Author Archives: amy j howton

in my current role with the Diocese of Southern Ohio serving as the Becoming Beloved Community Coordinator, i offered this reflection in a recent newsletter publication. navigating times such as these call for growing our own capacities as diverse teams to respond wisely from a place of love rather than react from a place ofContinue reading “we cannot offer others what we do not have”

last week was one of chaotic energy with opportunities to notice the power of embodied creation–what it feels like to be human and in this body and join with the creative forces of the universe the turbulent waters of our lives stir us and in that stirring, an awakening if we allow it and ifContinue reading “chaos + creation”

back in the day, when i worked for a social innovation firm focused on community-centered design, i found it so curious that in order to elevate “community voice” we invited and designated individuals to participate as “community members”. inherent in this practice is the assumption that there is difficulty/impossibility in showing up as whole individualsContinue reading “wholeness”

by meg (11 years old) for earth day Stop! We need to stop killing animals and polluting the ocean. About 30,000 sharks are getting killed an hour not even a year and that’s our fault. When birds feed, they have help from the sharks attracting fish to the surface so sharks and birds feed onContinue reading “LOVE THE EARTH”

a week ago i slipped away for a few quiet days in nature with my family. we found a new-to-us-place tucked in between huge stone formations in the hills of kentucky, near a lake. it was beautiful and remote… and needed. isn’t it always? i think of the days and weeks leading up to thatContinue reading “re-source”

years ago, i was in a work meeting and literally told to be silent while a decision about a service i ran was communicated to the rest of our division. it was highly contentious and the fact that i was told to sit silent among my colleagues was…heartwrenching. i recall us all sitting in aContinue reading “witness”

this was shared as a sermon (my first!) on 3.21.21 for the Church of the Good Shepherd; Athens, OH. the Gospel reading that inspired it is John 12:20-33. Also available on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/BBS_KGxWpdA. +++ What an honor to be with you, the people of the Church of the Good Shepherd today. Mother Deborah hasContinue reading “do as the grain of wheat; as the earth”

yesterday i signed a Release Agreement on the land contract. in other words, there is an acknowledgement that the contract we entered is no longer true and therefore, we are released from it. release agreement. there is some sadness that comes with release. a letting go of the visions taking root, the dreams we wereContinue reading “release”

a few weeks back, i heard Bishop Michael Curry raise a question that has stayed with me: “how do i both stand and kneel at the same time, in my relationship with others?“ well, damn. stand and kneel. both, at once?! and while it may seem impossible, i knew precisely what he meant and haveContinue reading “stand and kneel”

i heard someone once say that earth is the school of forgiveness. today, it is raining–a divine soundtrack as i sit some lessons learned. earlier this week, someone shared with me the heartbreak at having to return a rescue dog after 24 hours. the dog was not adjusting, bullying and acting out. he called meContinue reading “lessons from the school of forgiveness”