened, overwhelmed, or just tired. Still, under mental, emotional, physical, relational, or existential stress, I can, feel attacked, insecure, or frightened by other’s anxiety. I stop listening and feel the need to “defend myself.” My emotional energy goes from being “with” others to trying to “push” others. I might want to push them away or I might want to push then toward something I want them to do or believe. Of course, they usually say “Oh, thank you for pointing out how wrong I am. I just needed you to get angry for me to see your point. I will change now.” . . . no, of course they don’t.

There is a scene in the mocumentary “This is Spinal Tap” where guitarist, Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) is showing director Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner) his custom stage amplifiers that “go to eleven.”

MARTY: Does that mean it’s…louder? Is it any louder?

NIGEL: Well, it’s one louder, isn’t it? It’s not ten. You see, most…most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You’re on ten here…all the way up…all the way up….

MARTY: Yeah….

NIGEL: …all the way up. You’re on ten on your guitar…where can you go from there? Where?

MARTY: I don’t know….

NIGEL: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is if we need that extra.. push over the cliff…you know what we do?

MARTY: Put it up to eleven.

NIGEL: Eleven. Exactly. One louder.

MARTY: Why don’t you just make ten louder and make ten be the top… number… and make that a little louder?

(pause)

NIGEL: These go to eleven.

If you need a laugh, here is a link to the clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOO5S4vxi0o&t=2s

There is a part of me that thinks if I just invest a little more emotional energy, if I just turn it up to “eleven,” I can push you, change you, or even negate you. That’s just silly.

Still, “eleven” is that setting right now in many congregations and a great deal of that anxiety is being focused on clergy. Sometimes it is expressed as anxiety over specific issues or policies. Sometimes it is less direct and expressed as scapegoating of the clergy. Clergy even feel it coming from those who they believe should “have their backs” such as congregational or denominational leaders and even their own family members.

If you are clergy or a congregational leader and you are feeling like you are caught in the crossfire right now, you are not alone.

I also have some good news for you. There are things you can learn and techniques you can practice that will help. None of them require you to change anyone but yourself and none of them require you to crank your amp up to “eleven.”

If you would like to learn more, I invite you to join me for a live webinar: “Leadership in 2021: Ministry Under the Shadow of a Pandemic” with Rev. Bill Selby 9:30 -11:30 a.m. Central time. Cost is only $25 and anyone in the USA may register and attend. For more information or to register please visit: https://dmpcc.org/leadershipin2021/

Your partner in hope and healing.

Chris

Whatever the Question, The Answer is Grace

by Chris Waddle, Director of Leadership and Spiritual Life, Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center

February 2021 — “Whatever the question, the answer is grace.” I was about 19 when my pastor said this to me. I was a mess. I was worried about being accepted by God. I was worried about being alone for the rest of my life. I was worried about not being good enough in about fifty different ways. I was “freaking out!”

“Whatever the question, the answer is grace.”

Does that sound too fluffy and simplistic to you? Sometimes it does to me. But not that day. It was exactly what I needed to hear. It cut to the core of everything that was driving my fear and anxiety, perfectionism!

It did not help that I belonged to a denomination that constantly talked about how God was always moving us toward “perfection!” The goal was “perfection in love,” to become the kind of person that responded out of love no matter what the situation. Now my pastor seemed to be completely removing the goal line, “Whatever the question, the answer is grace?”

More and more I am discovering the deep truth of Jim’s words that day. Grace in my faith tradition is the unconditional love and power of God at work for good in our lives and in creation. Grace comes first, not sin, not belief in God, not repentance. . . grace for ALL creation. The Word that called all that is into being and sustains that being in every moment is Grace.

My worth. . . your worth. . . is not ever earned, diminished, or up for grabs. It is a given and a constant. It does not change with my performance or my situation. Trusting in this sacred worth God grants to ALL also helps me with that “perfection in love” part of my tradition.

“Perfection in love” does not mean I do not make mistakes. It means that my initial response in any circumstance is to do what is most loving. That is a very large and compelling vision, and, I really do want to be that kind of person. . . but I am not. But here is the catch. . . I can’t do it, at least, not as a force of will. Such love must be a transformation of my very being.

I am not saying that it does not involve my actions or that it does not involve my choices. What I am saying is, I do not do it. God’s grace is always acting on me and I can choose to work with or work against that movement of love in my life. I choose and act, but God is always the one urging, directing, empowering, and transforming.

Sometimes I experience Grace as providence. Sometimes I experience Grace as warning. Sometimes I experience Grace as forgiveness. Sometimes I experience Grace as a kick in the butt to take a risk get tough and/or be more vulnerable.

Grace is the Love that holds me and adores me. This is something that the mystics, people of deep prayerful connection with God and creation, from many different religious traditions have in common. When they stop, allow themselves to be open to the mystery of life and being they speak of experiencing a deep connection to a Love that delights in all of us and all of creation.

Grace is NOT God “getting over” or “looking past” our sin, or imperfections, to “Love us anyway.” I cringe now when I realize how many times I must have used this “God loves us anyway” phrase as a pastor. When I realized how pathetic it was I vowed never to do it again. I am convinced God does not need to “get over” anything to love us. . . God adores us period.

Why am I so convinced? Because, as I said, it is a consistent experience of deeply prayerful people across religious traditions. It is what I find most compelling in the most loving people I know. It is the way I have experienced love from those who have loved me most deeply, and it is the way I love my own child.

If this is true of my experience of love, then how much more must it be true of God! Please give up the the image of God “getting over stuff” to love you “anyway”. . . that image of love is a thousand times too small to fit The Ground and Source of All Being. Frankly, It does not even fit my love for my dog, who I certainly do adore.

Speaking of my dog, Harvey does have some growing edges. So do I. Harvey steals shoes and chews them up. I do not steal shoes but I do have some self-destructive tendencies, unhealthy attachments, prejudices, and bad habits.

This is part of what Christians call “sin.” As a teenager someone told me “God cannot use you if there is sin in your life.” That is part of what was troubling me when I was 19. How could I ever know that there was no sin in my life? There was so much to work on and in some cases I was not even sure what was and what was not a sin! I even thought not thinking correctly about God might be a sin! No wonder I was freaking out!

Of course, now, I realize that even a casual reading of the Bible, history book, or newspaper, will demonstrate God using people ‘with sin in their lives” doing incredibly brave, faithful, and loving things.

Still, I do not like to admit my faults, sins, or even bad habits. However, this is where grace helps me. This is why saying “Whatever the question, the answer is grace” is not a “pass” on growth or accountability but an empowering proverb.

If I feel I have to work on everything at once. The weight of it all is simply too overwhelming and I can easily become demoralized and stuck in guilt and shame. This makes it hard to be vulnerable, to feel loved, to give love freely, or to take a leap of faith, which is precisely how we become our true selves. Grace takes much of the pressure off. Grace says “Your worth as a person is not at risk. You do not have to work on everything at once. Let the same Love that called you into being sustain you as it also transforms you.”

I am guessing that you, like me have growing edges, unhealthy attachments, bad habits, fears, resentments, and other garbage. You may or may not use the same “sin” or “God” language that I do. However, I believe this experience is universally human.

Might it be true that you cannot work on everything at once? Might that be ok? Might accepting this actually be empowering to actually make a meaningful change? If so, what would be most healing or helpful to you at this time in your life?

Perhaps it is time to take a leap of faith? Or, perhaps you need to take a small step first? From a place of grace, knowing you do not have to do it all at once, what next step does your spirit long to take? Who might support you as you take this next step?

Likewise, where do you sense your spirit inviting you to be ok with not being perfect? What is a waste of energy? What is an unrealistic expectation? What might need attention, but not right now?

“Whatever the question, the answer is Grace.”

Your partner in hope and healing,

Chris . . . and Harvey!

 

• Leadership and Spiritual Life home page: https://dmpcc.org/our-services/leadershipspirituallife/

Program details:

• Program: In this webinar, Rev. Bill Selby, the founder of the Center for Pastoral Effectiveness will help us understand congregations as emotional systems, the impact of anxiety on us and our faith communities, and some implications to consider as you, the leader, respond to parishioners, colleagues, and the anxiety in which we live. (see below for more webinar details)
• Date: April 13, 2021 Zoom meeting
• Time: 9:30 -11:30 a.m. Central time
• Format: Zoom
• Cost: $25 per person
• CEUs: We will offer .2 units (point two) of CEU credit for each event (webinar, group 1, group 2, group 3) for a total of .8 (point eight) CEU credits.
• For more information, please contact Chris Waddle, Director of Leadership and Spiritual Life at the Des Moines Pastoral Counseling Center, [email protected]