News

In June we invited people to answer, What practice have you found particularly helpful during these past months? We received so many thoughtful and helpful replies and have been appreciating the peace that simply reading them brings. Together, the selections below represent many traditions, practices, and voices that will be helpful to our planning a coming year of monthly practices. Thank you!

At six-years-old, Gregory C. Ellison II, PhD, co-founder of Fearless Dialogues, asked his aunt how he might change the world. Her answer has become his daily practice and a way of keeping his faith commitment: welcoming the stranger. Watch and then join us as we engage in the three feet practice*.

We invite you to share your experience with this practice in the comments section.

Whatever states of mind, happy or unhappy, occur, never mind—we should constantly be reminding ourselves, "This is uncertain."

Just a few weeks before COVID-19 became a global reality and a focus of our daily lives, our teams at Fetzer and Hattaway Communications received the last of the 3,600 responses to our national survey on spirituality and civic life. With curiosity and anticipation, we and our advisors began digging into the data, looking for the nuance of what it means to be and feel spiritual today. 

While the news continues to call our attention to political divisions, we are mindful of the spiritual teaching of “one hand, one heart” —that all our individual appearances are specific manifestations of the Whole Essence. This concept of Divine Oneness—of a prevailing unity behind the appearance of diversity—is a central theme in many mystical traditions. Regardless of our political stance, we can benefit from considering and focusing on our oneness—our commonalities—rather than on that which scares and divides us. Here are some spiritual practices to build awareness of our unity.

Our founder, John E. Fetzer, spent a lifetime following a deep spiritual yearning as documented in Brian C. Wilson’s book John E. Fetzer and the Quest for the New Age. The book was recently awarded the Historical Society of Michigan's highest honor, the State History Award. Today, we celebrate the birth of Mr.

As many Christians engage in the observance of Lent, we are drawn to two reflections that offer wisdom for these times and practices any of us can engage in, regardless of our faith.

Opening our hearts and beginning again: “Lent is a call to weep for what we could have been and are not…” wrote Sister Joan Chittister in 2011. “Lent is not about penance. Lent is about becoming, doing and changing whatever it is that is blocking the fullness of life in us right now.”

Many Americans highly value professional achievement, which is reflected in such democratic virtues as the pursuit of excellence, determination, assertiveness, and love of learning and knowledge. At the same time, momentarily setting aside an achievement orientation helps us tune into deeper currents of wisdom that strengthen democratic virtues like adaptability, honesty, humility, integrity, and social conscience.

The idea that all of us are created equal, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence, means that everyone deserves respect. We can practice being respectful at home first by listening to our own wisdom and the ideas of others and then by staying informed and expressing our opinions.

Omar M. McRoberts, PhD, is an advisor to Fetzer’s Study of Spirituality in America, which comprises in-depth interviews and focus groups (both completed) and a survey that will be fielded in early 2020. Omar recently co-presented “The Changing Landscape of Religion, Spirituality, and Identity in America” workshop at Upswell 2019.