Launch Your Well Being

Life in Christ is a Paradox

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 11:04:12 GMT

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” That sentence from Matthew 5:3 are Jesus’ first words of his “Sermon on the Mount.” A large crowd of people had gathered around him that day on the mountainside. The gentle breeze ruffled his dark hair, as he instructed them to sit down on the grass and began to teach them about life…

To Breathe is To Pray. To Pray is to Breathe.

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 15 Jul 2026 11:01:55 GMT

I’ve been thinking a lot about the connection between breathing and praying. To say that breathing and praying are connected might sound a bit odd, because don’t we usually think of praying as saying to God what we’re thinking in our mind? And because sometimes we think of praying as telling God what is wrenching our heart. So, what does that have to do…

A Vision is Coming into Focus

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 11:02:56 GMT

I’m excited! A vision I’ve had for a very long time is coming to pass! But first let me tell you about the call: In my retirement from active ministry in a church, my call is to reach out to people who have been spiritually abused in their church and to walk with them while they search for their healing. Part of that call involves offering online and in…

Rooted in the Faith of My Ancestors

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 01 Jul 2026 14:03:52 GMT

In the mid 1990’s, I traveled to Wales quite a few times. After all, it is the country of my ancestors that I feel closest to. All I have to do is cross the border from England into Wales on board a coach, to know in my bones that I’m home. I and my siblings know that we have descended from centuries of Welsh bards. In our day, we are still musician…

Is It True that Christianity is About Being Perfect?

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 24 Jun 2026 11:03:20 GMT

Many churches are wonderfully loving and accepting of everyone. That’s what I experienced when I first walked into St. Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church. There was no hidden agenda in the atmosphere that whispered in your ear when you least expected it – a hidden agenda that said, “But watch out, because you never know who hasn’t REALLY followed t…

A Symptom of Spiritual Abuse

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 17 Jun 2026 11:03:42 GMT

Spiritual abuse in faith communities causes many symptoms in those who are on the receiving end. Not all spiritual abuse survivors experience all of the symptoms, thank goodness. But we can experience a cluster of them.

Today I want to write about the symptom of feeling disoriented and off-balance. Here, our faith in God and our faith in church and in th…

There is Spiritual Abuse in Churches

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 11:03:39 GMT

There is spiritual abuse in churches. That’s a fact, shown by many research results, books authored by the recipients of such atrocities, and an increasing number of others coming forward to tell their stories.

Here are a few examples of the different kinds of spiritual abuse:

1. Repeated offensive comments directed to one or more members either in privat…

What is Forgiveness?

Dorothy Gremillion — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 11:02:28 GMT

“Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” In Luke 11:1-4, Jesus’ disciples had just asked Jesus to teach them to pray. They must have been thunderstruck when he included those words in his answer to their question: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” Jesus told them to ask the Father to…

How Long Does the Wound from Spiritual Abuse Last?

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 20 May 2026 11:03:40 GMT

Life has a way of confronting us with difficult challenges. Suffering spiritual abuse in a church is one of those times. When we’re thrown into an intolerable situations, our emotions play havoc with us. The shock of such behavior from the perpetrating Christian that we trusted is devastating. It’s like a storm has hit, destroying everything in its path…

Forgive our Abusers? Surely Not, Lord...

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 13 May 2026 11:03:24 GMT

In Acts 6-7 there’s a compelling story of forgiveness. It’s the story of Stephen, a man among the first deacons of the church. Whenever I think of ultimate forgiveness, I think of Stephen. So here’s his story:

After the Holy Spirit descemded on the disciples on the Jewish Feast of Pentecost, the number of people who were converted to being a Jesus-fol…

Transition into Something New

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 06 May 2026 11:03:12 GMT

I’m in transition. I know that the Lord is in charge of it, and that I’m willing – so here we go… As most of you know, I’m a retired Episcopal priest, although the word “retired” should be in quotes. For about the last 15 years, I’ve continued to serve churches in part time capacities, such as interims and supply clergy on Sundays when needed.

For severa…

The Parable of the Gift

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 11:03:09 GMT

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We play a game, God and me.  This is how it goes:  

	He gives me a gift (an idea) and says to me, “What would you make of it, my love?”    

	“A gift!  What would I make of it, you say?”  

I take it in my hands,
add a bit of this,
take away some of that,
add a different color there.

When I’m quite sure I’ve thought of everything I can think of, I pac…

Have this Mind Among Yourselves

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 11:01:53 GMT

One of my favorite passages in the New Testament is Phil. 2:5-11, which begins with these words: “Have this mind among yourselves, that you have in Christ Jesus.” Even before I quote the whole passage, I’m led to contemplate how can such a thing be: To actually live my life with Christ’s Mind inside my skull, instead of the way my mind would be without …

Help! What's Happening to My Church?

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:03:18 GMT

In retirement as an Episcopal priest, I’ve served quite a few very small churches, one Sunday here, another Sunday there. In all of them that I’ve served, they’ve lost a significant number of members. The remaining members, everywhere I’ve been, worry about their church, and rightly so. Most of these churches are in small towns. In one of those towns, t…

Alleluia!

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 11:01:17 GMT

Alleluia! Christ is Risen! The Lord is Risen Indeed! Alleluia!

Here’s my Easter poem. Enjoy!

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                                             Alleluia!
                  Congregation to read the lines in bolded italics.                                      


Mary Magdalene:	Alleluia!				 
 			Reach out and hold
			The Risen Lord!
			Touch me not yet, say…

The Passion of Christ

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:02:34 GMT

Here is part of a sermon I preached a few years ago on Good Friday.

Good Friday is a time when we remember and reflect on the Passion of Jesus – everything that happened during that week in Jerusalem until his death, and the horrors of the crucifixion. In many of our churches, on Good Friday, the church is dressed in its most somber and stripped down au…

Ode to Unknowing

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 11:02:17 GMT

This week I’ve decided to share one of my poems with you. I wrote it almost a year ago. Here is my “Ode to Unknowing.” Enjoy.

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They say that we should know.
Know all manner of things
from sunup to sundown
and throughout the night.

Book learning, life learning
people learning, people doing
the learning that they know

But to what end is all that
learning …

Dark Night of the Soul

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 11:00:59 GMT

Many authors through several centuries have attempted to describe what happens when we have an interior experience that is disorienting, that feels like our spiritual sight/insight has gone dark, and the whole situation is painful. St. John of the Cross¹ named this experience the “Dark Night of the Soul.”

A true Dark Night of the Soul is different from b…

Future-Back Thinking

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 11 Mar 2026 11:00:59 GMT

I’m currently reading books and taking courses on how to be an online entrepreneur. You might ask what does that have to do with spiritual abuse, spiritual growth, wholeness, or personal well-being? You’d be right to ask. Here’s my answer: the more I know what online tools are available for me to use in and beyond “Launch Your Well-Being,” the more peop…

Life Events Render Us into Someone Different

Dorothy Gremillion — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 12:01:55 GMT

While I was praying a few weeks ago, a phrase came to me:

“Rendered by life events. Transformed by Christ. Empowered by the Holy Spirit.”

I began thinking about that word “render” -- a very particular definition of “render” -- to “render fat”. Do you know how to render fat? I don’t know how. Our forefathers and foremothers had to know, if they wanted fat …