Summer 2025

The Dead Hand

by Micah Harris

Nuclear war arrived for Bob Lawson in 1972. This was the 43rd year of his life and the war arrived for him in the form of a yellow construction hat that showed through the window of a pickup truck at the corner of his field. He plowed to the corner then, shoving his tractor’s clutch, lurched to a stop.

Ellie DuHadway 7/6/25 Ellie DuHadway 7/6/25

Spiritual Seeing

by John L. Gronbeck-Tedesco

The task of getting human vision to go beyond its habitual ways of seeing involves a good deal of editing.

Vita Poetica 7/6/25 Vita Poetica 7/6/25

Divine Encounters

by Douglas G. Campbell

My work often explores the tension between the sacred and humanity; these pieces draw from Christian scripture to reflect on divine encounter, spiritual struggle, and the unseen realities that shape our lives.

Vita Poetica 7/6/25 Vita Poetica 7/6/25

Periodic Table and the Old Wise Guy

by Mary Jane Miller

Humans are divinely inspired creatures. We are called to be stewards of the earth. Our bodies as well as the planet are temples of the Holy Spirit.

Vita Poetica 7/6/25 Vita Poetica 7/6/25

Faithful Through and Through

by Robert Rogers

I am a multidisciplinary artist focused on contemporary views of mental health and spirituality. Drawing from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, I highlight the importance of aligning with one's values to boost motivation and manage moods and emotions.

Vita Poetica 7/6/25 Vita Poetica 7/6/25

Art for Meditation: Iconographer Philip Davydov

in Conversation with Lisa Shirk

Philip Davydov is a second-generation iconographer with an MA from the State Fine Art Academy of Saint Petersburg (faculty of Theory and History of Art).

Vita Poetica 7/6/25 Vita Poetica 7/6/25

“Sacred Rage” and Spiritual Defiance

A Review of Meggan Watterson’s The Girl Who Baptized Herself: How a Lost Scripture About a Saint Named Thecla Reveals the Power of Knowing Our Worth (Random House, 2025)

by Shirley Paulson

In her book, The Girl Who Baptized Herself, Meggan Watterson intertwines her own personal journey with the ancient story of Thecla.

Vita Poetica 7/6/25 Vita Poetica 7/6/25

Grief’s Unmaking and Remaking of the Self

A Review of No One Knows Us There by Jessica Bebeneck (Book*hug Press, 2025)

by Dinah Ryan

Vita Poetica 7/6/25 Vita Poetica 7/6/25

Expansive Prayer & Lectio Divina with Poetry

by Holly Porter Phillips

Expanding Our Understanding of Prayer

In his book, Callings, Gregg Levoy invites us to look for practices that “help us pay attention to our lives, gently sanding our fingertips to make them more sensitive to the feel of things.”

Vita Poetica 7/6/25 Vita Poetica 7/6/25

Awed by Creation

by Deb Baker

The idea of humans having “dominion” over the rest of creation relies on an assumption about the superiority of human abilities. And yet, when we examine and reflect on creation, the complexity of everything about our planet, from the “repeated refrains of nature” to the structures of soil and rocks to the lives of other creatures can offer a wider perspective.

Summer 2025

Contents

Editorial

Poetry

Fiction

Visual Arts

Interview

Reviews

Contemplative Practices

The Dead Hand

Spiritual Seeing

Divine Encounters

Periodic Table and the Old Wise Guy

Faithful Through and Through

Art for Meditation: Iconographer Philip Davydov

“Sacred Rage” and Spiritual Defiance

Grief’s Unmaking and Remaking of the Self

Expansive Prayer & Lectio Divina with Poetry

Awed by Creation

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