This week we’re exploring one of the hardest kinds of hurt…

What happens when someone hurts you, and you understand why they did it?

Sometimes understanding makes things easier, and other times it makes them much more complicated. You can see their wound, understand their fear, and know what happened to them. And suddenly the simple categories of villain and victim start to get blurry.

But understanding someone does not magically make your wound disappear.

That’s where perspective becomes difficult.

Spiritual maturity asks us to hold multiple truths at once: They hurt me. Their actions mattered. And they are more than the worst thing they did to me.

And it’s important to note that none of those truths has to erase the others.

So this week, we’re going to explore what happens when understanding complicates hurt, and whether complexity might make room for compassion without asking us to abandon ourselves.

Peace, Bo
The Evolving Christian Faith Network
Religious, Reasonable, & Radical Newsletter
Eclectic Mass Spiritual Growth Newsletter

Two Things Can Be True

Day 1/5 (Awareness)

“Now we see only a reflection, as in a mirror.”
—1 Corinthians 13:12 (NRSVUE)

Good morning,

Think of someone who hurt you. Now notice what happens when you remember the story.

Perhaps part of you says, “They shouldn’t have done that.” And another part says, “But I understand why.”

We often feel pressure to choose between those statements.

You don’t have to.

Understanding someone’s behavior does not require pretending the behavior was harmless. And acknowledging harm does not require reducing another human being to the harm they caused.

Today, simply notice whether both truths are present. Complexity begins when we stop forcing reality into only one category.

Journal prompt

• What hurtful action can you condemn while still understanding something about why the person acted that way?

A prayer to close

God of truth and mercy,
help me hold what is complicated.
Keep me from denying my wounds
or denying another person’s humanity.
Amen.

Read more

Hi everyone,

You’re invited to join us online this Sunday at 7 p.m. Central for Lectio Divina.

This is a quiet, reflective gathering where we listen deeply to scripture, slow down, and make space for what may be stirring beneath the surface of our lives.

It’s not a class. It’s not a sermon. It’s a chance to breathe, listen, reflect, and reconnect with God, with yourself, and with others on the journey.

The event is free and open to the public. Tips are welcome as they support this work.

You can sign up through the Eventbrite listing page for the Evolving Christian Faith Network, where all upcoming events are listed.

Sign Up on Eventbrite

If you want to know how I approach Lectio Divina, here’s a short video.

I’d love to have you join us Sunday night.

Peace, Bo
The Evolving Christian Faith Network
Religious, Reasonable, & Radical Newsletter
Eclectic Mass Spiritual Growth Newsletter

ECF Covenant for A Consecrating Community

As we gather, we recognize that the primary purpose of this community is to nurture, empower, and unleash progressive Christians so that they can embrace their call to make the world a more loving place in their own way.

• We commit ourselves to keeping this a safe space. Everyone needs to be heard. We will work toward granting people the appropriate time and space to speak their truth as they feel comfortable.

• We commit ourselves to healthy boundaries in our conversations. No one should demand access to another’s spiritual life. We will not pressure anyone to say more than they feel they need to or should.

• We commit ourselves to listening for the wisdom that comes through the truth of the other. Creative insight happens in the space between us—the space that invites us to move beyond the edges of who we are.

• We commit to healthy dialogue, especially during disagreements. We will slow things down and intentionally choose our words so we can continue to speak from our truth in love and facilitate a strong sense of community.

• We commit to being a community of justice. We know some ideologies and theologies are harmful to human well-being. We resist them as we make space for, protect, and privilege the voices of the marginalized in our midst.

• We commit to being a community of grace. We know people will transgress. We will deal with these transgressions as gracefully as possible. We also realize that this community is not for everyone. For those for whom it is meant, we offer time and guidance to adjust to appropriate behavioral norms.

Joining together, sharing together, working together, may we become a community of divine hope for the future.

Credits

• Thanks to Nightcafe for the cover art

This week we’re exploring a question that follows us through almost every stage of life…

Who are you supposed to be?

It sounds simple until you start listening for all the voices answering it: parents, teachers, churches, friends, partners, culture.

And somewhere underneath all of those voices is your own evolving story about who you are and who you ought to become.

You see, stories don’t simply describe our lives. They organize them. They tell us what success means, what failure means, what kind of person deserves love, and what kind of future counts as worthwhile. Sometimes those stories give us life. Sometimes they become cages.

This week, we’re going to listen for the story hiding inside that little word “supposed”. Who knows, you may discover that some parts of the person you thought you had to become were never really yours.

Peace, Bo
The Evolving Christian Faith Network
Religious, Reasonable, & Radical Newsletter
Eclectic Mass Spiritual Growth Newsletter

Who Taught You Who to Be?

Day 1/5 (Awareness)

“For you created my inward parts.”
—Psalm 139:13 (NRSVUE)

Good morning,

Finish this sentence without thinking too hard:

By this point in my life, I’m supposed to be…

What appears as the answer?

Maybe: Successful, married, financially secure, certain about what you believe, more accomplished, more confident, more spiritual?

We carry enormous numbers of these expectations around without noticing them. Eventually, they begin sounding like our own voice.

Today is simply about hearing them. You’re not arguing or correcting. You’re just noticing the invisible script that tells you what someone like you is supposed to look like.

Journal prompt

• When you think, “By now I’m supposed to be…,” how does your mind finish the sentence?

A prayer to close

God of every unfolding life,
help me hear the stories I carry.
Give me gentleness toward who I have been
and curiosity about who I am becoming.
Amen.

Read more

This week we’re exploring what happens when nothing is demanding your attention…

Your quiet moments are not empty. You are always filling them with something.

You’re standing in line. Sitting in the car. Waiting for the microwave. Lying in bed before sleep.

And almost immediately, something rushes in to fill the space.

Your phone. A worry. A fantasy. A mental argument. A podcast. A little scrolling.

None of these things are necessarily bad. But attention is never meaningless. That to which you repeatedly give your attention, you gradually give a little bit of your life.

It’s kind of like water finding the same grooves in the earth. Given enough time, those grooves become channels.

So this week, we’re exploring what flows into the little spaces when nothing else is demanding you.

Not to condemn the distractions.

Just to discover what your quiet moments might be quietly revealing.

Peace, Bo
The Evolving Christian Faith Network
Religious, Reasonable, & Radical Newsletter
Eclectic Mass Spiritual Growth Newsletter

What Rushes into the Silence?

Day 1/5 (Awareness)

“Be still, and know that I am God!”
—Psalm 46:10 (NRSVUE)

Good morning,

Most days contain tiny pockets of emptiness.

Thirty seconds waiting for something to load. Two minutes before someone arrives. A quiet drive. A pause between tasks.

And then something happens.

We fill them.

Often without consciously deciding to.

Today, don’t worry about whether what fills those moments is good or bad. Simply notice where your attention goes when nothing else is demanding it.

Think about it this way: silence creates a tiny opening, and your attention reveals what is waiting nearby to enter.

That can tell you something about the shape your inner life has already taken.

Journal prompt

• When an unplanned quiet moment appears today, what do you instinctively reach for?

A prayer to close

Holy Presence,
meet me in the spaces between things.
Help me notice where my attention wanders
when nothing is calling my name.
Amen.

Read more

Hi everyone,

You’re invited to join us online this Sunday at 7 p.m. Central for Lectio Divina.

This is a quiet, reflective gathering where we listen deeply to scripture, slow down, and make space for what may be stirring beneath the surface of our lives.

It’s not a class. It’s not a sermon. It’s a chance to breathe, listen, reflect, and reconnect with God, with yourself, and with others on the journey.

The event is free and open to the public. Tips are welcome as they support this work.

You can sign up through the Eventbrite listing page for the Evolving Christian Faith Network, where all upcoming events are listed.

Sign Up on Eventbrite

If you want to know how I approach Lectio Divina, here’s a short video.

I’d love to have you join us Sunday night.

Peace, Bo
The Evolving Christian Faith Network
Religious, Reasonable, & Radical Newsletter
Eclectic Mass Spiritual Growth Newsletter

ECF Covenant for A Consecrating Community

As we gather, we recognize that the primary purpose of this community is to nurture, empower, and unleash progressive Christians so that they can embrace their call to make the world a more loving place in their own way.

• We commit ourselves to keeping this a safe space. Everyone needs to be heard. We will work toward granting people the appropriate time and space to speak their truth as they feel comfortable.

• We commit ourselves to healthy boundaries in our conversations. No one should demand access to another’s spiritual life. We will not pressure anyone to say more than they feel they need to or should.

• We commit ourselves to listening for the wisdom that comes through the truth of the other. Creative insight happens in the space between us—the space that invites us to move beyond the edges of who we are.

• We commit to healthy dialogue, especially during disagreements. We will slow things down and intentionally choose our words so we can continue to speak from our truth in love and facilitate a strong sense of community.

• We commit to being a community of justice. We know some ideologies and theologies are harmful to human well-being. We resist them as we make space for, protect, and privilege the voices of the marginalized in our midst.

• We commit to being a community of grace. We know people will transgress. We will deal with these transgressions as gracefully as possible. We also realize that this community is not for everyone. For those for whom it is meant, we offer time and guidance to adjust to appropriate behavioral norms.

Joining together, sharing together, working together, may we become a community of divine hope for the future.

Credits

• Thanks to Nightcafe for the cover art

Hi friends,

This Saturday at 11 a.m. Central, I’ll be leading another Guided Spiritual Practice online through Eclectic Mass.

These gatherings are meant to be simple, spacious, and grounding — a chance to slow down, breathe, listen, reflect, and reconnect with the deeper current of your life.

Not a class.
Not a lecture.
Not another thing to consume.

More like a guided hour of spiritual nourishment for people who need a little space to come back to themselves, to God, and to the life they are actually living.

You can join by purchasing an Eventbrite ticket for $4 plus tax and Eventbrite fees.

But the better option is to become a paid subscriber to Eclectic Mass. The cost of these gatherings is already included in your subscription, along with the weekly spiritual growth reflections and access to the broader Eclectic Mass rhythm.

Right now, Eclectic Mass is half off for your first three months — only $2.50/month.

So if you’re looking for a more grounded, consistent way to grow spiritually outside the usual church structure, this is a good time to step in.

To attend, you need to RSVP by Noon on Friday.

You can sign up for Eclectic Mass here:

Subscribe now

Or register for this Saturday’s practice on Eventbrite here:

Go to Eventbrite

I’d love to have you join us.

Peace, Bo
The Evolving Christian Faith Network
Eclectic Mass Spiritual Growth Newsletter
Religious, Reasonable, & Radical Newsletter

Read more

This week we’re exploring what happens when certain people become symbols of everything we oppose…

The people we turn into villains.

Every good story needs a villain. Apparently, human beings do too. We identify people who embody what we oppose.

The corrupt politician. The fundamentalist preacher. The billionaire. The activist. The immigrant. The liberal. The conservative.

The categories change depending on who is telling the story. Sometimes people really do cause enormous harm. Naming injustice matters. Resistance matters.

But something spiritually dangerous can happen when a person becomes only “the villain.” Complex human beings become symbols. Once that happens, empathy becomes easier to suspend.

This week, we’re exploring the people we are predisposed to fight so that resistance itself does not quietly train us to become agents of dehumanization.

Peace, Bo
The Evolving Christian Faith Network
Religious, Reasonable, & Radical Newsletter
Eclectic Mass Spiritual Growth Newsletter

Who Becomes the Villain?

Day 1/5 (Awareness)

“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
—Matthew 5:44 (NRSVUE) )

Good morning,

Jesus’ command to love enemies assumes something important: that we have enemies. Or at least people we experience that way.

So today, don’t rush toward love. First identify the people who most easily occupy the villain role in your imagination.

This isn’t necessarily an individual. It might be a group, or a movement, or a type of person. It’s someone whose values or actions make something inside you immediately prepare for battle.

Simply notice who appears.

There may be very good reasons you oppose what they represent. Today we aren’t evaluating those reasons.

We’re simply noticing where the boundary between “us” and “them” becomes especially clear

Journal prompt

• Who most easily becomes a villain in the way you interpret the world, and what about them activates your impulse to fight?

A prayer to close

Christ who loved enemies,
show me where my battle lines are drawn.
Give me courage to see them clearly
before I decide what faithfulness requires.
Amen.

Read more

Hi everyone,

You’re invited to join us online this Sunday at 7 p.m. Central for Lectio Divina.

This is a quiet, reflective gathering where we listen deeply to scripture, slow down, and make space for what may be stirring beneath the surface of our lives.

It’s not a class. It’s not a sermon. It’s a chance to breathe, listen, reflect, and reconnect with God, with yourself, and with others on the journey.

The event is free and open to the public. Tips are welcome as they support this work.

You can sign up through the Eventbrite listing page for the Evolving Christian Faith Network, where all upcoming events are listed.

Sign Up on Eventbrite

If you want to know how I approach Lectio Divina, here’s a short video.

I’d love to have you join us Sunday night.

Peace, Bo
The Evolving Christian Faith Network
Religious, Reasonable, & Radical Newsletter
Eclectic Mass Spiritual Growth Newsletter

ECF Covenant for A Consecrating Community

As we gather, we recognize that the primary purpose of this community is to nurture, empower, and unleash progressive Christians so that they can embrace their call to make the world a more loving place in their own way.

• We commit ourselves to keeping this a safe space. Everyone needs to be heard. We will work toward granting people the appropriate time and space to speak their truth as they feel comfortable.

• We commit ourselves to healthy boundaries in our conversations. No one should demand access to another’s spiritual life. We will not pressure anyone to say more than they feel they need to or should.

• We commit ourselves to listening for the wisdom that comes through the truth of the other. Creative insight happens in the space between us—the space that invites us to move beyond the edges of who we are.

• We commit to healthy dialogue, especially during disagreements. We will slow things down and intentionally choose our words so we can continue to speak from our truth in love and facilitate a strong sense of community.

• We commit to being a community of justice. We know some ideologies and theologies are harmful to human well-being. We resist them as we make space for, protect, and privilege the voices of the marginalized in our midst.

• We commit to being a community of grace. We know people will transgress. We will deal with these transgressions as gracefully as possible. We also realize that this community is not for everyone. For those for whom it is meant, we offer time and guidance to adjust to appropriate behavioral norms.

Joining together, sharing together, working together, may we become a community of divine hope for the future.

Credits

• Thanks to Nightcafe for the cover art

Hi friends,

This Saturday at 11 a.m. Central, I’ll be leading another Guided Spiritual Practice online through Eclectic Mass.

These gatherings are meant to be simple, spacious, and grounding — a chance to slow down, breathe, listen, reflect, and reconnect with the deeper current of your life.

Not a class.
Not a lecture.
Not another thing to consume.

More like a guided hour of spiritual nourishment for people who need a little space to come back to themselves, to God, and to the life they are actually living.

You can join by purchasing an Eventbrite ticket for $4 plus tax and Eventbrite fees.

But the better option is to become a paid subscriber to Eclectic Mass. The cost of these gatherings is already included in your subscription, along with the weekly spiritual growth reflections and access to the broader Eclectic Mass rhythm.

Right now, Eclectic Mass is half off for your first three months — only $2.50/month.

So if you’re looking for a more grounded, consistent way to grow spiritually outside the usual church structure, this is a good time to step in.

To attend, you need to RSVP by Noon on Friday.

You can sign up for Eclectic Mass here:

Subscribe now

Or register for this Saturday’s practice on Eventbrite here:

Go to Eventbrite

I’d love to have you join us.

Peace, Bo
The Evolving Christian Faith Network
Eclectic Mass Spiritual Growth Newsletter
Religious, Reasonable, & Radical Newsletter

Read more

This week we’re exploring the small space between wanting to give and actually doing it…

The moment generosity hesitates.

Generosity often begins as an impulse. You see a need. Think of someone. Feel that little internal movement toward giving. And then…

you hesitate.

Maybe giving will cost too much. Maybe you’ll be taken advantage of. Maybe the other person doesn’t really need it. Maybe you’re tired of always being the generous one.

That hesitation isn’t necessarily selfishness.

Sometimes it’s wisdom. Sometimes fear. Sometimes healthy boundaries. Sometimes scarcity. Sometimes we simply don’t know.

That makes the moment spiritually interesting, because incarnation is about what happens when our values encounter actual life—with its costs, complications, histories, and limits.

This week, we’re exploring that tiny space between the generous impulse and what we actually do next.

Peace, Bo
The Evolving Christian Faith Network
Religious, Reasonable, & Radical Newsletter
Eclectic Mass Spiritual Growth Newsletter

Where Did You Hesitate?

Day 1/5 (Awareness)

“God loves a cheerful giver.”
—2 Corinthians 9:7 (NRSVUE)

Good morning,

Recall a moment when you felt an impulse to give something. It could be monty. But generosity can also mean time, attention, encouragement, hospitality, or help.

Whatever it was, you felt yourself move toward giving…

and then something pulled you back.

Don’t judge the hesitation. We’re interested in the moment itself.

What were you going to offer?

Who would have received it?

And what happened inside you when the impulse met resistance?

Incarnational spirituality lives precisely here. It’s not about what we say we value in theory, but in the complicated moment when a value asks to become flesh.

Journal prompt

• Think of a recent moment when you wanted to be generous but hesitated. What did you feel pulled to give, and what stopped you?

A prayer to close

Christ who becomes flesh,
meet me between intention and action.
Help me notice what moves through me
when love asks to become tangible.
Amen.

Read more

Hi everyone,

You’re invited to join us online this Sunday at 7 p.m. Central for Lectio Divina.

This is a quiet, reflective gathering where we listen deeply to scripture, slow down, and make space for what may be stirring beneath the surface of our lives.

It’s not a class. It’s not a sermon. It’s a chance to breathe, listen, reflect, and reconnect with God, with yourself, and with others on the journey.

The event is free and open to the public. Tips are welcome as they support this work.

You can sign up through the Eventbrite listing page for the Evolving Christian Faith Network, where all upcoming events are listed.

Sign Up on Eventbrite

If you want to know how I approach Lectio Divina, here’s a short video.

I’d love to have you join us Sunday night.

Peace, Bo
The Evolving Christian Faith Network
Religious, Reasonable, & Radical Newsletter
Eclectic Mass Spiritual Growth Newsletter

ECF Covenant for A Consecrating Community

As we gather, we recognize that the primary purpose of this community is to nurture, empower, and unleash progressive Christians so that they can embrace their call to make the world a more loving place in their own way.

• We commit ourselves to keeping this a safe space. Everyone needs to be heard. We will work toward granting people the appropriate time and space to speak their truth as they feel comfortable.

• We commit ourselves to healthy boundaries in our conversations. No one should demand access to another’s spiritual life. We will not pressure anyone to say more than they feel they need to or should.

• We commit ourselves to listening for the wisdom that comes through the truth of the other. Creative insight happens in the space between us—the space that invites us to move beyond the edges of who we are.

• We commit to healthy dialogue, especially during disagreements. We will slow things down and intentionally choose our words so we can continue to speak from our truth in love and facilitate a strong sense of community.

• We commit to being a community of justice. We know some ideologies and theologies are harmful to human well-being. We resist them as we make space for, protect, and privilege the voices of the marginalized in our midst.

• We commit to being a community of grace. We know people will transgress. We will deal with these transgressions as gracefully as possible. We also realize that this community is not for everyone. For those for whom it is meant, we offer time and guidance to adjust to appropriate behavioral norms.

Joining together, sharing together, working together, may we become a community of divine hope for the future.

Credits

• Thanks to Nightcafe for the cover art

Hi friends,

This Saturday at 11 a.m. Central, I’ll be leading another Guided Spiritual Practice online through Eclectic Mass.

These gatherings are meant to be simple, spacious, and grounding — a chance to slow down, breathe, listen, reflect, and reconnect with the deeper current of your life.

Not a class.
Not a lecture.
Not another thing to consume.

More like a guided hour of spiritual nourishment for people who need a little space to come back to themselves, to God, and to the life they are actually living.

You can join by purchasing an Eventbrite ticket for $4 plus tax and Eventbrite fees.

But the better option is to become a paid subscriber to Eclectic Mass. The cost of these gatherings is already included in your subscription, along with the weekly spiritual growth reflections and access to the broader Eclectic Mass rhythm.

Right now, Eclectic Mass is half off for your first three months — only $2.50/month.

So if you’re looking for a more grounded, consistent way to grow spiritually outside the usual church structure, this is a good time to step in.

To attend, you need to RSVP by Noon on Friday.

You can sign up for Eclectic Mass here:

Subscribe now

Or register for this Saturday’s practice on Eventbrite here:

Go to Eventbrite

I’d love to have you join us.

Peace, Bo
The Evolving Christian Faith Network
Eclectic Mass Spiritual Growth Newsletter
Religious, Reasonable, & Radical Newsletter

Read more

This week we’re exploring those unexpected moments when something inside you suddenly comes alive…

The energy that seems to come from nowhere.

Sometimes energy arrives before explanation.

You’re talking about something and suddenly you’re leaning forward.

Someone mentions an idea and your mind starts racing.

You begin doing something ordinary and, strangely, you feel more alive than you did five minutes earlier.

Where did that come from?

We often think of purpose as something we’re supposed to figure out intellectually. But maybe passion works differently. Maybe sometimes the body recognizes significance before the conscious mind has found words for it.

This week, we’re going back to one of those small surges of aliveness. Not because every burst of energy is a divine calling. But because vitality can leave clues. And sometimes those clues point toward places where life wants to move through us.

Peace, Bo
The Evolving Christian Faith Network
Religious, Reasonable, & Radical Newsletter
Eclectic Mass Spiritual Growth Newsletter

When Did You Light Up?

Day 1/5 (Awareness)

“Within me there is something like a burning fire shut up in my bones.”
—Jeremiah 20:9 (NRSVUE)

Good morning,

Think back to a moment when your energy suddenly changed. Maybe you were tired. Distracted. Going through the motions.

And then something happened.

A conversation. An idea. A problem to solve. A possibility.

Suddenly you were more awake. More interested. More there.

Don’t explain the moment yet. And don’t decide what it means. Simply return to it.

What were you doing? Who was there? What changed?

Passion sometimes whispers. But occasionally it lights a small fire and says: “Pay attention to this.”

Today, we’re paying attention.

Journal prompt

• When did you recently experience an unexpected surge of energy or aliveness, and what was happening in that moment?

A prayer to close

Spirit of Life,
meet me in the places where energy rises.
Help me notice what awakens me
before I rush to explain it.
Amen.

Read more

This week we’re exploring the strange power something can have over us before it ever happens…

The future you’re afraid of.

Fear has an unusual relationship with time.

The thing frightening us may not be happening. It may never happen. And yet our bodies can respond as though some possible future has already walked into the room.

A diagnosis. A loss. A financial crisis. Someone leaving. A plan falling apart.

Fear takes possibility and gives it emotional presence.

That doesn’t make fear irrational. Fear is trying to protect something we value.

But if we never become curious about what it’s doing, imagined futures can quietly govern present lives.

So this week, we’re going to approach fear without trying to conquer it.

We’ll listen. Feel. Question. And perhaps discover what our fear has been trying so hard to protect.

Peace, Bo
The Evolving Christian Faith Network
Religious, Reasonable, & Radical Newsletter
Eclectic Mass Spiritual Growth Newsletter

What Are You Afraid Might Happen?

Day 1/5 (Awareness)

“When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”
—Psalm 56:3 (NRSVUE)

Good morning,

Fear often begins with two small words: What if?

What if I lose this? What if they leave? What if the test comes back badly? What if I fail?

Sometimes we respond immediately by trying to reassure ourselves. “Don’t worry.” “It probably won’t happen.”

But today, don’t argue with the fear. Let it speak clearly. Name the possibility that frightens you and notice what happens in your body when you imagine it.

Tightness? Heaviness? Restlessness? A sudden drop in your stomach?

Fear is not merely an idea.

It is an embodied anticipation of a future that has not arrived.

Journal prompt

• What is one thing you are afraid could happen, and what do you notice in your body when you imagine it?

A prayer to close

God who meets me in uncertainty,
stay near the places where fear gathers.
Help me feel what is here
without being swallowed by what might be.
Amen.

Read more

Hi friends,

This Saturday at 11 a.m. Central, I’ll be leading another Guided Spiritual Practice online through Eclectic Mass.

These gatherings are meant to be simple, spacious, and grounding — a chance to slow down, breathe, listen, reflect, and reconnect with the deeper current of your life.

Not a class.
Not a lecture.
Not another thing to consume.

More like a guided hour of spiritual nourishment for people who need a little space to come back to themselves, to God, and to the life they are actually living.

You can join by purchasing an Eventbrite ticket for $4 plus tax and Eventbrite fees.

But the better option is to become a paid subscriber to Eclectic Mass. The cost of these gatherings is already included in your subscription, along with the weekly spiritual growth reflections and access to the broader Eclectic Mass rhythm.

Right now, Eclectic Mass is half off for your first three months — only $2.50/month.

So if you’re looking for a more grounded, consistent way to grow spiritually outside the usual church structure, this is a good time to step in.

To attend, you need to RSVP by Noon on Friday.

You can sign up for Eclectic Mass here:

Subscribe now

Or register for this Saturday’s practice on Eventbrite here:

Go to Eventbrite

I’d love to have you join us.

Peace, Bo
The Evolving Christian Faith Network
Eclectic Mass Spiritual Growth Newsletter
Religious, Reasonable, & Radical Newsletter

Read more

Hi friends,

This Saturday at 11 a.m. Central, I’ll be leading another Guided Spiritual Practice online through Eclectic Mass.

These gatherings are meant to be simple, spacious, and grounding — a chance to slow down, breathe, listen, reflect, and reconnect with the deeper current of your life.

Not a class.
Not a lecture.
Not another thing to consume.

More like a guided hour of spiritual nourishment for people who need a little space to come back to themselves, to God, and to the life they are actually living.

You can join by purchasing an Eventbrite ticket for $4 plus tax and Eventbrite fees.

But the better option is to become a paid subscriber to Eclectic Mass. The cost of these gatherings is already included in your subscription, along with the weekly spiritual growth reflections and access to the broader Eclectic Mass rhythm.

Right now, Eclectic Mass is half off for your first three months — only $2.50/month.

So if you’re looking for a more grounded, consistent way to grow spiritually outside the usual church structure, this is a good time to step in.

To attend, you need to RSVP by Noon on Friday.

You can sign up for Eclectic Mass here:

Subscribe now

Or register for this Saturday’s practice on Eventbrite here:

Go to Eventbrite

I’d love to have you join us.

Peace, Bo
The Evolving Christian Faith Network
Eclectic Mass Spiritual Growth Newsletter
Religious, Reasonable, & Radical Newsletter

Read more

This week we’re exploring what happens when you are…

Right…and still missing something.

Most of us are comfortable discovering that we were wrong. Well…eventually.

What may be even harder is discovering that we were right and wrong. We saw something accurately. And missed something important.

Our interpretation contained truth, and distortion.

Someone else misunderstood us. And we misunderstood them.

Human beings naturally prefer cleaner stories. Right or wrong. True or false. Hero or villain.

For better or worse, our complex reality is messier than that.

But spiritual maturity often asks us to remain in precisely that uncomfortable space long enough to discover that multiple things can be true at once.

This week isn’t about abandoning conviction. It’s about holding conviction with enough humility to recognize that our perspective is always a perspective. And perhaps that’s one place wisdom begins.

Peace, Bo
The Evolving Christian Faith Network
Religious, Reasonable, & Radical Newsletter
Eclectic Mass Spiritual Growth Newsletter

What Did You Just Say?

Day 1/5 (Awareness)

“For now we see only a reflection, as in a mirror.”
—1 Corinthians 13:12 (NRSVUE)

Good morning,

Recall a disagreement in which you felt strongly that you were right.

Maybe you were.

That isn’t the question today.

Instead, notice whether something else might have also been true.

Perhaps your facts were accurate, but your interpretation wasn’t complete.

Perhaps your concern was legitimate, but your response created another problem.

Perhaps someone misunderstood your intentions while accurately describing your impact.

Complexity begins when we stop assuming that one truth must erase another.

It’s kind of like looking through a window.

You really can see what’s outside.

You just can’t see everything from where you’re standing.

Journal prompt

• Where might you have been genuinely right about something while also missing something important?

A prayer to close

Holy Mystery,
give me confidence without certainty
and humility without fear.
Help me see beyond the edges of my view.
Amen.

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Hi friends,

This Saturday at 11 a.m. Central, I’ll be leading another Guided Spiritual Practice online through Eclectic Mass.

These gatherings are meant to be simple, spacious, and grounding — a chance to slow down, breathe, listen, reflect, and reconnect with the deeper current of your life.

Not a class.
Not a lecture.
Not another thing to consume.

More like a guided hour of spiritual nourishment for people who need a little space to come back to themselves, to God, and to the life they are actually living.

You can join by purchasing an Eventbrite ticket for $4 plus tax and Eventbrite fees.

But the better option is to become a paid subscriber to Eclectic Mass. The cost of these gatherings is already included in your subscription, along with the weekly spiritual growth reflections and access to the broader Eclectic Mass rhythm.

Right now, Eclectic Mass is half off for your first three months — only $2.50/month.

So if you’re looking for a more grounded, consistent way to grow spiritually outside the usual church structure, this is a good time to step in.

To attend, you need to RSVP by Noon on Friday.

You can sign up for Eclectic Mass here:

Subscribe now

Or register for this Saturday’s practice on Eventbrite here:

Go to Eventbrite

I’d love to have you join us.

Peace, Bo
The Evolving Christian Faith Network
Eclectic Mass Spiritual Growth Newsletter
Religious, Reasonable, & Radical Newsletter

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This week we’re exploring what happens in the few seconds after something goes wrong…

The story you tell yourself after a mistake.

Mistakes happen quickly.

A wrong turn. A forgotten appointment. Something careless that hurts someone. An email you wish you could pull back into your inbox.

But then something else happens almost as quickly. We tell ourselves a story about what the mistake means.

“I’m an idiot.” “I always screw things up.” Or perhaps: “It wasn’t really my fault.”

Stories help us make meaning, and mistakes give the storytelling mind plenty of material. The important question isn’t whether you tell yourself a story. You will. The question is what kind of story emerges—and what kind of person that story is helping you become.

This week, we’re listening carefully to the narrator inside us whenever things go wrong.

Peace, Bo
The Evolving Christian Faith Network
Religious, Reasonable, & Radical Newsletter
Eclectic Mass Spiritual Growth Newsletter

What If Both Are True?

Day 1/5 (Awareness)

“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you.”
—Psalm 19:14 (NRSVUE)

Good morning,

Think about the last small mistake you made.

What happened immediately afterward inside your head?

Sometimes the internal commentary arrives so quickly that we hardly notice it.

“Stupid.”

“Of course.”

“Here we go again.”

Maybe yours sounds different.

The point today isn’t to correct that voice. It isn’t even to decide whether it’s fair.

We’re simply listening.

Because your inner narrator is helping construct the story you inhabit every day.

And you can’t really understand that story until you hear the words being used to tell it.

Journal Prompt

• Think of a recent mistake. What were the first words or thoughts you directed toward yourself afterward?

A prayer to close

God who hears the words beneath my words,
help me hear myself clearly.
Let me listen without defending
and notice without shame.
Amen.

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This week we’re exploring something that happens so quickly you probably don’t realize it’s happening…

What you notice.

You enter a room.

Open an email.

Walk into a meeting.

See a stranger.

And almost immediately, something captures your attention.

But why that?

Our attention is selective. We simply can’t notice everything, so our minds are continually deciding what deserves to move into the foreground and what can remain in the background. And spiritually, that matters because what catches our attention can reveal something about what we’re already carrying—our hopes, anxieties, expectations, desires, even the stories we tell about the world.

So this week, we’re not trying to control our attention, but rather get curious about where it goes first.

Peace, Bo
The Evolving Christian Faith Network
Religious, Reasonable, & Radical Newsletter
Eclectic Mass Spiritual Growth Newsletter

What Caught Your Eye?

Day 1/5 (Awareness)

“Open my eyes, so that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.”
—Psalm 119:18 (NRSVUE)

Good morning,

Your attention is making choices before you consciously make them.

Walk into a room full of people and you probably won’t notice everyone equally. Open your social media feed and some things immediately grab you while others disappear into the background.

There’s nothing wrong with this. Your brain has to filter reality somehow.

But those first moments of attention can tell you something.

Think about it this way: attention is kind of like a spotlight. Whatever it illuminates first may reveal something about the person holding the light.

Today, simply become curious about where yours goes.

Journal prompt

• What did you notice first in one ordinary situation today, and what might have drawn your attention there?

A prayer to close

Holy Mystery,
open my eyes to what I usually overlook.
Let me notice without judgment
and become curious about what draws me.
Amen.

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