My Journey
Me around Age 3
When I reflect on my life, three influences stand out as having the most impact on my vocational path: my curiosity, my religious upbringing, and my innate spiritual gifts. Together, these underlying forces have persistently urged me toward a lifelong pursuit of theological and spiritual inquiry.
Looking back, my yearning to understand divinity feels like a logical evolution, especially considering how much of my childhood was spent at church. My family regularly attended services, and my mother was the organist, which meant my brother and I often went with her to practices. Our church felt like a second home. To this day, the musty smell of a church evokes fond memories of playing in the back rooms while we waited for my mother.
Growing up immersed in the activities of the United Methodist Church definitely shaped me. Fortunately, I only had positive experiences in these settings and always felt genuinely cared for by those around me. I was surrounded by good, imperfect people who wanted their lives to reflect their faith. They embodied a loving, liberal, and progressive Christianity, expressing their convictions through kindness and social justice.
Alongside traditional Christian Protestant doctrine and Wesleyan theology, I was also encouraged to reflect upon my own beliefs in our church. It was in this milieu where I first gained a true appreciation for the spiritual importance of community. In addition, the United Methodist Church where we were located integrated elements of Indigenous culture into some of its gatherings. Being exposed to these indigenous traditions and stories of the land, animals, and spirit beings opened me to a form of faith where the inherent spirituality within the natural world is honored and uplifted.
Beyond this formative religious immersion, I am a deeply perceptive, sensitive, and intuitive person. These traits have always been present in my life, with my first vivid memories of extraordinary spiritual experiences occurring when I was young. Encountering life through the heightened lens of these innate spiritual gifts and experiences has largely fueled my quest to understand spirituality and divinity.
With these early inspirational influences, my career path essentially began in high school. In 10th grade, I was selected as one of the peer counselors for my school. My senior year, I was elected as the Youth President for all of the churches in our area. Later, I served as an elected representative on the national United Methodist College Student Board. Before I was 20 yrs old, I was already learning how to effectively support others, design retreats, and create spiritual experiences.
In college, I trained as an outdoor guide through a student recreation program at my university. Leading groups on outdoor adventures, from backpacking trips to white-water rafting, was transformational for me. From this point forward, nature became a central source of inspiration in my life.
Tel Arad National Park, Israel | Temple, Holy of Holies
Likely altars to Yahweh and his wife Asherah
After college, my mystical search continued when I attended the Claremont School of Theology. There, I found myself in an academic environment steeped in process, feminist, and womanist theology, as well as the blossoming Goddess spirituality movement. I also had the opportunity to work on several archaeological excavations in Israel, giving me firsthand exposure to the rich history, cultures, and religions of the region.
Upon completing my Master’s degree in Religious Education, I was hired as a Director of Religious Education and Associate Minister for a Congregational church. Based on this trajectory, it might appear that my religiosity was firmly established at this time. In reality, the opposite was true. Over the years, my passion for divine knowledge led me to seek many sources of wisdom, and this opened the door to a myriad of spiritual possibilities. As a result, I pursued an in-depth study of Goddess spirituality, Iyengar Haṭha Yoga, Reiki, and various healing arts. These explorations continued until one day I reached a pivotal point, and I could no longer call myself a Christian.
After resigning from my ministerial position at the church, I started a private spiritual care practice. Merging my knowledge of pastoral care with my intuitive abilities, I spent over a decade offering people individualized, multifaith spiritual support and guidance.
Since then, I have practiced several religions and studied with some powerful spiritual teachers. During my Phd program, I was additionally blessed with learning from a group of scholars who further expanded my spiritual and intellectual horizons. Today, I have a PhD in Comparative Religious Studies, and I consider myself a Unitarian Universalist.
Throughout all of these experiences, my sense of spiritual purpose and interest in divinity has never waned. Though the outer reflection of my religiosity has had different expressions, my inner faith has continuously unfolded in beautiful ways, and I am exceedingly grateful that I always feel personally connected to the divine.
As a white cisgender woman, scholar, and spiritual educator in the United States, I attempt to prioritize listening to diverse viewpoints and strive to be conscious of my biases and actions. Extending myself beyond my ingrained limitations is a constant exercise, but one I relish. My goal is to add my perspective to the larger multifaith dialogue while helping people forge a deeper relationship with their spirituality and each other.
Blessings and thanks, Elaina