Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
General Christian

2015-04-03T11:41:04-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

New Life: The Heart of Spiritual Direction

Last updated on: April 3, 2015 at 11:41 am By Teresa Blythe

People sometimes wonder if Christians of the progressive, liberal, contemplative persuasion (like me) believe–really believe—in resurrection. Although I don’t usually share Christological perspectives in this blog, I’m making an exception this week. It doesn’t matter to me how Jesus of Nazareth lived on after the crucifixion. What matters to me is that new life is possible. That is at the heart of spiritual direction, whether you do it from a strictly Christian perspective or if you take a more multi-faith approach... Read more

2015-03-23T17:05:56-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

We hold joy and sorrow together

Last updated on: March 23, 2015 at 5:05 pm By Teresa Blythe

One of the hardest aspects of life is to hold onto joy while the world around us is teeming with violence. Last Wednesday morning I was having a leisurely prayer time after which I clicked on Google News to discover that a man had gone on a shooting spree in Mesa, AZ just 20 miles east of my house at the same time I was meditating. Just a few blocks from my house is a lovely park with a duck pond, historic buildings and... Read more

2015-02-03T08:46:56-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Superbowl Discernment Lesson

Last updated on: February 3, 2015 at 8:46 am By Teresa Blythe

We’ve all had a Seattle moment. It’s a crucial time, we have the power and the means but instead of using what we know we opt for the risky move and……game over, we lose. In spiritual discernment it is important to not just gather as many facts about the practical situation but to pay attention to them! Many voices in our culture tell us, “take risks, it’s OK to fail—that’s how we learn.” That’s good advice if we are timid... Read more

discernment

spiritual direction

spiritual discernment

spirituality

Super Bowl

2015-01-19T13:24:52-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Spiritual Practices

Last updated on: January 19, 2015 at 1:24 pm By Teresa Blythe

The MLK holiday is the perfect time to reflect on the spiritual practices that kept one of the most famous civil rights activists connected to God. I encountered this list of practices in seminary when we studied William O. Paulsell’s classic book Rules for Prayer. People of prayer frequently have intentional practices and attitudes that they cultivate. Based on St. Benedict’s famous “Rule” for his order, we call these “Rules for Prayer.” Rule doesn’t mean mandatory or obligatory. It’s an... Read more

Martin Luther King Jr

2015-01-12T13:50:20-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Holy Terror! Spiritual Guides and Violence

Last updated on: January 12, 2015 at 1:50 pm By Teresa Blythe

The CNN headline was jarring to anyone in spiritual leadership: “The Paris terrorists were connected to an al-Qaeda spiritual mentor.” As if it could be possible for any spiritual guide from any religion to advise his or her students to commit violence. Of course anyone can claim to be a spiritual mentor. Just like anyone can claim the title of spiritual director or spiritual companion. There are lots of narcissistic people in the world who would love to have the... Read more

2015-01-06T07:19:11-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Spiritual Direction in the New Year

Last updated on: January 6, 2015 at 7:19 am By Teresa Blythe

Perhaps one of your goals for 2015 is to explore spiritual direction. Here’s what you need to know to get started. Spiritual direction is a confidential monthly one-on-one session devoted to your relationship with the Divine. The spiritual director’s job is to accompany you as you explore life experiences–challenges, questions, blessings, insights and awareness. Your job as directee is to simply come with a willingness to share your experiences with the director. Spiritual direction is not just for clergy or... Read more

new year's resolutions

spiritual direction

spirituality

Uncategorized

2014-12-19T10:45:21-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Praying through Advent: Imagining the Nativity

Last updated on: December 19, 2014 at 10:45 am By Teresa Blythe

This is the final day of Advent. Tonight is Christmas Eve and tomorrow is Christmas. We conclude our Advent prayer series right where we began—Praying the Nativity. In today’s imagination prayer, we find ourselves spending time with Mary, the new mother. Mary is sometimes known as Theotokos, a Greek word meaning “God-bearer.” Each of us helps create and re-create God’s desire in the world, so we are all, in a sense, God-bearers. In this prayer, feel what it is like... Read more

2014-12-19T10:48:31-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Praying through Advent: Lectio Divina on Matthew’s Nativity

Last updated on: December 19, 2014 at 10:48 am By Teresa Blythe

There are only two stories of Jesus’ birth in the Gospels—Luke’s and Matthew’s. For this prayer, we will be using lectio divina (praying with scripture) with Matthew’s nativity story. When praying scripture, it is more important that you allow the scripture to speak to you than it is to intellectually understand it. There is a time and place for interpretation and historical context, but lectio divina is not about that. It’s about experiencing scripture as a living window to the... Read more

2014-12-19T10:47:05-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Praying Through Advent: Praying our Experience

Last updated on: December 19, 2014 at 10:47 am By Teresa Blythe

If you feel you are losing yourself in the busy-ness of this Advent season, this prayer can help ground you in the present. It’s really a meditation technique for people who have trouble with the usual meditation instructions (following your breath; using a mantra; concentrating on an object). This simple technique is a way of praying our direct experience. In this prayer we are not concerned with the past or the future. Just right now. The Practice Find a comfortable... Read more

2014-12-19T10:45:55-08:00

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Praying through Advent: Praying the Nativity

Last updated on: December 19, 2014 at 10:45 am By Teresa Blythe

Our Advent imagination prayer is getting closer to the manger! Today’s passage has the angels departing for heaven and the shepherds taking to the road to Bethlehem to check out this birth for themselves. As you imagine yourself part of the shepherd’s caravan, see if you can catch the emotion in the scene. The Practice Begin by turning your attention to the presence of God in prayer. Ask for the awareness of how God interacts with your imagination. Read the... Read more

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which Psalm ends the Book of Psalms with "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Psalm 150 Psalm 50 Psalm 23 Psalm 100

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Advent angels Anne Lamott Christmas church leadership clergy contemplation contemplative Christianity Desert Fathers and Mothers discernment election evangelicalism faith freedom guru healing interfaith dialogue Lent love Martin Luther King Jr media mind body spirit mystic Nativity nature new year's resolutions parables peace pluralism prayer prayer practices religious diversity resurrection Rules for Prayer Rumi saints sexual abuse spirit spiritual direction spiritual discernment spiritual mentor spiritual path spirituality stewardship Super Bowl terrorism theology transgender Uncategorized violence visioning vocation

Select a Month February 2026 December 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 June 2024 May 2024 March 2024 February 2024 December 2023 July 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 September 2022 August 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 October 2021 September 2021 July 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012

TRENDING AT PATHEOS General Christian