Walking the Ancient Path
Where God’s Story Meets Our Story
It all begins with the call to write the vision and make it plain. For some, the vision may be to launch a business, create an art project, or serve in ministry. For others, it might mean making more space for family, community, or simply sitting in the presence of God.
In 2004, God spoke to me with a simple yet weighty vision: “I’m requiring more of you.” At the time, I was a teaching artist in New York City, chasing my dream of becoming a playwright. I had never heard of God calling an artist, but deep down, I knew there was something sacred about the stage. Even then, the call was already unfolding — to be an agent of healing, whether through a solo performance, a classroom, or a storytelling residency.
That call set me on what Jeremiah calls the ancient path — a way that has taken me in many directions but always leads me back to the heart of God.
From Artist to Theologian
A decade later, in 2014, I applied to Wesley Theological Seminary to pursue a Master of Divinity and a certificate in Theology and the Arts. Seminary gave me language for what I had always sensed: my ministry lives at the intersection of God’s story and our story.
My studies didn’t end there. I pursued an MFA in Creative Writing, focusing on spiritual writing, followed by a Master of Sacred Theology at Drew University, where I explored how writing and biblical interpretation could open new paths for healing.
But my real clarity came in 2017, when I was asked at a conference to stand, share my name, and state my call. I had no speech prepared, but as I stood trembling, the Spirit gave me the words: “I am an artist. I am a theologian. I am called to be a healer.” For the first time, everything — my training, art, ministry, and lived experiences — came together in a single vision.
The Scripture That Anchors Me
At Wesley, I first truly heard the words of Jesus in Luke 4:18–19:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”
As I read those words, tears streamed down my face. I sensed Jesus inviting me to pour out my life as only an artist can — embodying and proclaiming the Good News through story, song, movement, and word. That passage became the heartbeat of my call, a reminder that healing and liberation are always at the center of the Gospel.
Communion. Community. Creativity.
Today, I live out my call in three ways — as a storyteller, speaker, and spiritual director — and each role centers on three anchors: communion, community, and creativity.
Communion is about helping people draw close to God, cultivating a life of abiding in Christ. Like the woman at the well, we discover that God knows us fully and loves us still.
Community emerges in the spaces where art and faith meet. Whether through residencies, workshops, or performances, I invite people to see how their stories connect with God’s story.
Creativity is the sacred work of creating with God. Not every piece of art looks religious, but all true creation is sacred because we bear the image of the Creator. My role is not to force healing but to make space for God to do what only God can do — or, as Jennifer Kloss beautifully says, “to dust for the fingerprints of God.”
Still Walking the Ancient Path
Two decades have passed since that first call in 2004, and I am still on the ancient path. I am a writer. A theologian. A healer. I tell stories, create sacred spaces, and walk with others as they encounter God’s presence.
But this is not just my story. The ancient path is for all of us. God is always calling — sometimes with a whisper, sometimes with a push — to draw closer, to live more fully, to be healed and to help others heal.
Maybe for you, the call looks like launching something new. Maybe it looks like slowing down, tending to family, or making more room for God in the quiet places of your life. Whatever it is, the same Spirit that anointed Jesus — the Spirit who called me — is calling you, too.
The ancient path is where our stories meet God’s story. The only question is: will you take the next step?