When I was about 15 years old, I led a group of teens in worship during a retreat, crafting a meditation with music, poetry and a slideshow of nature photos, creating a time of quiet connection to the Holy. I was hooked! In the more than 30 years since then, I have continued to lead worshipful experiences in churches and on retreats, in classrooms and homes, for individuals and groups, for large events and intimate gatherings.
I attended McCormick Theological Seminary and was ordained as a Presbyterian minister in 1990. In that capacity, until 2006, I served three churches as a pastor, leading weekly worship, providing pastoral care, baptisms, weddings and funerals.
Some of my other life ventures include serving as a house parent for ex-offenders in a halfway house, providing education, advocacy and support to women in prostitution, developing a drama group for inner-city youth, working in regional and national positions for the Presbyterian Church, directing a retreat center for spirituality and creativity, traveling and studying in the Middle East, the Caribbean, and Eastern and Western Europe, and being a mom.
My own spiritual grounding has always been larger than the Presbyterian church and includes years of attending Quaker meeting, study of the Sufi poets, the practice of yoga, work with dreams, Celtic spirituality, Anglo-Catholic liturgies, Buddhist readings and meditation, and creation spirituality. My commitment in working with others is to understand your spiritual grounding and create rituals that reflect your values and beliefs, drawing on traditions meaningful to you.
In addition to an undergraduate degree in English and my seminary degree, I have studied or completed certificates in:
In all of these efforts, I hold with poet Mary Oliver’s advice: “Let me keep my mind on what matters, which is my work, which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished.”
