Spiritual But Not Religious

Betty Brandt • March 25, 2025

Soulful Paths: Embracing Spirituality Without Religion

An amazing number of people have thoughtfully reconsidered the theology they grew up with and decided to reject those beliefs. This process of reevaluation and rejection has come to be known as “deconstruction.” Our own experiences tell us that deconstruction can be painful and chaotic. You might have a personal story about your own deconstruction process. But now that you have deconstructed, what comes next?

For many, the process of “reconstruction” remains incomplete, leading them to identify as “spiritual but not religious.” They go on believing in a divine power but they are unattached to a community of like-minded people. The vacuum created by the absence of both belief and belonging has enormous consequences for the individual and the larger society.

Interestingly, Rainn Wilson, an actor best known for his role as the annoying Dwight Schrute on the American version of The Office, has written a book that speaks to those people who have deconstructed and are now in a belief/belonging vacuum. The book, Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution, speaks to some of life’s big questions. "The Notorious G.O.D."; "Death and How to Live It"; and "Religion Schmeligion" are just three of the chapter titles. Wilson tells the reader about the ten essential universal truths that all the great religious movements have in common. He then goes on to outline a blueprint on a way to reconstruct and live a meaningful and productive spiritual life. He even recommends more potluck dinners.

I had the enormous good fortune to meet Rainn Wilson and share a meal and conversation with him. One of the things he talked about is a spiritual conversation group he and his wife host in their home. They open with a time of meditation, then share some quotes picked from a variety of spiritual traditions and finally take time for discussion. Sometimes the group does a service project or takes a walk together. Pretty simple, but often profound. Rainn contends that people are hungry for this kind of simple, deep conversation and community building.

What about you? Are you hungry for a spiritual conversation group? Let me know at betty@thegardenonline.org.

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By Rev. Dr, Carolyn Scanlan-Holmes • September 29, 2026

Although we define our world with borders, walls, and ideologies, World Communion Sunday brings us a simple reality: we belong to each other. This Sunday, we gather around a table that expands across the globe, a table of radical hospitality where all are fed, all are valued, and all are loved. Together, we commit to the collective work of peace, justice, and healing for our planet. Join us as we break bread and build bridges.

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By Rev. Dr. Carolyn Scanlan-Holmes • September 22, 2026

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By Rev. Dr. Carolyn Scanlan-Holmes • August 25, 2026

Life comes with no map. We try to make our own and we set out, sometimes with excitement, sometimes with fear or grief, or just because standing still isn't an option. Sometimes we go not entirely sure where we're headed or what we'll find when we get there. In one of the most quietly beautiful stories in the Gospel of Luke, two travelers, heavy with loss and confusion, walk a road from Jerusalem. They meet a stranger, who falls in step beside them. They don't know who he is. They don't know what's coming next. But they keep walking. Somewhere in the walking, something shifts. The Road to Emmaus isn't really a story about a destination. It's a story about what happens on the way there: the conversations, the companions, the moments of unexpected recognition that change everything. Join us Sunday as we explore what it means to be on a journey full of unknowns. Do we fear that which we cannot know, or can we embrace the uncertainty as part of the adventure?

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By Rev. Dr. Brenda Freije • August 18, 2026

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Mother Love, Mother Loss

By Joy Dyer, MSW, LCSW • August 10, 2026

The relationship we have with our mothers is one of the most meaningful in our lives. Sometimes sweet, sometimes difficult…or worse…but always full of complexity. And researchers have determined that this most significant of relationships actually begins in the womb. It’s the template where we first learn about love, whether we were fortunate to have loving mothers, or mothers who sadly were unable to love us as we needed and deserved. This primal, intense relationship continues throughout our lives, influencing and shaping who we become and how we relate to others as we journey through on our own paths. Is it any wonder then that the death of our mothers is one of the most impactful losses that we will experience? And yet, even after her death, it’s possible to have a continuing conversation and relationship with her…with her gifts and her flaws…that allows for connection and the possibility of repair and forgiveness. This Sunday, please join us as we explore the joys, sorrows, and possibilities of the eternal bond between mother and child. Joy Dyer, MSW, LCSW, brings 37 years of clinical social work experience, including work in end-of-life care and advanced bereavement training. She specializes in grief in all its forms. Joy returns to The Garden on Thursday, September 3 for Debunking the Myths of Grief.

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By Rev. Dr. Carolyn Scanlan-Holmes • August 4, 2026

On the Importance of Play