I am a former pastor of the Lutheran (ELCA) church, and also a writer (articles, devotionals, sermons). I didn’t grow up in the church and after a brief fascination with the paranormal in my mid-twenties, became a Christian. That began a spiritual journey which continues to this day. I felt led into the ministry and graduated with a Masters of Divinity in 1991, at the age of 43. In 2000, I received a Doctorate of Ministry degree. My husband, Tim, is a pastor in the ELCA.

Now, as I enter the decade of my sixties, I find my life has taken a different turn; one which I didn’t expect but believe absolutely is of God. I began working as a hospice chaplain and discovered the work I want to do for the rest of my life. This led me to resigned from the ministry so I could work with people of every faith (and those that profess no faith) without being identified with any one faith group.

I’ve grown and changed as a person in some startling ways these past ten years. I journaled extensively through all the stages of change, and I share both journal entries and reflections on this website.

Although I talk about my dissatisfaction with the church in some of the journal entries, this website isn’t a critique of the church. It’s a story about my spiritual journey that is still far from over and how I needed to become dissatisfied with my perceptions about the church and faith so I could let them go and give God room to transform them.

During this time of change, I often felt terribly alone, as though there wasn’t one other person in my life who could understand what I was going through. I think, in part, this was because it raised questions about God and faith, but also because at many points along the way, feeling isolated is simply part of the experience.

If my words speak at all into the heart of your experience, then this website serves its purpose. Every one of us needs to know we have companions on the journey, whether those companions are a physical presence or are spiritual connections that come about through the sharing of our stories.

We all have moments in time when something or someone enters our life to help us along the way. It is my belief that we can do that for one another. I welcome your stories, reflections and feedback about the website through the e-mail address provided.

Blessings,
Karen Minnich-Sadler