2024-03-15 19:50
This article was published in the Concord Monitor March 21, 2024, under the title, “Wake Up, America.”
“W-Wake U-Up Amer-America!” And they laugh. Clap. Egged on b… Read More
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Reverend Stephanie Rutt's musings on interfaith and spiritual happenings, including how to become a force for good!
2024-02-15 18:03
“In my soul there is a temple, a shrine, a mosque, a church where I kneel in prayer. Prayer should bring us to an altar where no walls or names exist.” Rabia of Basra
It &ldqu&hell…Read More
2023-12-23 16:38
Did you know there are angels right here among us? At this time last year, angels appeared and I, Doug, my husband, and a very unsuspecting family were blessed. Now some of you reading this… Read More
2023-12-18 21:05
I’ll never know her name. Yet, she’ll live in my heart until my last breath. It started with one of those warnings from a newscaster, “The images are disturbing.” The… Read More
2023-12-06 14:02
With so much division, manipulation, finger-pointing, and downright ugliness masquerading as civil discourse these days, it’s easy to lose site of the good. And then something happens… Read More
2023-11-19 22:59
Someday, you’ll be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. C. S. Lewis
Today, I’m invite you on a journey into the magical forest to receive a Thanksgiving blessing . … Read More
2023-11-01 18:23
During these challenging times, seeing war raging in the Middle East, the terrorist attack of Hamas on innocent Israelis, and now the subsequent bombardment of the Gaza Strip, it’s eas… Read More
2023-10-10 20:54
In the October 8th 60 Minute story featuring Geoffrey Hinton, a British computer scientist now called the God Father of AI, artificial intelligence, Hinton reported believing AI could bring… Read More
2023-09-01 21:30
Who’d of thought a doll could cause such a fuss. Barbie, the movie, reveals for some the true existential crisis in the feminine experience while, to others, shadows demonic messages c… Read More
2023-06-30 14:17
Anyone can enjoy a good fairytale to escape the stresses of the day. The problem comes when the boundaries are blurred between fantasy and reality. Such is the case with Baker Mitchell, foun… Read More
2023-06-22 19:58
“You were wild once here. Don’t let them tame you.” Isadora Duncan (1877 – 1927)ISADORA DUNCAN used her bare feet to pioneer a new dance form — modern dance &md&hell…Read More
2023-06-14 13:41
Published in the Concord Monitor, New Hampshire’s State capital newspaper, June 13, 2023.
Few topics stir emotions like gay pride. And many stem from religious roots. Protestant Ch… Read More
2023-05-10 19:50
Everyone who was anyone already knew that Jack was the Keeper of the Squirrels. But hardly anyone knew he liked to collect acorns for the fireplace mantle at his grandparent’s wilderne… Read More
2023-05-10 12:28
This Opinion article was published by the Concord Monitor, our NH Capital’s newspaper, on April 30, 2023.
“The bond of our common humanity is stronger than the divisiveness of… Read More
2023-03-08 21:48
It was something about those smiles, all bright and shiny on the young faces of the girls of SOLA, aired on 60 Minutes, February 26, 2023. SOLA is the Afghan word for peace and also stands f… Read More
2023-02-14 21:12
Sometimes something happens that brings what’s left, when all else falls away, to the surface. Like one of those pearls resting in the ocean floor suddenly being loosened to rise up. E… Read More
2023-02-01 18:55
“How do I talk to a little flower? Through it I talk to the Infinite. And what is the Infinite? It is that still small voice that calls up the fairies.” Dr. George Washington Car… Read More
2022-12-31 16:48
It’s almost the New Year and many folks are considering New Year resolutions. Me too. But today I’m not thinking of just the future. Today I’m taking a stroll back . . . ba… Read More
2022-12-05 18:33
I already knew the place had been well loved. Long before I’d heard of the Mormon family that had built the cabin from trees off the land some fifty years ago. How they’d arrange… Read More
2022-11-09 18:05
I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
The first time I heard the term “woke” it was used in a de… Read More
2022-10-23 15:38
This article is my latest published in the NH capital’s Pulitzer Prize winning daily newspaper, the Concord Monitor. It is particularly timely. Enjoy!!
Opinion > Column… Read More
2022-08-05 17:10
Listen only with your heart
There is a song waiting just for you . . . your special song . . . waiting
And when you least expect it
it will quite suddenly find you
And leave you… Read More
2022-06-30 14:25
As I watched the reactions to the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, I noticed a small group of young women huddled together, gleefully celebrating. And my heart broke. I wrote th… Read More
2022-05-27 16:30
Anais Nin said, “We don’t see the world as it is. We see it as we are.” I believe when we’re fully in the present moment, seeing, feeling, sensing, absorbing what is… Read More
2022-04-02 15:35
Did you know that something quite extraordinary happens every April? I can tell you that I’m absolute certain it’s not what you expect! Yet, every year, it’s enough to brin… Read More
2022-03-17 22:21
I’m an interfaith minister. My default for addressing problems has always been the way of nonviolence. Two of my lifelong heroes are the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Ga… Read More
2022-03-05 20:33
For the February 5, 2022, Concord Monitor – “My Turn”
you have chosen the hip shirt
with the star on it
for today
and you dream
you will
choose your
li… Read More
2022-02-27 21:58
Today, as with so many, my heart is with the Ukrainian people – the men turned fighters and their families turned refugees—the courage being asked of them, the resolve to perseve… Read More
2022-01-17 23:23
“Any persons inclined to purchase, may know the particulars by . . .”
ULSTER COUNTY GAZETTE. Published at KINGSTON (Ulster County [NY] By SAMUEL FREET and SON (Vol. II. Num. 8… Read More
2022-01-05 18:54
It was one of those warm, bright, clear nights at the wilderness camp just over the border from the Magical Kingdom. Abbie, now growing tall and straddling childhood with coming adolescence… Read More
2021-12-23 14:23
Sometimes Christmas shows up in the most unexpected ways—suddenly ringing an ole tune, echoing off a dusty pew from an old country church long ago. I was a young girl when we’d v… Read More
2021-10-27 21:04
“What would happen if one woman told the truth about her life? The world would split open.” Muriel Rukeyser
“And what’d they do before?” She asked… Read More
2021-10-12 11:46
After describing the path before us, Stephanie sat there, grinning, ear to ear with excitement. My first thought: “Why is she the only one so excited about us going out to not look for… Read More
2021-08-30 01:40
Sometimes the most amazing openings come unannounced. Just suddenly they’re there having their way with me. This was one of those times. May this story bring hope and sweet joy to your… Read More
2021-08-05 20:55
I could sit on my great grandparent’s porch in the deep southern woods and count to ninety from the time I’d first hear the sound of a car coming to when I’d finally see it… Read More
2021-05-08 21:36
It’s been said that synchronicity is the language of God. In those times when we recognize the language and can sense that wondrous dance of synchronicity sparking us, ironically, we o… Read More
2021-04-26 19:51
I still wonder if he was real. Over the years, I’ve mostly kept silent about seeing him. In a way, it doesn’t matter. It was the gift he gave me, his face—with that soft, b… Read More
2021-02-21 21:14
*The stories in this blog I’ve shared in other places. The difference here is I’m focusing on that certain something. Enjoy!
I confess I rather enjoyed being not–so&ndas&hell…Read More
2021-02-07 22:34
Whenever sorrow comes, be kind to it. For God has placed a pearl in sorrow’s hand. Rumi
It’s a funny thing about those pearls. They’re only found in the depths of the oc… Read More
2021-01-18 14:48
Most of the time I hate graffiti. It defaces property and reminds me of gangs marking their territory. But, the other day, my husband and I were out walking and we passed a large cement bloc… Read More
2021-01-07 14:41
It could be. Even though the images of insurrection we witnessed yesterday will brand our hearts for a long time to come. We did imagine it could happen. Still, we hoped not. Images. The ima… Read More
2020-12-27 22:25
It’s 1895 and Milton Hershey is an aspiring business man. His dream? Milk chocolate. Unheard of in the US. No matter that he doesn’t have a product yet or even a winning recipe… Read More
2020-12-15 18:55
Each morning their bright silent colors, red, green, yellow, gold send out a reflection through the window to hover over the river below—those lights on my tree. And I sit still, somew… Read More
2020-11-08 18:04
“The tree which moves some to tears of joy is in the eyes of others only a green thing that stands in the way.” William Blake
It’s true that only a few months ago I had… Read More
2020-10-09 13:34
In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
I’m writing today because I don’t want to be such a frie… Read More
2020-09-09 15:11
Then one day I knew if I cut a tree, my arm would bleed. God is everywhere. Alice Walker
For many summers now I’ve written about our wonderful return to our favorite spot in the Mai… Read More
2020-08-21 19:31
Since acquiring our camp, now loving called 3 Feathers, I’ve shared some of those oh–so blissful moments—and there have been many. I’ve basked in the practices connec… Read More
2020-07-29 15:33
Sometimes it’s the smallest things that answer the biggest questions. Maybe that’s why, even when they’re right in front of us, they can often be overlooked, seem too simpl… Read More
2020-07-05 16:49
How do I talk to a little flower? Through it I talk to the Infinite. And what is the Infinite? It is that still small voice that calls up the fairies. Dr. George Washington Carver
We are… Read More
2020-06-08 15:22
It’s hard for me to look when evil is happening right in front of me. Most of the time my usual coping mechanisms kick in: see but-not-really see; consider it some anomaly of behavior… Read More
2020-05-22 22:18
We didn’t know it was going to happen—at least not this fast. But, of course, the timing was perfect. Now, if you know my husband and me you know that, although we absolutely lov… Read More
2020-04-24 21:48
“It is so happy to love,” said the Shepherd quietly. “There is pain too, certainly, but Love does not think that very significant.” Hinds’ Feet on High Places… Read More
2020-03-28 16:17
And So…We Sing Reflection
The coronavirus is offering us a most timely and colossal gift—the gift of, at last, awakening to our common humanity with all peoples. Suffering do… Read More
2020-03-20 18:26
And So…We Sing Reflections…
We hear it all the time. Don’t wait ’til tomorrow to say I love you; I forgive you; I’ve been a better person because of you; w… Read More
2020-03-15 14:44
They say that in the streets of AssisiPeople are singing to each otheracross the empty squares,keeping their windows openso that those who are alonemay hear the sounds of family around them… Read More
2020-03-11 15:25
If you caught my October 2, 2019 blog, An Unexpected Gift of Grace, you know I broke my wrist shortly after returning to dance. I’m back now taking private lessons with Jen, owner of A… Read More
2020-02-24 16:22
I wonder if you’ve thought about it since. You were so mad at me because you thought I was laughing at you. That day my husband and I passed you in front of Alex’s Shoe Store. Yo… Read More
2020-01-20 18:00
In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. day…
In 2016, I visited the largest mosque in New England, The Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center (ISBCC), in Roxbury Crossing, MA, t… Read More
2019-12-24 17:23
In my Christmas service this past Sunday, I shared a story about a young girl who had helped an elderly man to bag groceries as she and her mom went through the line at their local store. Th… Read More
2019-11-15 21:29
I have invited Rev. Lisa Koziell-Betz, Class of 2012, and long-time member of the Tree of Life community, to share her reflection, from our Pray Without Ceasing class, in response to a quest… Read More
2019-10-29 19:08
Elijah E. Cummings, one of the great activists and statesmen of our time, recognized the signs of demagoguery and autocracy as a very real and existential threat to our democracy and, in par… Read More
2019-10-02 22:28
I have broken my wrist. Left one, thank God. It happened when I fell hard on the wooden floor in my lyrical dance class last night. Late night in the ER. Tomorrow an appointment with the ort… Read More
2019-08-28 17:06
We’ve known for a while that that day would come. Ever since our beloved site became protected by the Maine land trust (yes, I know it’s a good thing) and the road out to the sit… Read More
2019-07-18 20:39
On May 20,2019, Wipf and Stock Publishers, through their Imprint, Resource Publications, released my latest book, The Call of the Mourning Dove: How Sacred Sound Awakens Mystical Unity. It i… Read More
2019-06-05 00:53
Life can be difficult, challenging, overwhelming, brutal, unpredictable, messy, and just plain awful. This is not one of those times! This is one of those stop-catch-your-breath…kickb… Read More
2019-04-24 22:17
It’s been a long winter of sorrow, yet untold blessing, bringing me straight into the heart of God’s purest, unbound, love (if so inclined, please see my last blog, Love’s… Read More
2019-01-02 19:35
If you seek only love’s peace and love’s pleasure, then it is better that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love’s threshing-floor, into the seasonless world where y… Read More
2018-12-10 22:56
Tonight, our Jewish brothers and sisters will gather around the Menorah to light the final candle for Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, in honor of the great miracle bestowed by God at the t… Read More
2018-09-27 19:27
It was a simple, ordinary, comb. The black plastic kind you get in one of those ten-pack in the drug store. But, it was no ordinary place. A hospital bed where my dear daughter lay recoverin… Read More
2018-09-03 20:04
The notion that we are each fully capable, all mighty, and contain all the power we need to manifest a life of beauty and abundance is a popular theme in new age literature. Trouble is, beli… Read More
2018-07-01 17:58
“You and I have the power to change the world – one encounter at a time,” I declared with what felt like a heart explosion of love as I looked out over the auditorium and i… Read More
2018-04-28 21:18
One afternoon, shortly after Easter, I had just gotten my five-year-old granddaughter off the bus and we were relaxing at her kitchen table enjoying a snack. Suddenly, she quite excitedly st… Read More
2018-02-24 17:54
We are in the midst of a great spiritual awakening. The more eclectic term inter-spiritual is replacing the more religious based inter-faith. The old paradigm of church is evolving. Communit… Read More
2018-01-30 17:53
Those of you who know my writing have read many times about what I call the will and surrender dance with God. In this blessed dance, we use our will to engage our daily practice where we ma… Read More
2018-01-01 17:24
One of my favorite things about the holidays, right along side those Salvation Army bells ringing my heart awake again and again, is to rise before the sun and go down and sit in the glow of… Read More
2017-12-21 22:51
The holidays are not an easy time for many. Infused with emotions, they can make despair even more poignant and any expression of love feel cold and superficial. And, so it was for Henry Wad… Read More
2017-08-28 22:29
Shhhhhhh…don’t tell heaven it’s not heaven. Let this be our special secret for I am absolutely certain I’ve found the real heaven right here on earth. You see, I&rsq&hell…Read More
2017-07-24 16:12
In my last blog, Or’ the land of the free and the home of the brave, I proposed one possible scenario, outcome, to the predicament we find ourselves in today. It does not have to be th… Read More
2017-07-11 01:09
It was the summer of 2035 in the American State. The old man woke to a spring in his step for his granddaughter, Hannah, was coming to visit. She wanted to interview him for a special projec… Read More
2017-06-14 14:05
I’ve nicked named my two-year-old dear grandson One Sock as it seems he is rarely in possession of two. But, one day, he also became my Guru on one of our treasure hunts out into that… Read More
2017-01-24 12:57
How we treat our critics is the clearest indication of our theology. From “If God is Love.”
Last Saturday two friends and I went to the Women’s March in Concord, NH. It was… Read More
2017-01-16 13:12
It is in memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and all who have stood and continue to stand for the rights of others in fulfillment of our great American ideals that I send this letter.
Dear… Read More
2016-12-21 16:26
There are many things that pierce my heart during this holy season. Early morning prayers in the dark in the middle of our Christmas lights. Heaven. That catch in my throat when I singing fa… Read More
2016-11-29 13:22
This holiday season, in the midst of continued national divisiveness, I am feeling especially drawn to invite all my brothers and sisters to my table, those who may hold very different views… Read More
2016-11-15 01:25
This past weekend my husband and I drove down to the World Alliance of Interfaith Clergy conference in Marriottsville, MD. On the way, we found ourselves listening to a talk show which was i… Read More
2016-10-04 12:54
Love Has to Be Put into Action ~ Mother ‘Saint’ Teresa
And so we walked. In the rain. With full hearts and strong steps. The unexpected rain in a season of drought reminded… Read More
2016-08-31 18:23
The Way to the Wild Sacred
Last week my husband and I returned to our special spot hidden deep in the Maine woods. I call it the Wild Sacred. (See my August 24, 2015 blog The Wi… Read More
2016-08-22 12:54
Would U still love me? If I would hurt U &nbs&hell…Read More
2016-07-07 16:10
I wear it all the time now. It came on my birthday in a small box from a lifelong friend far away. I was surprised because, though we always exchange cards and sometimes a phone call on our… Read More
2016-03-23 14:32
I wondered about the baby picked up off the subway floor. I flinched at the piercing sounds of the child screaming. I tried to imagine the story behind the bouquet of flowers clenched fast b… Read More
2016-02-07 14:51
In January, as part of my doctoral studies, I participated in an intensive course entitled Topics in Jewish, Christian & Muslim Relations. On the last day, we visited the largest mosque… Read More
2016-02-07 14:51
In January, as part of my doctoral studies, I participated in an intensive course entitled Topics in Jewish, Christian & Muslim Relations. On the last day, we visited the largest mosque… Read More
2016-01-03 13:06
It starts with an unexpected smolder. It won’t matter if the time is right or even available. It won’t be ignored. I call these clear impulses, embers, seeded in our heart by the… Read More
2015-12-02 16:54
A few years ago, at this time of year, I went to the doctor with what I thought might be an ear infection. I remember feeling quite annoyed that I was losing some good shopping time. After e… Read More
2015-11-23 14:40
In this season of Thanksgiving, my heart is overflowing with quiet joy. There is a sweet remembrance of falling leaves painting breathless strokes against the sky. My grateful heartbeat now… Read More
2015-11-17 12:59
Dear Parisians & Terrorists,
Parisians, as I watch the terror that has unfolded in your city, know that your city is now my city. Your pain, horror, shock and mourning, is now mine also… Read More
2015-11-17 12:59
Dear Parisians & Terrorists,
Parisians, as I watch the terror that has unfolded in your city, know that your city is now my city. Your pain, horror, shock and mourning, is now mine also… Read More
2015-10-22 13:35
And, He will raise you up on eagle’s wingsBear you on the breath of LoveMake you to shine like the sunAnd, hold you in the palm of His hand
Not sure what catapulted me out of bed this… Read More
2015-08-24 17:12
You would never find it unless you knew just where to look. The old logging road is now grown up and the waterway is stealthily guarded by rocky boulders. But such is the way when in search… Read More
2015-08-03 13:22
Unless you know a child with special needs, it may be hard to relate. Mostly, it may be hard to imagine just what you’re missing. Every parent prays for a healthy normal child. Every p… Read More
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