Spirit Matters
Spirit Matters is a new, ongoing column by member and writer Marcia Rutan.
Marcia Rutan
Marcia Rutan is a longtime member of Seattle Unity who has served as Prayer Chaplain, Prayer Team member, greeter, Earthcare leader, and more. Her spiritual background includes a Christian upbringing, residence at the Findhorn Community, staff member with the Whidbey Institute, and in-depth learning from teachers such as David Spangler, Pema Chodron, and Werner Erhard. Writing and love for the Earth have been lifelong vocations. She lives with her husband, Carl Woestwin, in Seattle and is always grateful to hear from readers.
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Spirit Matters
Spirit Matters: Beauty of the Earth
Spirit Matters: Beauty of the Earth Dear Friends, Here we are, April already! – Earth Day, National Poetry month (the world’s largest literary celebration), and my husband’s birthday. Poetry and nature are spiritual lifelines for me and I became curious to look back to see how that evolved. As a child in Palmer, Alaska,…
Seattle Unity: Rising Up!
Seattle Unity: Rising Up! As a church group engaging in political action, The Risers seek to continually embody the foundational spiritual principles of Unity: love, prayer, inclusiveness, and wholeness – rather than divisiveness. We operate within legal guidelines for non-profit organizations, meaning no endorsement of or opposition to candidates. Instead, we focus on issues…
Spirit Matters: Peace of Mind
Spirit Matters: Peace of Mind Dear Friends, Let’s start with a poem. As we lean toward Spring, our longing grows to throw open the windows and let in fresh air, plant seeds, make room for new possibilities. But like me, you may be burdened like the Ancient Mariner’s Albatross with detritus accumulated over decades,…
Spirit Matters: Love In Action
Spirit Matters Spirit Matters is a new column by Marcia Rutan. Marcia has been a member of Seattle Unity since 2007, and has served as greeter, Earth Care leader, and Prayer Chaplain. She lives with her husband Carl Woestwin… [and is] focused on writing. A published poet, her background includes three yearlong programs (Popular and…
Spirit Matters: Hat Over the Wall
Spirit Matters Spirit Matters is a new column by Marcia Rutan. Marcia has been a member of Seattle Unity since 2007, and has served as greeter, Earth Care leader, and Prayer Chaplain. She lives with her husband Carl Woestwin… [and is] focused on writing. A published poet, her background includes three yearlong programs (Popular and…
Spirit Matters: Finding Our Way
Spirit Matters December: Finding Our Way My husband and I recently stayed nine places in 14 days in New Mexico, a flurry of packing and unpacking. One night I woke up and realized I hadn’t put my headlamp by our bed and couldn’t remember where the bathroom was. I used my cellphone on dim…
Spirit Matters: Kiss the Joy
Spirit Matters November 2025 When Karen R. Smith invited me to submit a monthly column, I was surprised and delighted. I appreciated the challenge to stretch my spiritual writerly wings to see what might emerge. So here goes, and I welcome your feedback! Kiss the Joy as It Flies This is the…