Passing the Peace
A Blog By PAX Center for Spiritual Formation
Who Are We?
PAX is a Christian spiritual formation center & non-profit that began in a small town by the marsh in Massachusetts. Now, we train people from all over the country in the art of contemplative listening.
Our vision is to equip you to integrate spiritual formation into your life & the life of your worshipping communities. We believe in moving from a head to a heart knowledge of the voice & love of God. Through our cohort programs, spiritual direction, & retreats, we seek to create room & equip people to hold spaces where we can hear & recognize the voice of God & know that we are beloved.
This blog is an extension of our ministry & a place to get to know each other as well as provide a space to share things we learn along the way. Below, you will find posts written by our PAX staff team as well as wonderful guest writers. We are looking forward to listening together.
Blogs To Explore At The Start Of A New Year
-
![]()
A House in Progress
FROM SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR IN TRAINING, DOROTHY HARTLEY
-
![]()
A Word for 2025.
FROM THE DESK OF IELA GALIANO-WILLIAMS
-
![]()
Living In Transition
FROM THE DESK OF RAMA ZIEGENHALS
-
![]()
Choosing A Listening Space
FROM THE DESK OF IELA GALIANO-WILLIAMS
-
![]()
Walking...A Day At A Time
FROM THE DESK OF RAMA ZIEGENHALS
-
![]()
Does God Really Laugh At Our Plans?
FROM THE DESK OF IELA GALIANO-WILLIAMS
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!
Gifts For Jesus
What is one of the best gifts you've ever received? Chances are you'd be able to name some big ticket items, but I'm willing to bet you're also thinking of…
A Word for 2025.
Do you choose a word for each new year? I started this tradition two years ago and have been surprised at how much I've loved it. This year, I sat in the…
“I’ll Wait For You…”
…is a line used in many a romance story. The words are a declaration of love usually spoken when there is a need for the romantic leads to be apart for...
Hey! Unto You A Child Is Born!
Author, Tish Harrison Warren, has a book called Prayer in The Night: For Those Who Work or Watch or Weep. It isn't written for Advent, yet it is quite fitting for this season of waiting in darkness for…
Sleep in Heavenly Peace?
Each year we hear & sing the familiar words in the carol, Silent Night, “sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace.” I don't know about you, but the…
Does Hope Make A Difference?
Sometimes the villain gets it right…or if not “right” they at least can be used in a story to illustrate profound truths about human nature…
Living In Transition
Our family has been in transition for the past two years. It began with my Mother & moving her into a retirement home. Which was an emotional & draining season as we…
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…