How long has it been since you had an experience with God while reading Scripture? If you are like many who come to us for spiritual direction, it may have been a very long time. Instead of igniting a holy flame in you, your current reaction to the Bible may be better...

Book Junkie

I’m a book junkie. I admit it. I’m not sure there’s an antidote for this addiction nor are there enough bookcases in my home to hold all my stash. It’s a problem.

I haven’t always been a book junkie though. I didn’t grow up in a home that read a lot of books....

While some might associate mysticism with trendy new age crystals dangling from a rear view mirror, in reality, Christian mysticism has historical roots and a rich cast of characters like Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, Thomas a Kempis, Thomas Merton, Henri Nou...

Healing Invisible Wounds

The body is made to heal itself. But what about the soul? How do those immaterial parts of us heal from the wounds of relationship or a collision with painful life circumstances? Those immaterial wounds rarely heal on their own and are often wha...

WHY WE (SO DESPERATELY) NEED SILENCE

The subject of silence is showing up everywhere in my world—on book covers and podcasts; and in blogs, science journals, and even my church e-newsletter. So, what’s all this buzz about? Why do we need silence? Better yet, why do we S...

“How are you feeling?” It’s a question we might ask someone who’s going through something hard or anticipating something new. And it’s a question I ask often in spiritual direction in various forms. Recently, I’ve asked this question of myself and others, but with a di...

You’ve heard of “Throw-back Thursday,” right? Well, we’ve had the idea to begin a new practice of giving a “shout-out” each Thursday to a person, organization, or resource that we’d like to introduce to our friends. Because our passion at Fall Creek Abbey is to renew t...

What’s the question most people ask when they meet you for the first time—“What do you do?” Right? While we were in Ireland, NO ONE ever asked us that question! Instead, the first question they always asked was, “Are you on holiday?”

After several encounters of this nat...

On June 1st we will celebrate our 7th anniversary at Fall Creek Abbey (formerly Sustainable Faith Indy)! Recently, we took some time to reflect on these last seven years of hosting more than 7,500 retreat guests, offering spiritual direction training, and meeting with...

A few weeks ago as I was receiving the gift of Sabbath (and dearly in need of it), I had a growing sense that the intent and possibilities of the day had become fuzzy. There likely was a time in history when men and women had fewer options and simpler lives keeping the...