I started life as a Lutheran in Seattle. I was taught confirmation by a young minister who introduced me to the theologian Paul Tillich. I bought Tillich’s book The Courage to Be, and I still have that book today. Martin Luther King’s Ph.D. dissertation was a comparison of the Process Theology of Henry Nelson Wieman with the theology of Paul Tillich.
I became a Unitarian Universalist in mid-life when my children were young. I wanted to be with a church that was more aligned with my values, which are universalist. Later, I felt a call to the ministry. I went to Starr King School for the ministry in Berkeley and specialized in hospital chaplaincy. As I studied in seminary, I would take a walking meditation in the Berkeley hills as described in Thich Nhat Hanh’s book Peace is Every Step. I developed a love for the outdoors as a Boy Scout. I experience hiking in nature as a healing activity. I got a job as a hospice chaplain for Providence Hospice in Olympia in September of 2001 and I joined OUUC at the same time. I interned under Rev. Arthur Vaeni and was ordained by OUUC. I taught Building your own Theology three times, was part of a Small Group Ministry, and preached a number of sermons. I was on the board of the Out of the Woods homeless shelter. I have very much enjoyed working with the Books Beans and Brownies book sale for many years. I am retired from hospice chaplaincy and enjoying more time for hiking adventures as well as family time.