And I’ll be honest: it feels a little awkward. I’m not ordained. I don’t wear robes. My cathedral is nature, and my sermons often involve neuroscience and soul. But maybe that’s exactly the point. We’re gathering to explore wisdom beyond doctrine, to embrace doubt as devotion, and to see midlife as sacred terrain. I may not speak their liturgy, but I know something about transformation. And perhaps that’s what unites us—this holy hunger to grow, to shed, and to become. Together.
An MEA alum approached me with the idea of this private retreat dedicated to helping faith leaders renew, recommit, repurpose and reconnect. Given the complexity of modern life and the weight that these leaders carry, this will be a noble week. For many, their congregations are thinning and aging as many young people believe a spiritual experience (an ayahuasca weekend) is the same as a spiritual life. Spirituality isn’t meant to have shortcuts.
I used to serve on the Board of the inner city Glide Memorial Church whose charismatic leader Cecil Williams offered a sort of liberation theology to the outcasts of San Francisco. In this post from nearly four years ago, I wrote about the time that – on a moment’s notice – I was required to give a Sunday sermon in front of nearly 1,000 congregants with no preparation. Reading this post is helping me to minimize the “impostors syndrome” I’m feeling in advance of next week. And, as a workshop compadre said to me a few weeks ago, “Chip, you’ve found your ministerial leadership with MEA.” So, maybe I’m in the right place.
-Chip
P.S. This week, I sat down with one of the thought leaders on menopause, Tamsen Fadal, as her first male guest ever on her podcast. I think you’ll enjoy this episode. And, my MIDLIFE CHRYSALIS podcast episode with me interviewing OnBeing founder Krista Tippett at MEA Santa Fe went live as well. It’s daunting and so much fun to interview some of the world’s leading interviewers.