{"id":6931,"date":"2017-01-06T10:16:42","date_gmt":"2017-01-06T16:16:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/?p=6931"},"modified":"2026-02-26T13:44:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T19:44:16","slug":"trains-in-heaven-embracing-the-mystery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/2017\/01\/06\/trains-in-heaven-embracing-the-mystery\/","title":{"rendered":"Trains in heaven: Embracing the mystery"},"content":{"rendered":"

About a week before I professed my final vows, in the summer of 2015, I had a crisis of faith.<\/p>\n

During a private retreat in a quiet cabin, I was tucked into a recliner, blankets snuggled around me. I stared out a wide window toward a vast lake \u2014 not a lake I know well; I have no sense of its depth, shape or shores. I could only see part of the stirring waters. It was miles across to the other side.<\/p>\n

Staring into the expansive mystery and intensely aware of my human limitations, I felt my spirit stir with anxiety and tension. How could I possibly submit myself to a life centered on God if I am not completely sure what God is? How can I say “yes, forever” if the future feels frightening?<\/p>\n

With such questions multiplying inside of me, I prayed, pondered and agonized. After a while, the Spirit reminded me of a book by Congregation of St. Joseph Sr. Elizabeth Johnson called Quest for the Living God. Informed by the writings of Karl Rahner, Johnson dedicated an entire chapter to God as Holy Mystery in the book.<\/p>\n

I found a copy and read the chapter about Holy Mystery. I prayed and was honest with God about my questions and my struggles. Gradually, I felt reassured and inspired to…<\/p>\n

[This is the beginning of my latest column for the online newspaper, <\/em>Global Sisters Report<\/a>. Continue reading here<\/a>.]<\/em><\/p>\n

\""rowing<\/a>
“rowing on Trout Lake” photo by Julia Walsh FSPA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"About a week before I professed my final vows, in the summer of 2015, I had a crisis of faith. During a private retreat in a quiet cabin, I was tucked into a recliner, blankets snuggled around me. I stared out a wide window toward a vast lake \u2014 not a lake I know well;...","protected":false},"author":4071079,"featured_media":5447,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[115341],"tags":[20174,1343,214,8437,102644,6832537,401,406,2850,221895935,7816,91914,20816,26271,124,13078,184446,34941365,647597,99164],"series":[698756626],"class_list":["post-6931","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-equity-and-justice-equity-and-justice","tag-belief","tag-children","tag-christianity","tag-death","tag-discernment","tag-elizabeth-johnson","tag-faith","tag-family","tag-future","tag-global-sisters-report","tag-god","tag-heaven","tag-hope","tag-journey","tag-life","tag-mystery","tag-real-life-experiences","tag-relationship-2","tag-trust-in-god","tag-vocation","series-messy-jesus-business"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/img_3688-scaled.jpg","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/wp-content\/plugins\/seriously-simple-podcasting\/assets\/images\/no-album-art.png","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"stitcher":{"key":"stitcher","url":"","label":"Stitcher","class":"stitcher","icon":"stitcher.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/customwordpresssites.com\/mjb\/feed\/podcast\/messy-jesus-business","embedCode":"
Trains in heaven: Embracing the mystery<\/a><\/blockquote>