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.

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 have found that the belief system of Christianity is no longer a good fit for my faith.

This website, however, is not a critique of the Christian church. I won’t discount the faith that nurtured me and made me spiritually stronger. It is simply no longer enough. I’ve come to believe no one faith system contains the total truth. On the contrary, the truth is often diminished when it is squeezed into the accepted doctrines of any one faith.

This has been an interesting journey for me, to say the least, particularly since my husband (Tim) remains a committed Christian serving the church as a pastor. It has taken a lot of hard work and trust to work through these differences, plus a good dose of unconditional love and mutual respect. By working through this experience, our commitment to one another has grown stronger, and we cherish the relationship we have.

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.

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