An Invitation and (re)Introduction
Tomorrow! Join our monthly zoom Prayer & Practice session
Hello Dear Readers!
For my first letter of the new year, I thought I'd break my typical pattern and take a minute to reintroduce (or introduce! hi!) this little Selah Letter to you. I’ll also tell you a bit about our live monthly Prayer & Practice sessions (info below for tomorrow!)
First, why do I write these letters? What do I hope you receive from them?
In the Psalms, "selah" means to rest or breathe. These letters provide a moment for you to pause and reconnect with God in the midst of your everyday life.
My first love has always been to tend to the deeper places of the human heart. Over the years, this took the form of college ministry, international work, teaching, pastoring, and most recently, spiritual direction.
Creating a quiet atmosphere for someone to listen to God and to their own soul is one of my greatest joys. So why not offer that in written form, too?
In each post, I hope to provide you with a few keys to unlock the deeper places in your heart. This usually include a poem I’ve written from a unique angle, a reflective spiritual practice I’ll guide you through, and an honest prayer you can borrow if your own words falter.
I find that this combination unearths parts of us that can often remain under the surface or out of reach.
You may try reading these letters in a contemplative or lectio divina posture— slowly, meditatively, and simply waiting for one phrase or prompt to capture your soul's attention and allow you to hear God in a fresh way.
If you’re newer here, you can explore the archives of previous Selah Letters, or here’s a few recent favorites:
DO NOT BE AFRAID
THIS TOO IS PRAYER
WHAT IF GOD IS BETTER?
With each of these letters, I hope I can be a soul companion, with you on the roundabout way of Jesus.
I hope this helps frame how you receive these offerings! I’d always love to hear back from you about what has been meaningful or if there’s anything else you’d like to see here.
Now, a bit about our Selah zoom gatherings, which we call Prayer & Practice.
Once a month, I offer a group spiritual direction session centered around reflection. During our 45 minutes together, we’ll pause and make room to be with God. These times can include Scripture meditations, poetry readings, imaginative prayer, journal prompts, or guided listening exercises.
There is no expectation for you to speak or have your camera on. It’s simply a set apart space for you to reconnect with God and know you will be led into stillness so you can explore where the Spirit is already moving within you.
My desire is that these times usher you into healing, compassion and discovery with Jesus as your Guide, so you can do more of your good work from a place of rest and reflection.
If that sounds like a gift for you in this season…
Join us TOMORROW, on January 30th at 3pm EST! I'll lead us in asking the vital question, what if God is better than I ever knew? We'll uncover some of our own assumptions about what the triune God is like—how we have viewed and experienced God's presence in our lives. Then we'll lean into the challenge from Dallas Willard to "never believe anything bad about God." I'll share a poem and a prayer prompt and allow some space for quiet response.
Come honestly, with your hurts and hangups, and allow yourself a chance to dive into the deep goodness of God, for you, with you. Bring your journal and imagination.
REGISTER HERE to receive the link to join.
Note! I’m still figuring it out, but I think all future Prayer & Practice information, links, and recordings will be housed here within Substack. Make sure you’re subscribed to stay in the loop.
Here’s a taste of some of our favorite Prayer & Practice sessions from last year:
Practicing the Presence of God: walking with Jesus through your ordinary day
Anxiety: a poem and practice for finding peace in our fears
Sabbath: practices and prompts for rest and reflection
Psalm 23: engaging our 5 senses in journeying through life with God
Discernment: making decisions and navigating transitions
I’ll end with a quote that helps shape why I do what I do, and some recent family photos below…
Hope to see some of you tomorrow!
So very glad you're here,
Sarah
“The soul is like a wild animal—tough, resilient, savvy, self-sufficient and yet exceedingly shy. If we want to see a wild animal, the last thing we should do is to go crashing through the woods, shouting for the creature to come out. But if we are willing to walk quietly into the woods and sit silently for an hour or two at the base of a tree, the creature we are waiting for may well emerge, and out of the corner of an eye we will catch a glimpse of the precious wildness we seek.”
~ Parker J. Palmer
