Watch this episode on YouTube here. Paid Subscribers can view the video directly in Substack.

In this episode of Psalms for the Spirit, we are joined by MaryAnn McKibben Dana ~ pastor, writer, and author of the new book Better Than Normal: Virtues for an Off-Script Life.

Get MaryAnn’s new book here

MaryAnn shares the heart behind her latest book, inspired by her journey as a parent navigating neurodiversity, and her growing awareness of how narrow definitions of “normal” can limit both individuals and communities. Together, we explore how the Psalms ~ through themes of orientation, disorientation, and reorientation ~ offer a powerful framework for making sense of life when it no longer feels predictable or clear.

This conversation invites listeners to move from certainty to curiosity, from comfort to courage, and from striving to presence. It is an honest reflection on faith, vulnerability, and the beauty of a more inclusive and compassionate way of being.

“Having gone through the disorienting experience and realizing how we might put it is that God was with us or helped guide us and never abandoned us, even when we felt like we were abandoned… if I can make it through that, I can make it through anything. And it's God's leading that will ultimately help us in this new chapter.”

Whether you feel grounded, lost, or somewhere in between, this episode offers a reminder that you are not alone ~ and that even in disorientation, there is a way through.

Rev. MaryAnn McKibben Dana is a writer, pastor, speaker, and ministry coach living in the Virginia suburbs of Washington DC. She is author of four books, most recently Better Than Normal: Virtues for an Off-Script Life. She writes a weekly newsletter for thousands of subscribers called The Blue Room, and her writing has also appeared in multiple outlets including TIME.com and The Washington Post. She was featured on PBS’s Religion and Ethics Newsweekly for her work on Sabbath and was recognized by the Presbyterian Writers Guild with the 2015-2016 David Steele Distinguished Writer Award. MaryAnn currently serves as associate pastor at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Herndon, Virginia. She is a graduate of Rice University in Houston, Texas and received her M.Div. from Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. She is a mother of three young adults, an aspiring gardener, and an occasional ultramarathoner.

Click here to learn more about Rev. MaryAnn.

Featured Celtic Psalms Songs:

Psalm 30: You Have Turned My Sorrow

Psalm 116: I Love the Lord

MaryAnn shares the heart behind her latest book, inspired by her journey as a parent navigating neurodiversity, and her growing awareness of how narrow definitions of “normal” ca…

Read more

This psalm of longing is set to the relatively well-known traditional melody, ‘Down by the Salley Gardens.’ Its iconic imagery of the deer panting or longing for streams of water, as our souls thirst for God, leads us into this depiction of someone whose soul is “cast down” and needing to be reminded of something to hope in.

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Visit the Celtic Psalms website for scores/books, mp3s, CDs, and videos for As the Deer Longs for Streams

Find out more about the Habits for the Spirit course: an 8-week online course exploring habits and daily spiritual practices to promote wellbeing in body, mind, and spirit

Follow Kiran’s monthly reflections on Bless My Feet

This prayer for strength, courage, and refuge during a time of distress is combined here with the Irish traditional song Spancilhill. The Psalm resolves by transitioning into a testament to God’s help in the past, and an encouragement to those in distress as it offers the words “May courage fill your hearts.”

Get your accompanying journal, which includes further questions for reflection and some invitations to prayer and practice

Paid subscribers receive a free journal PDF, or you can purchase a paperback version

Subscribe now

Visit the Celtic Psalms website for scores/books, mp3s, CDs, and videos for Rock of Refuge

Find out more about the Habits for the Spirit course: an 8-week online course exploring habits and daily spiritual practices to promote wellbeing in body, mind, and spirit

Follow Kiran’s monthly reflections on Bless My Feet

Watch this episode on YouTube here. Paid Subscribers can view the video directly in Substack.

In this episode of Psalms for the Spirit, we are joined by Dr. Cynthia Eriksson, a clinical psychologist, professor, and Dean at Fuller Theological Seminary, whose work sits at the intersection of trauma, spirituality, and resilience.

Cynthia shares her passion for helping people understand their emotional lives and build resilience not only in therapy spaces, but within everyday communities. With decades of experience studying trauma, she offers a compassionate and practical perspective on how we can care for our mental and spiritual well-being in honest and meaningful ways.

Together, we explore how the Psalms can become a daily practice, giving us language for joy, grief, anger, and everything in between. They reflect on lament as a pathway to healing, the importance of safe spaces where we can be fully honest, and how bringing our whole selves before God can gently restore connection in the midst of pain.

This conversation is both grounding and hopeful, reminding us that we don’t have to hide our emotions or carry them alone.

“I find myself amazed at the ways that Psalms end up articulating things that I’m feeling right now. That they give language to places of frustration, and they also give language to requests to God.”

Whether you are navigating personal struggles or simply seeking a deeper spiritual practice, this episode offers a quiet invitation to slow down, be honest, and let the Psalms hold what you’re carrying.

Cynthia Blomquist Eriksson, PhD is an American clinical psychologist, professor, researcher, and academic leader specializing in trauma, spirituality, and caregiver resilience. She currently serves as Dean of the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy and Professor of Psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California.

Dr. Eriksson earned her BA in psychology from Wheaton College and completed her MA and PhD in Clinical Psychology at Fuller Theological Seminary, where she began her doctoral studies in 1990 with a focus on trauma in children. She joined the Fuller faculty in 2000 and has held several leadership roles, including PsyD Program Chair, before being appointed dean of the School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy in 2023.

Her research and teaching focus on trauma and posttraumatic stress, spirituality and trauma, burnout and chronic stress in caregivers, missionary and humanitarian aid worker mental health, and resilience in cross-cultural contexts. She has conducted trauma training, research, and consultation internationally in countries including Liberia, Japan, Cambodia, the Netherlands, Spain, Guatemala, Uganda, and Jordan.

Dr. Eriksson is affiliated with the Headington Program in International Trauma and has collaborated on longitudinal research on stress and resilience among humanitarian aid workers, including projects funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Her work often explores the intersection of trauma, faith, cultural humility, and resilience, particularly among ministry leaders, missionaries, and urban youth workers.

In addition to her academic leadership and research, Dr. Eriksson has taught courses on trauma, diversity, program evaluation, and self-care in ministry contexts. She also serves her local community by offering resilience training and consultation through local churches. Her professional work reflects a long-standing commitment to integrating psychology, spirituality, and community-based mental health care.

Learn more about Dr. Cynthia here:

Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy:

https://fuller.edu/school-of-psychology/
https://fuller.edu/academics/school-of-psychology/travis-research-institute/eriksson-lab/

Featured Celtic Psalms Songs:

Psalm 90: From Dust We Came

Psalm 13: How Long

Cynthia shares her passion for helping people understand their emotional lives and build resilience not only in therapy s…

Read more

Proclaiming God’s power to transform sorrow into ‘dancing and song,’ this Psalm is sung to the uplifting Irish melody, “Green Grows the Laurel.” It’s a testament to coming through a time of sorrow and mourning, and finding dancing, song, and joy once again.

Get your accompanying journal, which includes further questions for reflection and some invitations to prayer and practice

Paid subscribers receive a free journal PDF, or you can purchase a paperback version

Subscribe now

Visit the Celtic Psalms website for scores/books, mp3s, CDs, and videos for You Have Turned My Sorrow

Find out more about the Habits for the Spirit course: an 8-week online course exploring habits and daily spiritual practices to promote wellbeing in body, mind, and spirit

Follow Kiran’s monthly reflections on Bless My Feet

Just a quick reminder that you’re invited to the workshop tomorrow.

Clarity for the Changing Seasons Workshop

including a Clarity workshop from me, Ignatian Discernment methods with Brendan McManus SJ, and inspiration for Vision Boards from art therapist Jo Boal

3-5pm Ireland/UK

11-1pm Eastern

8-10am Pacific

https://kiranyoungwimberly.t…

Read more

Watch this episode on YouTube here. Paid Subscribers can view the video directly in Substack.

In this meaningful conversation on Psalms for the Spirit, we are joined by Rev. Riana Shaw Robinson, a preacher, pastor, prophet, and Executive Director of Faith Matters Network, to explore the power of lament in our spiritual lives.

Drawing from her experience in the Black church tradition, Riana shares how lament is not separate from faith, but a vital expression of it. Together, we reflect on how the Psalms give us language for the moments when life feels overwhelming ~ when prayers are not polished, but raw, honest, and real.

Riana offers a refreshing perspective on prayer as truth-telling, naming what hurts, what feels broken, and what we long for while still holding on to trust in God. She also shares practical ways to engage lament, both personally and in community, including the powerful practice of writing collective lament prayers.

This conversation is an invitation to let go of perfect words and instead bring your whole self before God ~ your questions, your grief, your hope ~ and to do so bravely and courageously.

“To me, lament is truth-telling about the very real things that we are negotiating. And it’s not separate from praise. It is…I’m struggling, this is hard… And I name it because I trust God. And I can rely on others to remind me of God’s faithfulness, even when things are hard.”

Rev. Riana Shaw Robinson is an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), a seasoned nonprofit leader, and a trained spiritual director whose work sits at the intersection of faith, justice, and community transformation. She brings more than a decade of experience in leading organizations and initiatives that advance racial, economic, gender, and environmental justice.

She is the Birthing Pastor of Miriam’s Song Church ~ a bold spiritual community that centers the healing, wholeness, and flourishing of women and non-binary people of color, rooted in the liberative way of Jesus.

Throughout her career, Riana has built a reputation as a visionary leader and community-driven strategist. She has led transformative justice initiatives, cultivated cross-sector partnerships, and provided values-based consulting to churches and nonprofits. Her expertise includes leadership development, DEIB implementation, organizational capacity building, and justice-centered evaluation and facilitation.

Riana holds a Master of Divinity from the Pacific School of Religion and a B.A. in Ethnic Studies from Mills College. She is also a graduate of the inaugural cohort of the Liberated Together Spiritual Direction School, where she honed her gifts for spiritual accompaniment and communal healing.

Riana lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her four children. In her (rare) spare time, she enjoys listening to audiobooks, doing Pilates, and baking treats for family and friends.

Learn more about Riana here: https://faithmattersnetwork.org/

https://miriamssongchurch.org/

IG - revshawrobinson

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/riana-shaw-robinson/

Featured Celtic Psalms Songs:

Psalm 90: From Dust We Came

Psalm 88: God of my Salvation

Drawing from her experience in the Black church tradition, Riana shares how lament is not separate from faith, but a vital…

Read more

Dear Listeners,

Thank you so much for following Psalms for the Spirit! Today I’m sending you a newsletter, which I normally send out on my spirituality Substack, Bless My Feet. I wanted to share this with you, partly to share today’s reflection but also to invite you to a very special workshop this weekend. Read on to find out more!

***

The days are getting longer here on the North Coast of Ireland, and my 5pm walks are no longer starlit but sunset-lit. In fact, night doesn’t fall until well past dinnertime, which still seems incredible to me ~ and it will only get brighter from here. Much as I enjoyed my stargazing over the winter, there’s undoubtedly a spring in my walk as the darkness lifts.

Around here, it’s really the shift between light and dark that marks the changing of the seasons, rather than temperature, as in other places I’ve lived in the past. It took me a long time to realize what to look for to help me recognize the shifting seasons ~ but once I recognized it, it was unmissable. Now I notice the stretching of the days and see spring making its dramatic arrival, shining its spotlight on the colors of the world, on the flowers that are starting to bloom, on the glistening waves.

As seasons change in the world around us, seasons also change in our lives ~ sometimes subtly, sometimes dramatically. We need to train our senses and our awareness to see those shifts happening, even when it’s not obvious. Maybe the change is so gradual that it almost slips by unnoticed. Maybe distractions get in the way of actually seeing something new emerging. Maybe we sense a longing for something different, but we don’t know what shape that will take.

Sometimes seasons vacillate back and forth before they really settle. Right now, a hail storm pelts the windows, casting its tiny little stones on our driveway and on the daffodils. My daily walk will need to wait till it has passed, but in the meantime, I’ll sit beside the fire under a blanket, with the dog nestled up against my leg. A remnant of the pleasures of winter, even as spring continues to emerge.

In our lives, too, we might dip a toe into something new, and while it may be tantalizing and enticing, we might need to retreat back into the comforts of familiarity for a while again, before we’re really ready for change.

So, what shifts in the seasons are you sensing? What changes, whether subtle or dramatic, might you be on the edge of? What are you feeling invited into?

Whatever season you’re in, may you find brighter days ahead,

Kiran

***Read on for details on this weekend’s workshop***

Clarity for the Changing Seasons

Speaking of shifting seasons, this Saturday I’m holding a 2-hr workshop called Clarity for the Changing Seasons. This workshop is complimentary for Paid Subscribers. Scroll down to find your 100% off code. If you’re not a Paid Subscriber, consider upgrading!

Subscribe now

In this two-hour Live workshop event, Saturday, March 28th 3-5pm Ireland/UK time (11am-1pm Eastern, 8-10am Pacific), we’ll cover:

…How to recognize when you’re entering a new season of life

…The key signs that help you discern what God may be inviting you into next

…A simple discernment method to help you respond with clarity instead of confusion

…Foundational practices to stay grounded, resilient, and spiritually aligned during times of transition

Here’s what this Live Workshop Event will hold:

• I’ll be leading a workshop on spiritual practices for finding clarity when making big decisions - including understanding how the body responds to stress, how resilience skills can help us make wise decisions, and how spiritual practices can provide that foundation of peace we need in periods of transition and discernment. We’ll be looking at all this through the framework of changing seasons.

• Guest Speaker Brendan McManus, Jesuit priest and author of the book “The Ignatian Examen: Conversing Daily with God” (coming out in April) will be teaching Ignatian discernment methods from and how this practice can help make better decisions each day and help discern where God is leading you.

• Art therapist Joanne Boal will inspire us to create our own Vision Boards for the new season

• A workbook resource will be provided so you can spend time in reflection as you practice your own discernment for your next season.

Book your place today for $37 ~ or if you’re a Paid Subscriber to Bless My Feet or Psalms for the Spirit, or if you’re a member of The Deeper Well, you will receive a special complimentary invitation and code. Scroll down to get your code to register for free!

​https://kiranyoungwimberly.thrivecart.com/clarity-for-the-changing-seasons/​

**Video will be available afterwards for those who can’t make the Live timing. Experiencing these things Live always improves the experience and learning, so do set aside the time if you can! But the video and the accompanying workbook will be available to all who are booked in. Register here​

Saturday, March 28th 3-5pm Ireland/UK time

11am-1pm Eastern

8-10am Pacific

I hope to see you there!

Subscribe now

Paid Subscribers will find their code behind the paywall

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The air ‘Down in Yon Banke’ is originally a wordless Scottish country dance song, and in this rendition becomes a prayer for God’s eternal presence, especially in times of turmoil and fear. The Psalm speaks of enemies stumbling and falling in the midst of raging war, and expresses that longing to behold God’s beauty and to see God’s face.

Get your accompanying journal, which includes further questions for reflection and some invitations to prayer and practice

Paid subscribers receive a free journal PDF, or you can purchase a paperback version

Subscribe now

Visit the Celtic Psalms website for scores/books, mp3s, CDs, and videos for The Lord is My Light

Find out more about the Habits for the Spirit course: an 8-week online course exploring habits and daily spiritual practices to promote wellbeing in body, mind, and spirit

Follow Kiran’s monthly reflections on Bless My Feet

Watch this episode on YouTube here. Paid Subscribers can view the video directly in Substack.

In this episode of Psalms for the Spirit, Kiran sits down with Terry Wildman to explore the beauty and depth of the Psalms through an Indigenous perspective. Terry shares the story behind the First Nations Version of the Bible, a translation that seeks to express the message of Scripture in language and imagery that resonates with Native cultures.

Together, they reflect on the power of naming God in ways that speak to the heart ~ Creator, Great Spirit, Grandfather ~ and how these expressions can help readers encounter the Psalms with fresh ears and renewed understanding. Terry also shares the collaborative journey of translating Scripture alongside a council of Native leaders and elders, uncovering rich meanings of the original Hebrew language and Indigenous wisdom.

Throughout the conversation, the Psalms come alive as honest prayers ~ in prayers of grief, hope, justice, and trust. They remind us that faith is not only about certainty, but about bringing our full humanity before God.

As Terry reflects, the Psalms show us that even in chaos and doubt, we can still send our voices to our Creator.

“The Psalms include hope that God does hear us, that God does understand, that God is a God of justice, and He’s working out His justice in the world through His people.”

Terry M. Wildman (Ojibwe and Yaqui) is the lead translator, general editor, and project manager of the First Nations Version. He serves as the director of spiritual growth and leadership development for Native InterVarsity. He is also the founder of Rain Ministries and has previously served as a pastor and worship leader. He and his wife, Darlene, live in Arizona.

Learn more about Terry here: https://firstnationsversion.com/

Terry read from Psalm 139 from the First Nations Version of Psalms and Proverbs in this episode.

Featured Celtic Psalms Songs:

Psalm 90: From Dust We Came

A Psalm of recognition of the fragility of life as well as God’s eternal nature, set with the Irish traditional song ‘Casadh an t’Súgain.’

Psalm 1: Their Delight

This first Psalm, set to the Irish traditional tune BánChnoic Éirann Ó, speaks of being like trees planted in streams of water, where we can flourish and thrive.

Psalm 27: The Lord is My Light

The air ‘Down in Yon Banke’ is originally a wordless Scottish country dance song, and in this rendition becomes a prayer for God’s eternal presence.

Togeth…

Read more

In this Psalm of discernment, the writer expresses the longing to hear God’s guidance in the stillness of prayer. Set to the traditional Irish melody “For Ireland I’ll Not Tell Her Name,” this song sits with the longing to know how to walk in the right paths of truth and love.

Get your accompanying journal, which includes further questions for reflection and some invitations to prayer and practice

Paid subscribers receive a free journal PDF, or you can purchase a paperback version

Subscribe now

Visit the Celtic Psalms website for scores/books, mp3s, CDs, and videos for For I Wait

Find out more about the Habits for the Spirit course: an 8-week online course exploring habits and daily spiritual practices to promote wellbeing in body, mind, and spirit

Follow Kiran’s monthly reflections on Bless My Feet

This beloved Psalm, describing God shepherding us through green pastures and dark valleys, is set to the well-known traditional Irish air ‘The Parting Glass.’ In this Psalm, we hear themes of restoration for our souls, accompaniment through challenging times, and the hope of a feast and a future of goodness and mercy.

Get your accompanying journal, which includes further questions for reflection and some invitations to prayer and practice

Paid subscribers receive a free journal PDF, or you can purchase a paperback version

Subscribe now

Visit the Celtic Psalms website for scores/books, mp3s, CDs, and videos for The Lord’s My Shepherd

Find out more about the Habits for the Spirit course: an 8-week online course exploring habits and daily spiritual practices to promote wellbeing in body, mind, and spirit

Follow Kiran’s monthly reflections on Bless My Feet

Set to the Irish air ‘Paddy’s Green Shamrock Shore,’ this song captures the lament of the Psalm while adding a drive and energy that brings to light the hope offered at its conclusion. This Psalm typically accompanies reflections on Good Friday, though it is an important accompaniment to any time in which we struggle with a sense of forsakenness.

Get your accompanying journal, which includes further questions for reflection and some invitations to prayer and practice

Paid subscribers receive a free journal PDF, or you can purchase a paperback version

Subscribe now

Visit the Celtic Psalms website for scores/books, mp3s, CDs, and videos for My God, My God

Find out more about the Habits for the Spirit course: an 8-week online course exploring habits and daily spiritual practices to promote wellbeing in body, mind, and spirit

Follow Kiran’s monthly reflections on Bless My Feet

This soaring Irish traditional melody, ‘The Lark in the Clear Air’ brings a lightness to this Psalm about God’s revelation in both creation and scripture. The words of the Psalm remind us that the skies tell a story of who God is, and teach us important things, without words.

Get your accompanying journal, which includes further questions for reflection and some invitations to prayer and practice

Paid subscribers receive a free journal PDF, or you can purchase a paperback version

Subscribe now

Visit the Celtic Psalms website for scores/books, mp3s, CDs, and videos for The Heavens Declare

Find out more about the Habits for the Spirit course: an 8-week online course exploring habits and daily spiritual practices to promote wellbeing in body, mind, and spirit

Follow Kiran’s monthly reflections on Bless My Feet

These ancient words of lament, combined with a haunting medieval traditional Irish melody, express the human longing to see God’s face in times of sorrow. The original tune ‘The Lament of the Three Marys/Coaineadh na dTrí Muire’ depicts the three Marys’ cries of sorrow at the tomb of Jesus - a moving complement to this prayer expressing sorrow and abandonment, and the yearning for signs of hope.

Get your accompanying journal, which includes further questions for reflection and some invitations to prayer and practice

Paid subscribers receive a free journal PDF, or you can purchase a paperback version

Subscribe now

Visit the Celtic Psalms website for scores/books, mp3s, CDs, and videos for How Long

Find out more about the Habits for the Spirit course: an 8-week online course exploring habits and daily spiritual practices to promote wellbeing in body, mind, and spirit

Follow Kiran’s monthly reflections on Bless My Feet

A Psalm of praise to the Creator of the wonders of nature, this Psalm also contains a call to action - that in our status “underneath the angels,” we need to take responsibility for caring for creation. Set to the Irish tune ‘Far, Far Beyond the Mountain,’ and through the slightly ominous tones of the arrangement,  we hear anew the sobering reminder to show respect and dignity to the world we live in.

Get your accompanying journal, which includes further questions for reflection and some invitations to prayer and practice

Paid subscribers receive a free journal PDF, or you can purchase a paperback version

Subscribe now

Visit the Celtic Psalms website for scores/books, mp3s, CDs, and videos for Majestic

Find out more about the Habits for the Spirit course: an 8-week online course exploring habits and daily spiritual practices to promote wellbeing in body, mind, and spirit

Follow Kiran’s monthly reflections on Bless My Feet