Passing the Peace
A Blog By PAX Center for Spiritual Formation
A Few Places to Start
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On Becoming a Spiritual Director
FROM THE DESK OF, ANDREA MARSHALL
Do you remember as a kid being asked the question “What would you like to do when you grow up?” I dreaded that question as I never knew what I wanted to…
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How We Named Our Blog
FROM THE DESK OF, IElA GALIANO-WILLIAMS
I grew up in a church where every week we would pause at one point in the service to “pass the peace.” Snuck in between the children’s moment & the…
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A House in Progress
FROM ARTIST, DOROTHY HARTLEY
For as long as I can remember, I have daydreamed about a house. The house would be small, but adaptable - with old furniture and a bright kitchen, the whole thing…
Most Recent Blog Posts
Below you will find the rest of our blogs beginning with the most recently posted. We hope these provide a small slice of nourishment & a space to pause & listen in the midst of your day. If you have any questions please feel free to email us at contactpaxcenter@gmail.com & we will get back to you as soon as we can!
Praying Through the Election
Voting day is getting closer & tensions are rising. Wherever you stand on the political spectrum, perhaps, like us, you are experiencing difficulty in...
The Thread of Becoming a Spiritual Director
I have felt the pull to ministry for the majority of my life, and as I look back over the years and the different phases that I went through I can certainly see a thread connecting it all together…
Receiving God’s Love
I enrolled for the Spiritual Formation Certificate program with PAX last summer, intending to learn for the sake of others. As a spiritual director, I work with many different people both individually and in groups, and I assumed this class would…
The Authority of Compassion
Who or what comes to mind when you think of the word “authority?” How about the word “compassion?” The way I perceive these words drastically changed when we read Henri Nouwen’s The Return of the Prodigal Son in my TL1 course…
Stories from Spiritual Direction
Over my forty-five years of being a follower of Christ I have experienced a lot of spiritual practices, many before I ever learned the term “spiritual practice.” I have learned which ones bring me life, which ones feel dry, and which ones…
Invitations for Holding
An invitation was extended to me by a good friend to attend PAX’s Day Apart Retreat in Essex, MA. This was the first time since pre-pandemic that I’ve spent time in a church building. This was also my very first experience participating in a PAX…
“Three-Mile-An-Hour God”
A few years ago in a seminary class, I read something that referred to Jesus as the “three-mile-an-hour God.” Jesus could have…
A Story of Silence
The details of that traumatic morning are mostly hazy. I probably woke up to the sound of my mom’s voice as she gently nursed me out of my dream world. “婷婷, 該起床了.” …
Choosing A Listening Space
I know I want to talk to someone, but who do I talk to? How do I choose between seeing a therapist, a life coach or a spiritual director?…
Walking…A Day At A Time
Something I do almost every day no matter the weather is go for a walk. Walking, for me, is not only a form of exercise, but a way to…
A House in Progress
For as long as I can remember, I have daydreamed about a house. The house would be small, but adaptable - with…
On Becoming A Spiritual Director
Do you remember as a kid being asked the question “What would you like to do when you grow up?” I dreaded that question as I never knew…
Living Lent
Well, that was different! - I don’t know about you, but as a kid, I grew up with a deep desire to understand & feel my faith….
Does God Really Laugh At Our Plans?
What parts of your life do you share with God? Are there some things that come up easily in prayer & other things that feel…
Advent Week 4: Love
Only a week to go until we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Each year we are swamped with siren calls to spend, lovely images that lure us to expectations of…
Advent Week 3: Joy
What Christmas music do you find yourself returning to each year? Like many years before, I’m still listening to Nat King Cole’s album, “The Christmas Song”…
Advent Week 2: Peace
When I was first asked to reflect on the theme of peace, linked with this text from Luke, I wasn’t too sure of the connection! Nowhere in the text can the word “peace” be found…
Advent Week 1: Hope
Advent means “coming” & this definition almost inadvertently accompanies a sense of waiting, whether that is joyful waiting, a difficult waiting, or perhaps it is a waiting with some combination…
Beauty for Ashes: Photography as a Spiritual Practice
Art had always been my favorite subject in school, & when I ran out of art classes to take in high school, I signed up for photography. With a heavy manual film camera in my hand, I ventured into…