Explore every episode of the podcast Aldea Spiritual Community

In this message, we explore the mysterious and powerful idea of “IT”... that inner pulse, purpose, or pull that each of us carries.

When we stop forcing everything to make sense and become still, real and raw emotions begin to surface. Our inner world starts pointing toward the things that matter most. Sometimes that shows up as joy — the things that make us feel alive. Sometimes as ache — the compassion, heartbreak, or outrage that reveals where healing or action is needed. And sometimes as curiosity — the questions that won’t leave us alone.

By paying attention to these three signals, we begin to live in alignment with our deeper calling rather than the expectations around us. We move with resilience, clarity, and a grounded sense of direction — not because we have the answers, but because we’re finally listening.

Quotes:

• The earth seems to be beseeching us to connect with joy and discover our innermost essence. This is the best way that we can benefit others. — Pema Chödrön  

• Pleasure is always derived from something outside you, whereas joy arises from within. — Eckhart Tolle  

• Let your heartbreak be your guide; it will lead you to what you most need to know. — Terry Tempest Williams  

• A healer is someone who seeks to be the light that they wished they’d had in their darkest moments. — Alan Watts  

• I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious. — Albert Einstein  

• The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. — Albert Einstein  

• Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves… Live the questions now. — Rainer Maria Rilke  

In this week’s message, we explore what it means to "build" - literally or metaphorically. Whether you’re building a relationship, a home, a community, or a dream, the process is universal.

We reflect on how building something meaningful often starts small and unseen. It requires commitment through the rain and shine, a willingness to keep going when it’s uncomfortable, and the imagination to see what doesn’t yet exist.

At Aldea, we’re rediscovering the sacred art of building together. A new way of being spiritual, of being community, of being human.

Quotes: 

• “Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he’d had three months to write, which was due the next day…. He was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books about birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother’s shoulder, and said, ‘Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.’”

  — Anne Lamott

• The amateur believes they must first overcome their fear; then they can do their work. The professional knows that fear can never be overcome.” — Stephen Pressfield
•  

• “If the path before you is clear, you’re probably on someone else’s.” — Carl Jung

• “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” — Buckminster Fuller

For the second installment of our series "If We Build It...", we called upon members of our community to share about moments in their lives where collaboration, interconnectedness, and belonging reminded them that "WE" is greater than "ME". 

Hear a collection of wonderful stories from Kathleen, Toni, Robyn, Glenn, and Roger.

Two letters can change everything. This first message in our new series explores the power of “If” — the thin line between fear and freedom, obligation and possibility.

We’re often taught to live under the weight of “must,” carrying expectations shaped by culture, religion, family, and fear. But “if” invites us into something different: curiosity, play, and co-creation.

This message weaves together the story of Aldea’s three-year journey of resilience, the spiritual and emotional power of living with open hands, and the courage to build without guarantees. It’s about shifting from control to trust, from obligation to love, and from rigidity to wonder.

As we step toward the future together, this is an invitation to experiment, to create, and to say yes to the unknown.

Quotes:

• Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom. — Søren Kierkegaard

• You must love in such a way that the person you love feels free. — Thích Nhất Hạnh

• Our culture teaches us to seek meaning in accumulation, but the hunger is never satisfied because what we crave is connection, not consumption. — Gabor Maté

• Your task is not to foresee the future, but to enable it. — Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

On Sunday, we were joined by Pastor and Author Cody Deese. His new book, Discovering Your Internal Universe, is a powerful and deeply personal exploration of his journey with anxiety—revealing how our greatest symptoms can often become doorways to our deepest inner truths.

Cody is also the pastor of Vinings Lake, a spiritual collective in Georgia whose journey mirrors Aldea’s in many ways. It was a gift to share space with someone walking a similar path of reimagining spiritual community with honesty, courage, and depth.

Purchase Discovering Your Internal Universe now:

https://a.co/d/hjBByg4

Growth isn’t always graceful: it’s gritty, uncomfortable, and often asks us to face the gaps between who we are and who we want to be. For the series finale of "Growing Pains", we explore the role of accountability in real transformation...not as finger-pointing, but as an invitation to grow.

We’ll journey through cringe-worthy personal stories, "The Coldplay Incident", and honest reflections on how we resist being called out… and how we can choose to lean in to an accountability that is both deeply personal and profoundly communal.

When grace meets accountability, growth happens.

Quotes:

• Truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off. — Gloria Steinem

• Without accountability, we drift; with it, we thrive. — John C. Maxwell

• Accountability without compassion is cruelty. — Krista Tippett

• “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” — Proverbs 27:17

Pruning is not just a gardening technique... it’s a profound spiritual practice. In this week’s message, we explore the deep wisdom behind letting go, saying “no,” and shaping a life that aligns with what truly matters.

From the necessity of cutting back, to the surprising freedom that emerges when we stop trying to “do it all,” pruning teaches us how to focus our attention, reclaim our energy, and make space for what’s next.

We talk about why society’s obsession with “more” often leads to burnout, how every meaningful “yes” is built on a thousand “no’s,” and how pruning isn’t a sign of failure...it’s a choice for growth, balance, and purpose.

This is about more than minimalism: it’s about living intentionally. Whether in relationships, work, spirituality, or purpose, pruning invites us into a deeper, more focused way of being.

Quotes:

• “Whatever is not yours: let go of it. Your letting go of it will be for your long-term happiness and benefit.” — Buddha (Na Tumhaka Sutta)

• “My experience is what I agree to attend to. Only those items which I notice shape my mind.” — William James

Check out this in-depth and intimate conversation with Benjie Danquah - a speaker, coach, educator, and self-proclaimed mystic.

In our chat, Benjie is vulnerable and transparent about a faith that is continually evolving and expanding. We discuss what it means to be authentic even when it comes at a cost, and what it means to be a "mystic".

Life often tempts us to distract ourselves from discomfort...through screens, shopping, sugar, or endless busyness. But what if the very things we try to avoid are invitations to deeper truth, healing, and transformation?

This message explores the idea of leaning into the hard places rather than turning away. From the psychological wisdom to ancient parables, we’ll uncover how our fears, symptoms, and triggers can become guides toward greater wholeness.

Through breath, inner work, and community, we can move from fragile to resilient...and even into anti-fragile, where challenges don’t just test us but fuel our growth.

Quotes:

• Pema Chödrön: “Rather than trying to rid yourself of your problem, go deeper into it. If you become familiar with fear, compassion arises.”

• James Hillman: “Follow the lead of your symptoms, for there’s usually a myth in the mess, and a mess is an expression of soul.”

• Carl Jung: “Where your fear is, there is your task.”

• Ramana Maharshi: “We cannot mend the whole world. If we try to reform the world without reforming ourselves, we cannot succeed. Instead of trying to cover the whole earth with leather to avoid the thorns, it is enough to wear sandals.”

• Nassim Taleb: “Wind extinguishes a candle and energizes fire.”

In this week’s message, Jake explores the tension between certainty and uncertainty, drawing from both personal loss and the wider challenges we face as a community.

Through stories of family, grief, and the mysteries of the universe, we’re invited to see that faith isn’t about having all the answers, but about how we live in the questions.

From quantum physics to everyday love, from community risk to the unknowns of the future, this talk encourages us to embrace life’s unpredictability, discovering that love, presence, and connection are what sustain us in the midst of uncertainty.

Quotes:

• Richard Rohr: “Faith is not about everything turning out okay. Faith is about being okay no matter how things turn out.”

• Adyashanti: “To live in the mystery, to dwell in the unknowable — that is the practice of presence.”

• Alan Watts: “Risk is essential. There is no growth without risk, and no meaningful life without risk.”

• Deepak Chopra: “Uncertainty is the fertile ground of pure creativity and freedom.”

• Ram Dass: “We’re all just walking each other home.”

For Part 4 of our Growing Pains series, we were joined by none other than the founder of Aldea—Kevin Skinner!

in this powerful and heartfelt conversation, Kevin & Jake explore the dynamics of growth, change, and transformation in individuals and communities. 

Kevin walks us through some of the pivotal moments in his journey as the pastor of Aldea, as well as some life-changing insights from his current work as a Director of Culture and Organizational Change. 

Pain, scars, and setbacks often feel like they disqualify us...but what if they are the very things that qualify us? In Part 3 of our Growing Pains series, we explore the archetype of the Wounded Healer, a universal pattern showing how our struggles can become the ground of compassion, service, and deeper connection.

Drawing from the Greek myth of Chiron, insights from spiritual teachers, and real-life reflections, this talk unpacks how the wounds we carry might actually reveal our strength, deepen our empathy, and open us to healing both ourselves and others.

Quotes:

• Kahlil Gibran: Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.

• Rumi: The wound is the place where the Light enters you.

• Stevie Wonder: Shortly after my birth I became blind. Now, that was a blessing because it’s allowed me to see the world in the vision of truth, of sight. See people in the spirit of them, not how they look. Not what color they are, but what color is their spirit?

• Helen Keller: The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched — they must be felt with the heart.

• Henri Nouwen: When our wounds cease to be a source of shame, and become a source of healing, we have become wounded healers.

• Pema Chödrön: Only when we know our own darkness well can we be present with the darkness of others.

In this message from Aldea’s Growing Pains series, Kathleen draws on her love of gardening to explore how plants can teach us about growth, change, and co-evolution. She weaves together stories from the plant kingdom, reflections on Aldea’s journey through challenges, and the ways individuals and communities evolve through both success and failure.

Using the metaphor of pollination, Kathleen highlights how interdependence shapes all life and how Aldea continues to adapt, thrive, and blossom through the contributions of its members. This message invites us to see our community as a living, evolving organism...one that grows richer, more colorful, and more resilient as we nurture and shape it together

1. "All the accomplished gardeners I know are surprisingly comfortable with failure. They may not be happy about it, but instead of reacting with anger or frustration, they seem freshly intrigued by the peony that, after years of being taken for granted, suddenly fails to bloom. They understand that, in the garden at least, failure speaks louder than success. By that I don’t mean that the gardener encounters more failure than success (though in some years he will), only that his failures have more to say to him—about his soil, the weather, the predilections of local pests, the character of his land. The gardener learns nothing when his carrots thrive, unless that success is won against a background of prior disappointment. Outright success is dumb, disaster frequently eloquent. At least to the gardener who knows how to listen.”

   — Michael Pollan

2. “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.” — John Muir

3. “We are not separate from the web of life, but strands within it—each tug and vibration shaping the whole.” — Thích Nhất Hạnh

4. “The whole universe is one great symphony of mutual conditioning and interdependence.” — Dōgen Zenji

5. “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” — often attributed to Charles Darwin

6. “Outdoors we are confronted everywhere with wonders; we see that the miraculous is not extraordinary but the common mode of existence. It is our daily bread.” — Wendell Berry

We all know that growth is rarely easy. It often comes with discomfort, vulnerability, and the need to let go of what no longer fits. Just like the aches of childhood, the growing pains of life can be messy, confusing, and even painful...but they are also the very signs that something new is unfolding.

In the opener of our new series Growing Pains, we explore what it means to outgrow old systems, beliefs, and relationships, and how stepping forward into the unknown often reshapes us into more expansive versions of ourselves. Growth stretches us beyond the familiar and invites us into a bigger world, even when it feels risky or uncertain.

At the end, Jake makes a major announcement about the future of our community. Join us as we step into the next chapter together!

Quotes:

1. “There is no coming to consciousness without pain.” — Carl Jung

2. “In any given moment, we have two options: to step forward into growth or to step back into safety.” — Abraham Maslow

3. “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” — Neale Donald Walsch

4. “A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” — Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.

5. “Pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.” — Kahlil Gibran

6. “It may be that when we no longer know what to do we have come to our real work, and that when we no longer know which way to go we have begun our real journey.” — Wendell Berry

This candid and vulnerable conversation between Jake & Olivia explores four common myths about relationships and how they can limit connection, growth, and authenticity—whether you’re single or partnered.

We unpack the cultural narratives that tell us someone else should “complete” us, that change is dangerous to a relationship, that conflict is a sign of failure, and that there’s only one “true” reality between two people. With humor, stories, and spiritual insight, this talk is an invitation to embrace change, navigate conflict with grace, and cultivate deeper connection by truly seeing and supporting one another.

Quotes:

1. It is not the responsibility of your partner to make you happy. That is your job. And until you accept that, you will never be truly happy in a relationship. — Elizabeth Gilbert

2. The romantic view is that our partners are here to make us whole. The wiser view is that they are here to help us become ourselves. — Alain de Botton

3. The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed. — Carl Jung

4. Most people are going to have two or three relationships or marriages in their lifetime. Some of us are going to do it with the same person. — Esther Perel

5. The success of a relationship is not measured by how few arguments you have, but by how gracefully you navigate the ones that inevitably arise. — Alain de Botton

6. It’s not about solving the problem. It’s about being present with each other in the midst of it… You don’t need to fix your partner’s feelings. You need to show them they’re not alone in them. — Sue Johnson

7. One of the most important skills in intimacy is learning to tolerate two different realities at the same time. — Terry Real

8. Empathy is not connecting to an experience, it’s connecting to the emotions that underpin the experience. That means we don’t have to have the same story to feel with someone. — Brené Brown

As we close our gargantuan ETHOS series, we explore the theme of humanity...not just as a concept, but as a way of being. What does it mean to be truly human in a time when empathy can feel dangerous and dehumanization is common? We take a hard look at our capacity for compassion, our inclination toward “us vs. them” thinking, and how our values shape the way we show up in the world.

Drawing from stories, history, and modern examples, we unpack how honoring our shared humanity is the key to healing ourselves, our communities, and the systems we’re part of. This finale in our ETHOS series brings it all together, reminding us that the values that define a full life are the same values that make us more human.

1. “In times of crisis, we must decide again and again whether to become more or less human.” – Terry Tempest Williams

2. “The capacity for empathy is the distinguishing mark of humanity.” – J.M. Coetzee

3. “The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy.” – Elon Musk

4. “No more apologies for a bleeding heart when the opposite is no heart at all. Danger of losing our humanity must be met with more humanity.” – Toni Morrison

5. “Dehumanization distances not only the out‑group from the in‑group, but those in the in‑group from their own humanity. It makes slaves to groupthink of everyone in the hierarchy.” – Isabel Wilkerson

6. “What makes us human is not our mind but our heart, not our ability to think but our ability to love.” – Henri Nouwen

7. “There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side. Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man. “A Samaritan traveling the road came on him.When he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill—I’ll pay you on my way back.’ “What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?” “The one who treated him kindly,” the religion scholar responded. Jesus said, “Go and do the same.”—Luke 10:25-37

8. “This ain’t nothing, but it might be everything. And the paradox of that is, if I live like it’s everything, then I might actually live a life that’s so beautiful, it might be worth continuing for eternity.” – Ryan Meeks

9. “When it comes to firefighters, there’s no borders…There’s nothing that’ll avoid us from helping another firefighter, another family. It doesn’t matter where we’re at in the world. That’s the whole point of our discipline and what we do.” – Ismael Aldaba

In this message, we explore humility not as self-belittlement, but as a powerful grounding force that reconnects us with ourselves, each other, and the Earth. From cosmic perspectives to our own human awkwardness, we journey through what it means to live low to the ground—in the best way possible.

1. Richard Rohr:

   “I have prayed for years for one good humiliation a day, and then, I must watch my reaction to it. I have no other way of spotting both my denied shadow self and my idealized persona.”

2. Carl Sagan:

   “It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.”

3. Carl Sagan:

   “For small creatures such as we, the vastness is bearable only through love.”

4. Genesis 3:19:

   “From dust you are and to dust you shall return.”

5. Nisargadatta Maharaj:

   “Wisdom tells me I am nothing. Love tells me I am everything. Between the two, my life flows.”

Forgiveness is one of the most misunderstood yet liberating forces in our lives. In this message, we explore what forgiveness really means—not as a religious duty, but as a radical act of spiritual freedom. From the weight we carry toward others, to the harsh inner critic within ourselves, to the bitterness we can unknowingly harbor toward life itself—this talk invites us to release, reflect, and reimagine.

We’re not here to excuse harm, erase consequences, or forget what’s been done. We’re here to heal. We explore how forgiveness can free us from the cycle of pain, debt, and self-punishment, allowing us to begin again—with others, with ourselves, and with life itself

This isn’t about pretending it didn’t happen. It’s about choosing a path of liberation.

Quotes:

1. Cūḷamālunkya Sutta (MN 63) –

   “It’s as if a man were wounded by an arrow thickly smeared with poison, and his friends and companions brought a surgeon to treat him. But the man would say: ‘I won’t let the surgeon pull out this arrow until I know who shot me—was it a noble, a brahmin, a merchant, or a worker? What was his name? What village did he come from? What kind of bow did he use? Was the bow made of horn or wood? What kind of string? What kind of arrow? What feathers were used? What was the poison?’

    

   That man would die before he ever found the answers to all his questions."

2. David Whyte – “Forgiveness is a profound interior act that allows us to lay down the burdens we have been carrying—toward others, toward ourselves, toward the way life has unfolded.”

3. Roshi Joan Halifax – “Sometimes the hardest person to forgive is the one staring back at you in the mirror.”

4. Jack Kornfield – “Forgiveness is giving up all hope of a better past.”

5. James Baldwin – “Forgiveness is not for the other person. Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself. But it does not mean you forget or that you excuse the harm done.”

6. Desmond Tutu – “Forgiving is not forgetting; it’s actually remembering—remembering and not using your right to hit back. It’s a second chance for a new beginning.”

7. Stephen Levine – “Forgiveness is not about letting anyone off the hook. It is about understanding that we are all caught in a web of conditioning, trauma, and forgetfulness—and choosing to step out of the cycle.”

8. Tara Brach – “Radical acceptance is the willingness to experience ourselves and our life as it is.”

In this soul-stirring message from our ETHOS series, we dive deep into the transformative power of presence—not as a trendy concept, but as the foundation of a full, grounded, and values-driven life. Drawing on stories, humor, and personal reflections, we challenge the cultural pull toward distraction and future-chasing, offering a counterintuitive invitation: that real freedom, depth, and connection arise when we stop trying to control everything and simply show up—right here, right now.

Whether it’s discomfort, uncertainty, or even mundane moments like being stuck in traffic, this message offers a radical reframe: presence isn’t just a nice-to-have—it’s the key to a life well-lived, to genuine relationships, and to spiritual depth.

This is a reminder to stop postponing your aliveness for a “better” future and instead ask: What would it mean to be fully here—today, in this moment, as you are?

Quotes:

1. Krista Tippett:

   “The spiritual life is not a separate compartment of life, but the deepening of presence in every part of it.”

2. Eckhart Tolle:

   “The more you are focused on time—past and future—the more you miss the Now, the most precious thing there is.”

3. Thich Nhat Hanh:

   “Life is available only in the present moment. If you abandon the present moment, you cannot live the moments of your daily life deeply.”

4. Michael A. Singer:

   “Eventually you will see that the real cause of problems is not life itself. It’s the commotion the mind makes about life that really causes the problems.”

5. Alan Watts:

   “No valid plans for the future can be made by those who have no capacity for living now.”

6. Tara Brach:

   “The biggest disease of our time is the disconnection from our bodies, from our own hearts. And the medicine is presence.”

7. Sigmund Freud:

   “One day, in retrospect, the years of struggle will strike you as the most beautiful.”

This message dives deep into the misunderstood terrain of vulnerability—not as weakness, but as the courageous art of being seen. Drawing from thinkers like David Whyte, James Baldwin, Henri Nouwen, and Richard Rohr, we explore how unmasking ourselves is both a risk and a path to freedom.

What if your wounds weren’t problems to fix, but places where light gets in?

What if healing isn’t about having answers, but sharing presence in the ache?

What if your mask—your armor—is the very thing keeping you from love?

Join us as we unpack the paradox: the more we risk, the safer we become. This is a message for anyone who’s ever asked, “Am I enough?” You are. Not because you’re perfect—but because you’re real.

 At Aldea, we don’t strive to fix each other—we strive to see each other.

Come, unmask with us. The truth will set you free.

Quotes:

1. David Whyte

   “Vulnerability is not a weakness, a passing indisposition, or something we can arrange to do without. Vulnerability is the underlying, ever-present, and abiding undercurrent of our natural state… To run from vulnerability is to run from the essence of our nature. The attempt to be invulnerable is the vain attempt to become something we are not and most especially, to close off our understanding of the grief of others.”

2. Richard Rohr

   “We wear the masks that keep us from the very love we long for.”

3. Leonard Cohen 

   “There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.”

4. Henri Nouwen

   “When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain…”

5. James Finley

   “It’s a very vulnerable thing to be loved because you risk being seen.”

6. James Baldwin

   “Love takes off the masks that we fear we cannot live without and know we cannot live within.”

Check out this rich and heartfelt conversation with Ryan Meeks as we explore the depth of his guiding phrase: “Life is a Gift, Love is the Point.”

Ryan shares with honesty and humor about milestone experiences that have shaped his journey—including the bold and transformational shift of EastLake Church, which he founded in the early 2000s. Under his leadership, EastLake evolved from a fast-growing evangelical megachurch to an inclusive spiritual community that made headlines when it fully embraced LGBTQ+ inclusion and reimagined its core values around love, justice, and belonging.

We also dive into Ryan’s deeply personal journey through cancer and how it has further shaped his understanding of what really matters in life. And we talk about his current work helping others build lives of meaning and purpose beyond religious boxes—work that resonates deeply with Aldea’s vision of open-hearted, inclusive spirituality.

If you’re drawn to conversations about spiritual evolution, personal authenticity, and building communities where love truly is the point, this is one you won’t want to miss.

To learn more about Ryan and his work, visit loveisthepoint.com

Join us for this stirring interview with Scott Blades—founder and executive director of TIHAN, a faith-based non-profit serving those affected by HIV/AIDS in the Tucson region. 

In this far-reaching conversation, we explore the importance of compassion as a virtue, the role of stigma in marginalization, and the connective power of empathy. 

To learn more about TIHAN, visit TIHAN.org

Enjoy this in-depth conversation with Naturopathic Doctor Jaden Hawkinson, as we explore what it means to live a balanced life of spiritual, emotional, and physical wellness through the lens of "holism".

What if we saw our health and wellbeing as more than just symptom management, but as a holistic system where diverse parts interact and work together? What if we pursued "side benefits" instead of simply tolerating "side effects?

Learn more or work with Jaden:

https://www.jadenhawkinson.com/

https://genesisnmc.com/

This Pride Month, we’re reflecting on what true inclusion means—not just in theory, but in practice, in our communities, and within ourselves. This message explores the sacred value of belonging, especially for those who have historically been excluded from spiritual spaces. Inclusion isn’t just a feel-good idea—it’s a necessary foundation for healing, identity, and even survival.

We dive into the complexities of creating safe spaces, acknowledging the layers of trust and vulnerability needed before genuine self-expression and love can emerge. You’ll hear reflections on how inclusive communities like Aldea have had to take bold stands in the face of resistance—and why that fight still matters.

Ultimately, this is an invitation to each of us to examine our internal and external “tables”: Who do we welcome? What parts of ourselves have we yet to embrace? And what might it look like to move toward a deeper, more expansive love—for ourselves, for others, and for the world?

Quotes: 

1. Kevin Garcia

   “I’m telling you my story because not everyone has survived to tell theirs… bad theology kills… I attempted suicide twice… spent most of my life hating myself and abusing my body with drugs and alcohol… bad theology is killing all of us.”

2. Dr. Thema Bryant

   “You cannot heal in a space that is unsafe. Safety is not a luxury; it is a necessity for wholeness.”

3. Brené Brown

   “We cultivate love when we allow our most vulnerable and powerful selves to be deeply seen and known. And that can only happen when we are safe.”

4. Kevin Garcia

   “Inclusion isn’t about tolerating difference—it’s about celebrating the divine in every expression of it.”

5. Ram Dass

   “Treat everyone you meet like God in drag.”

6. Barbara Brown Taylor

   “The hardest spiritual work in the world is to love the neighbor as the self—to encounter another human being not as someone you can use, change, fix, help, save, enroll, convince, or control, but simply as someone who can spring you into spiritual reverence.”

7. Brian McLaren

   “Why would I trust a God who is less merciful than I am? If I can imagine a more loving God than the one I’ve been taught, maybe that’s the Spirit inviting me to grow.”

8. Desmond Tutu

   “Inclusive, good societies try to accept people as they are—even those whose acceptance of others is still evolving.”

9. Richard Rohr

   “True inclusion doesn’t just welcome the outsider, it calls everyone into deeper maturity, including those who resist it.”

In a time when headlines echo with conflict, uncertainty, and collapse, it can feel foolish—maybe even dangerous—to remain hopeful. But what if optimism isn’t about ignoring reality, but about choosing how we respond to it? In part 6 of ETHOS, we dive into the difference between naïve positivity and what we’re calling Sacred Optimism—a courageous, disciplined, even strategic way of engaging with life.

We explore how your worldview shapes your participation in the world and examine the spiritual, historical, and psychological roots of optimism as a powerful human choice—not a prediction, but a practice. This is for anyone who’s ever felt overwhelmed by the state of things but still senses there’s something worth planting, even if tomorrow isn’t guaranteed.

Quotes:

1. James Baldwin

   “I can’t be a pessimist because I’m alive. To be a pessimist means that you have agreed that human life is an academic matter. So I’m forced to be an optimist.”

2. Howard Zinn

   “To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion… What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives.”

3. Teilhard de Chardin

   “The future belongs to those who give the next generation reason for hope.”

4. Martin Luther (attributed)

   “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree today.”

5. Victor Hugo (Les Misérables)

   “There is nothing like a dream to create the future. Utopia today, flesh and blood tomorrow.”

6. Dhammapada 1:1 (Buddha)

   “With our thoughts, we make the world.”

7. Noam Chomsky

   “Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”

8. Mariame Kaba

   “Hope is a discipline.”

9. Viktor Frankl

   “Everything can be taken from [us] but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

10. John O’Donohue

    “The soul is the place where the eternal and time meet… where the future is still willing to emerge from the unknown.”

As we continue our ETHOS series , we explore the sacred superpower of flexibility - not the physical kind, but the spiritual and emotional kind that helps us move through life’s pressures without breaking. From shifting expectations to navigating change, we reflect on how letting go of rigidity can actually make us stronger, softer, and more alive.

Using imagery from nature and timeless wisdom, we examine what it means to stay limber in heart, mind, and soul - especially when life doesn’t go as planned. Whether you’re facing loss, transition, or simply the unpredictability of being human, this message invites you to bend, not break - and to find strength in softness.

Quotes:

1. Warren McCaig: “Be flexible or be miserable.”

2. Alan Watts:

   “There is a contradiction in wanting to be perfectly secure in a universe whose very nature is momentariness and fluidity.” (The Wisdom of Insecurity)

   “The more a thing tends to be permanent, the more it tends to be lifeless.” (The Wisdom of Insecurity)

3. Tao Te Ching – Chapter 76:

   “When alive, the body is soft and pliant; when dead, it is hard and rigid. Living plants are tender and filled with sap; dead ones are brittle and dry. Therefore, the hard and inflexible are friends of death, The soft and yielding are friends of life.”

4. Tao Te Ching – Chapter 22:

   “If you want to become whole, let yourself be partial. If you want to become straight, let yourself be crooked. The flexible are preserved unbroken.”

5. Mary Oliver:

   “I tell you this to break your heart, by which I mean only that it break open and never close again to the rest of the world.”

6. Tao Te Ching – Chapter 78:

   “Nothing in the world is as soft and yielding as water. Yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible, nothing can surpass it….The soft overcomes the hard; the gentle overcomes the rigid. Everyone knows this is true, but few can put it into practice.”

7. Tao Te Ching – Chapter 43:

   “The softest thing in the universe overcomes the hardest thing in the universe. That without substance can enter where there is no room. Thus I know the value of non-action.”

8. Iris DeMent ("Let The Mystery Be"):

   “I believe in love and I live my life accordingly, but I choose to let the mystery be.”

What if enthusiasm wasn’t just a fleeting mood but a sacred value?

In Part 4 of our ETHOS series, we explore enthusiasm as a signpost of the divine, a compass pointing toward our unique path in the world. From the root meanings of words like enthusiasm (“en-theo” – filled with God), inspire (“in-spirit”), and ecstatic (“to stand outside oneself”), we uncover the deep spiritual undercurrents behind that feeling of aliveness that pulls us forward, often beyond comfort, into courage.

This message unpacks how true enthusiasm arises not from status or certainty, but from soulful connection between ourselves and something greater. We look at what it means to live a life of purpose, to feel something whispering to us, calling us, even amidst fear, practicality, and the noise of the world.

What makes you come alive? And can you follow it, not just for your own fulfillment, but because the world desperately needs people who are lit up from within?

Quotes:

1. Paramahansa Yogananda:

   “Enthusiasm is the greatest asset in all circumstances. It is more important than money, power, or status.”

2. Sufi Proverb:

   “I searched for God and found only myself. I searched for myself and found only God.”

3. Bayazid Bastami:

   “I went from God to God until they cried from me in me: ‘O you I!’”

4. Meister Eckhart:

   “The eye with which I see God is the same eye with which God sees me.”

5. David Whyte:

   “The price of our vitality is the sum of all our fears.”

6. Anaïs Nin:

   “Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.”

7. Brené Brown:

   “If you’re not in the arena getting your ass kicked, I’m not interested in your feedback.”

8. Howard Thurman:

   “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

9. Joseph Campbell:

   “Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.”

10. St. Ignatius of Loyola:

    “Go forth and set the world on fire.”

In this raw and timely message—recorded on Mother’s Day and the third Sunday of our ETHOS series—we explore the sacred value of boundaries. While the word “boundaries” can sound harsh or isolating, this talk flips the script and reframes boundaries as an act of love, honesty, and spiritual alignment. We reflect on how true connection requires a deep understanding of self and a willingness to honor the uniqueness of others.

Drawing on personal stories, societal pressures, and the challenges of people-pleasing and perfectionism, Jake invites us to unpack how boundaries can be fluid, courageous, and essential to both individual wellbeing and authentic community. Whether you’re navigating family dynamics, spiritual growth, or simply trying to figure out what you’re able to give and receive, this message invites you to honor your energies, reimagine what connection means, and show up fully as yourself.

This one is honest and deeply life affirming; perfect for anyone ready to move beyond old scripts of self-sacrifice and step into a more sustainable, soul-aligned way of being.

Quotes:

1. Henri Nouwen:

   “Boundaries are not a dividing line, but a defining one. They mark where I end and you begin—and that is the only way real connection can occur.”

2. Gabor Maté:

   “When we’re not seen for who we really are, we begin to shape ourselves into what we think the world wants to see. And that’s the beginning of the false self — the root of codependency.”

3. Brené Brown:

   “Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves, even when we risk disappointing others.”

4. Jake Woodard:

   “Taking responsibility for your own life is a beautiful act of self-respect. Letting others do the same is an act of respect for them.”

5. Parker J. Palmer:

   “True community is not about forcing sameness—it is about honoring difference while remaining connected.”

6. bell hooks:

   “We build beloved community by being honest with one another, not by pleasing one another.”

7. Alan Watts:

   “You’re under no obligation to be the same person you were 5 minutes ago.”

Check out Part 2 of our ETHOS series with guest speaker Jean Gage's message "The Spirit of Endurance: Cultivating Grit from Within." In it, she explores what it really means to endure — not just to survive difficult seasons, but to grow stronger because of them.

Drawing wisdom from ancient mystics, modern psychologists, and spiritual teachers, Jean invites us to discover how grit isn’t just about willpower — it’s about trust, transformation, hope, and meaning. Whether you’re facing personal challenges, navigating uncertainty, or simply longing to live with more resilience, this message offers inspiration and practical insight for cultivating inner strength over the long haul.

Quotes:

1. Angela Duckworth – “Grit is passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is sticking with your future, day in, and day out – not just for the week, not just for the month, but for years – and working really hard to make that future a reality.”

2. Saint Teresa of Avila – “Trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be. Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you. All things are passing. God never changes. Patience obtains all things.”

3. The Buddha – “Endurance is one of the most difficult disciplines, but final victory comes to the one who endures.”

4. Rumi – “Try not to resist the changes that come your way. Instead let life live through you.”

5. Friedrich Nietzsche – “He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.”

6. Rabindranath Tagore – “Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark.”

7. Angela Duckworth –

   "What is hope?  One kind of hope is the expectation that tomorrow will be better than today.  It’s the kind of hope that has us yearning for sunnier weather, or a smoother path ahead.  It comes without the burden of responsibility.  The onus is on the universe to make things better.  Grit depends on a different kind of hope.  It rests on the expectation that our own efforts can improve our future.  I have a feeling tomorrow will be better is different from I resolve to make tomorrow better.  The hope that gritty people have has nothing to do with luck and everything to do with getting up again.”

8. Winston Churchill – “Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

9. Margaret Thatcher – “You may have to fight a battle more than once to win it.”

10. Thomas Edison – “Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”

11. Julian of Norwich – “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.”

12. Helen Keller – “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.”

13. John Wayne – “Courage is being scared to death….and saddling up anyway.”

This week, we kick off a brand-new series: ETHOS: Sacred Values for a Struggling World.

As the world grows more complicated and divided, what holds us steady? What truly matters when beliefs falter, structures crumble, and old certainties fade?

We explore the vital difference between beliefs and values, why values matter more than ever, and how the future depends not just on what we claim to stand for—but how we embody it every day.

From personal reflection to collective responsibility, we invite you into a conversation about the kind of lives, communities, and world we are building together.

Get ready for encouragement, inspiration, challenge—and maybe even a few uncomfortable but transformative questions. It’s not always easy work, but it’s the real work of becoming who we are meant to be.

Jump in with us.

Quotes:

1. Ralph Waldo Emerson:

   “What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.”

2. Epictetus:

   “Don’t explain your philosophy. Embody it.”

3. Maya Angelou:

   “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”

4. Peter Rollins:

   “We often adopt beliefs, not because they are true, but because they protect us from anxiety, doubt, and unknowing.”

5. Pope Francis:

   “It is not enough to have values, we must live them. Only in this way will we build a future that is truly human… Values are not abstract; they are lived in the concrete, in the choices we make every day.”

6. Marc Gafni:

   “Anti-value arises when trauma, shame, or shadow obscure the unique radiance of being. What we call evil is not the opposite of good, but the distortion of value.”

7. Pope Francis:

   “A society that loses its values begins to lose its soul. We must guard the values that promote dignity, justice, and peace.”

This year's Easter message marks the conclusion of our Caterpillar and Butterfly series—a journey exploring transformation, challenge, and awakening. From the uncertainty of the cocoon to the emergence of something new, we reflect on how personal winters and spiritual upheaval often pave the way for deeper purpose, connection, and vitality. This message reimagines resurrection as not an escape, but a profound return to life itself—with all its grief, beauty, mystery, and power. Join us as we name the healing, power, and responsibility that arise when we awaken to who we truly are.

Quotes: 

John 20:21-23: Later on that day, the disciples had gathered together, but, fearful of the Jews, had locked all the doors in the house. Jesus entered, stood among them, and said, “Peace to you.” Then he showed them his hands and side. The disciples, seeing the Master with their own eyes, were awestruck. Jesus repeated his greeting: “Peace to you. Just as the Father sent me, I send you.” Then he took a deep breath and breathed into them. “Receive the Holy Spirit,” he said.

Ram Dass: “The guru is not the person. The guru is the presence that awakens the truth within you.”

Michael Meade: “In times of great uncertainty, the soul awakens. The world might be falling apart, but the soul sees through the cracks.”

Teilhard de Chardin: “To rise from the dead is to align with the evolutionary impulse of the universe. Resurrection is not an escape from matter but the transfiguration of it.”

This week’s message explores the mysterious, disorienting, and deeply fertile space between what was and what’s to come. Using the cocoon as a metaphor for those liminal stages of life—where the old dissolves and the new has yet to emerge—we reflect on what it means to hold space for grief, confusion, and loss as essential parts of transformation.

Just like in nature, transformation doesn’t happen all at once. It requires dissolution, discomfort, and the courage to remain present. Through pop culture parallels, personal reflection, and spiritual insight, we explore how letting go of the old—beliefs, identities, institutions—opens the door to a deeper, more authentic emergence.

We also honor the importance of sitting in that space fully, without rushing to resolution. This is the cocoon—the tomb and the womb, the dark soil where seeds break open and the true self begins to form. Resurrection isn’t just a day on a calendar; it’s a process we live into, one that starts by trusting the darkness.

As we prepare for Easter, we invite you to embrace the in-between, honor what’s dying, and trust that life is reshaping you in ways unseen.

Quotes:

Chameli Ardagh:

“The spiritual journey is not about getting out of the cocoon quickly. It’s about allowing yourself to dissolve inside it.”

Richard Rohr:

“The predictable pattern of spiritual transformation is a movement from order to disorder to reorder. This is the universal pattern of change and growth.”

“If we try to skip the disorder stage, we stay stuck in a superficial order that cannot hold the weight of real life.”

Alan Watts:

“Jesus willingly walked into his fate. He didn’t resist death, and in doing so, he transcended it. That is the core of the spiritual path—not to avoid suffering, but to transform it by going through it consciously.”

Francis Weller:

“We must have the courage to walk directly into the heart of our sorrow. Not around it, not above it, but through it….To truly sit with our sorrow is to honor it. Not to rush it. Not to medicate it. But to listen deeply to its wisdom.”

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross:

“The five stages—denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance—are tools to help us frame and identify what we may be feeling. They are not stops on some linear timeline in grief… They were never meant to help tuck messy emotions into neat packages. They are responses to loss that many people have, but there is not a typical response to loss as there is no typical loss.”

“Acceptance is not about liking a situation. It is about acknowledging all that has been lost and finding a way to live with it.”

Join us for the first part of a powerful 3-week series leading up to Easter, where we explore the deeper meaning of resurrection—not as a destination or dogma, but as a universal pattern found in nature, in our lives, and in our spiritual evolution.

Through stories big and small, we’ll trace the arc of transformation: death, grief, and the often-unrecognizable rebirth that follows. Using the image of the caterpillar transforming into a butterfly, we’ll explore the hidden potential that emerges when we allow the familiar to fall away.

This series is an invitation to examine what’s dying in our individual and collective lives, and what might be trying to be born. We’ll reflect on the moments that force us into cocoons—loss, identity shifts, and life transitions—and what it takes to come out the other side with wings.

It’s a spiritual take on transformation for anyone who’s ever asked: Is there more than this? Could something better be waiting on the other side of this pain? What if the breakdown is actually the beginning of becoming?

In this message, we touch on psychology, mysticism, nature, and personal growth—honoring voices from Christianity, Buddhism, mystics, and even pop culture. If you’re in the in-between, the not-yet, or the breaking open, this message is for you.

Quotes: 

“What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.” — Richard Bach

“If you wish to escape from prison, the first thing you must realize is that you are in prison. If you think you’re free, no escape is possible.” — G.I. Gurdjieff

“People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar.” — Thich Nhat Hanh

“The caterpillar dies and the butterfly is born. Death and resurrection are two aspects of the same process. To die is to be reborn, to die to the old is to be born to the new.” — Osho

“Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.” — Mary Oliver

Check out Sunday's message on our connection to the planet!

As spring emerges and the Earth wakes from dormancy, we’re invited to awaken, too—not just to warmth and light, but to a reconnection with something we’ve long forgotten: our bodies and the Earth itself.

In a world dominated by screens, data, and disembodied living, many of us have lost touch with the very ground we stand on. This message explores how our physical bodies are miracles of connection and intelligence, how the Earth mirrors that same wisdom, and how remembering our place within the web of life can be both humbling and liberating.

We look at the cost of disconnection—from spiritual illness to ecological collapse—and what it means to come back to a sense of belonging. You’ll hear reflections on indigenous wisdom, body intelligence, and the deep ecology of our being. Not just as individuals, but as vital cells in the Earth’s body.

Join us on a journey home—back into your body, back to the Earth, and forward into a more connected way of being.

Quotes:

Alan Watts:

“We do not ‘come into’ this world; we come out of it, as leaves from a tree.”

Bruce Lipton:

“Your body is a community of 50 trillion living cells, all working together in harmony. This is the power of a single consciousness guiding them.”

Thomas Berry:

“Our challenge is to create a new language, even a new sense of what it is to be human, in the presence of an Earth community.”

Jiddu Krishnamurti:

“It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”

Cree Proverb:

“Only when the last tree has been cut down, the last fish been caught, and the last stream poisoned, will we realize we cannot eat money.”

Bill Plotkin:

• “Eco-awakening is the process of shifting your identity from that of an isolated human individual to that of an ecological being interwoven with the community of life…An eco-awakening means seeing yourself as a participant in the natural world rather than a detached observer or exploiter.”

• “When people no longer understand that they belong to the Earth, they become dangerous to the Earth.”

Robin Wall Kimmerer:

“Let us walk through life in the humble knowledge that we are not the masters of creation, but part of its great dance. May we know the quiet dignity of mosses and the fierce grace of the river. May we listen to the stories the land tells us, and may our lives become a prayer of gratitude to the living world around us.”

Tune in as we reflect on the Spring Equinox, exploring themes of balance, light, and dark, both in nature and within ourselves. We discuss how the equinox symbolizes the coexistence of opposites and encourage embracing both light and dark aspects of life. We also delve into the concept of balance in relationships, spirituality, and personal growth, reminding us that finding harmony often involves navigating tension and paradox. We hope that this talk allows you to recognize your own journey toward wholeness and inner balance.

Quotes:

“The equinox is the moment when the Earth’s tilt lines up with the Sun, giving us nearly equal day and night everywhere on the planet.” — Neil deGrasse Tyson

“Light and dark are not enemies; they are halves of the same whole, meeting in perfect union at the equinox.” — Thích Nhất Hạnh

“I’d rather be whole than good.” — Carl Jung

“The only normal people are the ones you don’t know very well.” — Alfred Adler

“Ring the bells that still can ring, forget your perfect offering, there is a crack, a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” — Leonard Cohen

“Life is a balance between holding on and letting go.” — Rumi

“It is not a matter of choosing between the spiritual and the material but of learning how to live in both.” — Thomas Merton

“Spiritual growth is not about changing who you are, but about discovering who you have always been.” — Deepak Chopra

“Even after all this time, the sun never says to the earth, ‘You owe me.’ Look what happens with a love like that, it lights the whole sky.” — Hafiz

Small gestures of kindness—whether a smile, a kind word, or a simple act of generosity—carry more significance than we often realize. While major events and grand actions get attention, the quiet, everyday moments of care and compassion shape lives in lasting ways.

In Michelle's talk, she reminds us that many spiritual traditions emphasize the power of small acts, recognizing that their impact extends beyond what we can immediately see. However, people often hesitate to act due to distractions, self-doubt, or the belief that their efforts are insignificant. Psychological studies reveal that even minor acts of goodness create ripple effects, influencing others in ways we may never fully understand. By focusing on what we can do in our sphere of influence—helping where possible, doing things with care, and fostering relationships—we contribute to a larger movement of kindness. The world is changed not just through massive efforts, but through the accumulation of countless small actions done with love and intention.

Quotes:

Matthew 25:40:

 “Whatever you did for one of the least of these, you did for me.”

Prophet Muhammad ﷺ:

 “Do not belittle any good deed, even meeting your brother with a cheerful face.”

Desmond Tutu:

 “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”

Mother Teresa:

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”

Galatians 6:9:

“Let us not grow weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

Charles L. Allen:

 “When you say a situation or person is hopeless, you are slamming the door in the face of God.”

 Richard Rohr:

 “How you do anything is how you do everything.”

Dalai Lama:

 “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.”

Check out this interview with Doug Hammack, the founder of a progressive spiritual community in Raleigh, North Carolina called Common Thread Church. In this wide ranging conversation, Doug and Jake explore the possibilities of the future of faith, why our current religious institutions are failing, and how to create healing amidst the political divide.

On Sunday, we hosted special guest Pastor Devin Wright of Missiongathering Bellevue, and he and Jake tackled your big questions about faith, spirituality, and navigating the complexities of today’s world. From deconstructing religion to understanding Christian nationalism, from engaging activism to supporting loved ones on different spiritual paths—we dove deep into the topics that matter.

Listen now for an open, honest, and thought-provoking conversation!

In this powerful conclusion to the Holy Shift! series, we explore paradigm-shifting ways of seeing ourselves and the world, culminating in a profound reflection on love and belonging. Over four weeks, we’ve examined the Stages of Faith, Religious Renewal, and Spiral Dynamics, tracing the expansion of our capacity for care—from self-care to planetary and universal care.

At its core, love—or care—is the through-line of our lives, shaping our sense of belonging and our connection to the world. We begin with the fundamental need for self-care and expand outward: relational love, tribal/community care, world care, planetary care, and universal care. Each stage builds on the last, mirroring humanity’s evolution of consciousness.

But love isn’t always easy. We confront the failures of love, the struggles of embracing those who challenge us, and the tension between instinctual survival and radical compassion. Ultimately, this is a blueprint for spiritual growth—an invitation to break beyond conditional care and step into the interconnection of all life.

As we navigate a time of global transition, may we recognize that discomfort is the threshold to transformation. This is our collective rite of passage, a moment of expansion amidst contraction. Love will always find its way—our task is to align ourselves with the flow of reality and embrace the holy shifts that call us forward.

Quotes: 

Carol Gilligan: “The progression in the development of the ethics of care is marked by a shift in the focus of responsibility: from caring for the self (preconventional), to caring for others at the expense of the self (conventional), and finally to a balanced responsibility that integrates care for both self and others (postconventional).”

• Richard Rohr: “The moment we make God a tribal deity, we have made an idol. The divine is not contained within borders, flags, or a single nation’s cause.”

• Martin Luther King Jr.: “An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.”

• Metta Sutta: “As a mother would protect her only child with her life, even so let one cultivate a boundless love toward all beings.”

• Albert Schweitzer: “Until he extends the circle of his compassion to all living things, man will not himself find peace.”

Groucho Marx: “I don’t want to belong to any club that would accept me as a member.”

• Albert Einstein: “I love humanity, but I loathe people.”

Dan Millman: “Every positive change–every jump to a higher level of energy and awareness–involves a rite of passage. Each time to ascend to a higher rung on the ladder of personal evolution, we must go through a period of discomfort, of initiation. I have never found an exception.”

• Abraham Maslow: “At any moment, you have a choice: to step forward into growth or to step back into safety.”

• Thich Nhat Hanh: “Because you are alive, everything is possible. The entire cosmos has come together to make your existence possible. You are not a separate entity; you are the universe itself.”

This series has been about expanding our circles of care, deepening our capacity for love, and embracing the evolutionary call toward greater consciousness. The journey of growth is never easy, but every holy shift is a step toward a world where love leads the way.

In this week’s message, we explore the lenses through which we see the world—how they shape our spiritual journey and understanding of reality. We take a deep dive into Spiral Dynamics 2.0, reframing stages of development as different lenses through which we experience life.

From the earliest human survival instincts (Beige) to ritual and tribe (Purple), through power (Red), order (Blue), innovation (Orange), and compassion (Green), we see how each stage shapes society and spirituality.

But what happens when we step beyond personal enlightenment and into a collective awakening? We explore the Second Tier of consciousness—Yellow and Turquoise—where complexity meets integration, and love expands to universal levels. This shift is profound, disorienting, and yet deeply necessary as we move beyond black-and-white thinking into a space of wisdom, fluidity, and interconnection.

Are we evolving? Where is this all headed? The next leap isn’t just about you—it’s about us.

Join us as we explore the edges of human thought, spirituality, and evolution.

Quotes:

Jon Kabat-Zinn:

“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.”

Deepak Chopra:

“Awakening is not changing who you are, but discarding who you are not.”

Ken Wilber:

“What’s so interesting about the Second Tier is that it doesn’t just see other worldviews—it understands why they exist, what their function is, and how they can be integrated into a greater whole…. First Tier consciousness is locked in ‘either/or’ thinking, believing its worldview is right and others are wrong. Second Tier transcends this battle and sees that all perspectives have a role to play in evolution…. The emergence of Second Tier is the greatest revolution in human thought, one that moves beyond ideology into functional wisdom.”

 Walt Whitman:

“Do I contradict myself? Very well, then I contradict myself. I am large, I contain multitudes.”

Richard Rohr:

“Maturity is the ability to live with ambiguity.”

Thich Nhat Hanh:

“The next Buddha may not be an individual but a community.”

Jean Gebser:

“Enlightenment is not just a personal experience, but a field of collective resonance.”

Michael Beckwith:

“You don’t have to convince people to evolve. You just have to live your truth so fully that it calls to those who are ready.”

As we continued our "Holy Shift!" series, we dove into a framework called Spiral Dynamics—a lens for viewing human development that is very useful in making sense of our ever-changing world. Check out this message to explore how Spiral Dynamics can be a tool for compassion, empathy, and understanding—for others and for yourself. 

Quotes: 

Herman Hesse:

"We are not going in circles, we are going upwards. The path is a spiral; we have already climbed many steps.”

Roelf Meyer (negotiated the end of Apartheid):

“Don Beck’s work gave us a language to understand what was happening beneath the surface of politics. We weren’t just dealing with laws—we were dealing with deeply held beliefs that had to be shifted over time."

Ken Wilber:

“Transcend and include: You must go beyond your current stage, but never reject it, for each level has truth to offer….The greatest human potential is found not in one stage, but in integrating all stages into a fluid, flexible, whole-system awareness.”

Don Beck:

“People do not move to the next stage because they are comfortable; they move because their old way of seeing the world stops working.”

Don Beck:

“The greatest mistake is to believe that one stage is the ‘right’ stage for all people at all times. Different stages serve different needs.”

Jean Gebser:

“History moves forward not when one ideology wins, but when a new, more comprehensive worldview emerges.” 

Don Beck:

“Evolution is not just about complexity; it is about expanding capacity for compassion, connection, and wisdom—ultimately, about learning how to love more inclusively.”

Holy Shift! Part 2—Stages of Religious Renewal:

What if the breakdown of old systems isn’t the end, but the beginning? In Part 2 of our Holy Shift! series, we dive into the stages of religious renewal—the deep, cyclical pattern where institutions unravel so something new and vital can emerge. What if the crumbling structures around us are making space for the spiritual future the world actually needs? Let’s explore what this means for our shifting religious landscape and where we go from here.

Join the conversation. Be part of the shift.

Quotes:

Pablo Picasso:

"Every act of creation is first an act of destruction."

Diana Butler Bass:

“The failure of religion is not the failure of faith. Instead, it is aninvitation to a spiritual awakening—the end of conventional religion opens the path to a more vital faith….People are not leaving the church because they have lost faith; they are leaving the church to preserve their faith.”

Brian McLaren:

“Many of us feel that the religions we inherited are at a crossroads, and we sense that the road ahead is not simply a repeat of the road behind us….The Spirit is blowing and new forms are emerging, but they are not emerging from the center of institutions; they are emerging from the margins” 

Greek Proverb:

“A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit.”

Joanna Macy:

“We are making choices that will affect whether beings thousands of generations from now will be able to be born sound of mind and body.”

Phyllis Tickle:

“Every 500 years, the empowered structures of institutionalized Christianity, whatever they may be, become an intolerable carapace that must be shattered so that renewal and growth may occur.”

Anthony Wallace:

“A revitalization movement is defined as a deliberate, organized, conscious effort by members of a society to construct a more satisfying culture.”

Join us for the first message in our "Holy Shift!" series as we explore the stages of faith that we move through as our consciousness expands. How is doubt an essential part of our journey? What does it look like to live out a faith that is inclusive of all people?

Quotes: 

Dr. Bruce Lipton:

“By age seven, we’re already 95% programmed by the experiences, beliefs, and behaviors we absorb in our environment. Our subconscious mind becomes the autopilot that runs our lives.”

Phyllis Tickle:

“Literalism provides a divine authority that can feel like a shield against the complexity and plurality of the modern world. It’s a way of saying, ‘This is true, and I don’t have to wrestle with it.’”

Karen Armstrong:

“The conventional stage often represents a reliance on external authority and a reluctance to question. It is faith as a badge of belonging.”

Peter Rollins:

“To believe is human, to doubt is divine”

Parker Palmer:

“The journey inward is essential. Stage 4 is about learning to listen to your own voice and trusting that the divine is present in your own life experience.”

Thomas Merton:

“The beginning of love is the will to let those we love be perfectly themselves, the resolution not to twist them to fit our own image. This also applies to our faith—it must be free to grow and evolve."

James Fowler:

“Conjunctive Faith involves a reworking of the past, reclaiming and redefining symbols and traditions in light of new understanding. It moves beyond the either/or to a both/and perspective…it is marked by a sense of irony and paradox, a recognition that truth is complex and multifaceted, and that ultimate answers often remain elusive…Stage 5 people know that the symbols, rituals, and myths of their faith traditions are meaningful, but they also recognize their relativity and limits…the strength of this stage lies in its capacity to hold together opposites in tension while staying grounded in the mystery of faith.”

Richard Rohr:

“Stage 5 is about learning to see with both eyes wide open—one for clarity, one for mystery. It’s about transcending the need to categorize everything as right or wrong, sacred or secular.”

Brian D. McLaren:

“Faith in Stage 5 is generous and hospitable. It seeks not to defend itself but to connect with others, knowing that love, not certainty, is the highest goal.”

James Fowler

“Universalizing Faith is exceedingly rare. It represents a radical commitment to inclusivity, where life is lived for the benefit of others, often in ways that challenge the status quo….Those in Stage 6 embody a vision of the world as a unified whole. They are unshaken by particularities and find God in all things…These individuals are often misunderstood or rejected because their vision transcends the conventional boundaries of society and religion…Stage 6 faith is grounded in a lived reality of love and justice, not just as ideals but as daily practices.”

Richard Rohr:

“Universalizing faith is when you realize the circle of love must keep widening—until it includes everyone and everything.”

Matthew 5:14-16:

And you, beloved, are the light of the world. A city built on a hilltop cannot be hidden. Similarly it would be silly to light a lamp and then hide it under a bowl. When someone lights a lamp, she puts it on a table or a desk or a chair, and the light illumines the entire house. You are like that illuminating light. Let your light shine everywhere you go, that you may illumine creation, so men and women everywhere may see your good actions, may see creation at its fullest…”

Check out this special conversation between Tarell Lewis and Jake Haber as they explore the intersection of spirituality & race, the power of sharing our stories, and the healing we experience in community.

Quotes:

Martin Luther King Jr.:

“True peace is not merely the absence of tension; it is the presence of justice.”

Robin DiAngelo:

“White privilege allows white people to navigate life in a white-dominant society with relative ease and minimal stress about race.” 

Matt Kahn:

“Victimhood is a state of being affected by the choices of others, while refusing to consider the options at hand. Predatory behavior signifies feeling so shut down by the wounds of the past that we attempt to take away the choices of others to feel a depth of control that will never be found. Empowerment is recognizing how everything is here to help you make the most inspired heartfelt decisions that further your soul’s expansion, despite how dastardly or disheartening any moment seems to be”

Desmond Tutu:

“When we see others as less than ourselves, we deny the God in them—and the God in ourselves.”

Cornel West:

“Justice is what love looks like in public.”

Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel:

“Justice is not an abstraction or a value among many, but a way of being, a command to restore dignity to those who have been diminished.”

Martin Luther King Jr.:

“The end is reconciliation; the end is redemption; the end is the creation of the beloved community.”

“Evil may so shape events that Caesar will occupy a palace and Christ a cross, but that same Christ will rise up and splithistory into A.D. and B.C. so that even the life of Caesar must be dated by his name. Yes, the moral arc of the universe is long, but it bends toward justice” 

On Sunday, January 12, we were visited by some very special guests from the local Bahá'í community—led by Nahid Rohani—who shared various elements of their faith tradition through story, readings, and song. 

Check out our first message of 2025 as we explore the idea of "rebooting" our relationship to technology, information, one-another, and ultimately, ourselves. 

Quotes:

Sherry Turkle:

“We are being overwhelmed with information, but our capacity for empathy, reflection, and human connection isn’t growing to match."

Eckhart Tolle:

“The human mind is a wonderful servant but a terrible master. The internet amplifies this truth —it distracts us unless we remain conscious.”

Robin Dunbar:

“The limit imposed by the Dunbar number is not about technology or physical space; it’s about the wiring of our brains. Our capacity for meaningful social relationships is bounded by our biology.”

Jaron Lanier:

“Social media amplifies the worst in us because outrage is its most profitable emotion. The algorithms don’t care about truth; they care about engagement.”

Tristan Harris:

“Outrage spreads six times faster than joy on social media. It’s not because people are angrier than ever; it’s because the systems are designed to reward it.”

James Baldwin:

“You cannot fix everything that is wrong in a society by screaming at it. Outrage, without action or introspection, is merely performative anger.”

Brené Brown:

“Outrage culture uses shame as a weapon, but it doesn’t build connection or foster understanding. It creates walls, not bridges.”

Leo Tolstoy:

“Do not destroy what you cannot replace.”

Martin Luther King Jr.

 “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

Mahatma Gandhi:

“Speak only if it improves upon the silence.”

Alan Watts:

“Technology extends our reach but cannot replace the joy of living simply, fully, and presently.”

Check out Aldea's 2024 Christmas Eve message, as we explore the birth of Christ as a symbol of light shining amidst the darkness!

Quotes:

Jan Richardson:

“Advent, Christmas, Hanukkah, and solstice all remind us that light shines brightest in the darkest moments. These holidays call us to hold space for the impossible made real.”

Edith Wharton:

“There are two ways of spreading light; to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.”

Richard Rohr:

“Christmas is not about a single birth in history, but about the ongoing birth of love and light within us and through us into the world.”

Barbara Brown Taylor:

“Every time we allow our hearts to soften and our hands to serve, Christ is born anew. The manger is within us, waiting to hold the sacred.”

Marcus Borg:

“Christmas is about incarnation—not as a distant memory, but as a present reality. Christ is born again each time we embody love and kindness.”

For the finale of our "December Lights" series, we explored the themes at the intersection of advent & the winter solstice. How do we thrive in life's liminal spaces, such as waiting for the arrival of light & hope?

Quotes:

Pádraig Ó Tuama:

“Advent reminds us that waiting is not passive but full of potential, a time to prepare our hearts for the world we long to see.”

 Rev. Sara Miles:

“Advent is not about a sentimental waiting for the Baby Jesus, but about the call to live into the world as it is being remade in love.” 

Rachel Held Evans:

“To practice Advent is to lean into an unfulfilled promise, to embrace the tension between what is and what could be, and to open ourselves to the possibility of transformation.” 

 Walter Brueggemann:

“The beauty of Advent lies in its insistence that what we wait for is already breaking through. We live in the ‘not yet,’ but we are sustained by glimpses of the ‘already.’” 

Reverend Holly Whitcomb:

“The waiting of Advent teaches us to live in increments, in small pieces rather than large chunks. Waiting also teaches us to measure our progress slowly.” 

 Richard Rohr:

“Advent is not about waiting for a perfect future, but about discovering the sacred in the imperfections of the present.”

For the third installment of our "December Lights" series, we re-examined the story of the Magi—commonly known as the "Wise Men"—and how the deeper context of their tale illustrates a unique spiritual truth about following the nudges of our soul. 

Quotes: 

Matthew 2:1-12:

"After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village—a band of scholars (magi or seers) arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, “Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We’re on pilgrimage to worship him.” When word of their inquiry got to Herod, he was terrified... (He) arranged a secret meeting with the scholars from the East. Pretending to be as devout as they were, he got them to tell him exactly when the birth-announcement star appeared. (He) said, “Go find this child. Leave no stone unturned. As soon as you find him, send word and I’ll join you at once in your worship.” Instructed by the king, they set off. Then the star appeared again, the same star they had seen in the eastern skies. It led them on until it hovered over the place of the child. They could hardly contain themselves: They were in the right place! They had arrived at the right time! They entered the house and saw the child in the arms of Mary, his mother. Overcome, they kneeled and worshiped him. Then they opened their luggage and presented gifts: gold, frankincense, myrrh.  In a dream, they were warned not to report back to Herod. So they worked out another route, left the territory without being seen, and returned to their own country."

Craig S. Keener:

“The Magi were astrologers, likely from Babylon or Persia, where astrology was a developed science. Their interpretation of the star as heralding a Jewish king fits with the popular association of celestial events with royal births.” 

Deepak Chopra:

“Listen to the whispers of your soul. Trust them as you would trust the map of a navigator.”

Matthew Fox: “The Magi teach us that truth and wisdom are not confined to one tradition. Their journey celebrates the sacredness of seeking and the holiness of encounters acrossboundaries. It is a story of trust in the mystery that transcends cultural and religious differences.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson:

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

Rumi:

“As you start to walk on the way, the way appears.”

Sri Aurobindo:

“Faith is the soul’s witness to something not yet manifested but felt as real, a hidden reality awaiting birth.”

For Part 2 of "December Lights", we looked at the ancient celebration of Yule—its influence on Christmas and its focus on the solstice. How can we draw inspiration from Yule as we create our own unique holiday traditions?

Quotes:

Dorothy Morrison (Yule: A Celebration of Light and Warmth:)

“Yule is the season when we celebrate the rebirth of the sun and the return of light to the Earth. It’s a time of hope and renewal, reminding us that no matter how dark times may seem, light and warmth will return.”

Susan Pesznecker:

"The magic of Yule lies in its duality: while the world outside is dark and cold, the inner spirit is lit with the fire of hope and renewal....Yule teaches us that even in the coldest, darkest times, light and warmth are just around the corner."

Sara Rae Hoagland:

"At its core, Yule is a day in which to proudly stand within the darkness, knowing in our souls that the light will be triumphant."