News & Resources – Davidson Centre for the Professions

Through the Horse’s Eyes

“There is something about the gentle wisdom in a horse’s eye that can put even the most troubled soul at peace.” A desire to serve, guided from Above, helped you enter this sacred path. Ministry. Clergy are faced with copious challenges and stressors specific to their vocation. Ultimately rewarding, yet over time, many pastors encounter struggles with transitions, leadership, self-doubt, or friendships. Schedules become intense with life/work balance, self-care and identity squeezed in. Also, coping with emotions such as grief. The human aspect while serving as a pastor is tenuous. You became connected to the…

Gordon Jacobs In Uncategorized

An Observer’s Thoughts

As my desk is in the front lobby, I have been fortunate to welcome pastors to the onsite Clergy Program throughout Covid. The sweet spot for the program is a four-person cohort, a good number for relating to one another, but not perfect for distancing in our meeting room nowadays. We have been hosting one or two per session in a shorter, four-day week for some months, and the participants are so grateful to have in-person sessions. Like you, we have mostly adapted to our new norm, and wondering what the vaccine and the coming…

Jody Seymour In Uncategorized

Standing Knee Deep in a River and Dying of Thirst

The above words come to mind when I work with ministers who face the constant challenges of “our work”. I often say to my brother and sister clergy, “We can get awfully thirsty giving other people water.” Anyone in ministry knows what I mean. We who are called on to provide water to thirsty souls learn over time that giving the water does not mean drinking the water. Those whom we serve must think that we have some kind of artesian spring that naturally feeds our spirit. Not true. We too need to stop by…

Alix Felsing In Articles

Write Your Way Forward

What if I told you there’s a tool that is easy to use, never breaks, and doesn’t cost much? The more you use this tool, the better it works — and it’s literally at your fingertips. Journaling is a reflective practice that helps us make sense of our experiences. Writing about events and emotions leads to greater self-awareness, new perspectives, and transformed behavior. But I’m so busy, you say. My head is buzzing with all the competing demands I’m juggling and all the things I’m trying to remember to do. I don’t have the time…

Jan E. Lorah In Articles

Spiritual Direction Jan-style

When I first sit with a client, I offer my abbreviated definition of spiritual direction – that which I have come to recognize as true over the more than a decade of answering the call to this wonderful ministry. To me, it is about “Holy Listening;” the client and I are seeking to discern how God is working through what is happening in their journey of the moment. I define “Holy Listening” as the practice of keeping my heart and soul open to hear what is really being said – what is the real issue…