William Miller

Great to hear from you!

It's been great hearing from so many of you in response to my latest "Spirituality for Real People" Father's Day edition Enews! From Kauai to Covington to far beyond! Thank you for reading and for sharing. I am also excited to hear of your interest in our upcoming pilgrimages. The Camino de Santiago from Madrid is right around the corner. For those who missed the newsletter, here is my Father's Day Reflection:

This Month's Spiritual Reflection

Faith of My Father or It's Complicated

Our memories of and relationships with our parents can be complicated, to say the least. I had a lunch meeting this past week with a new friend who grew up with "foster parents" who smoked and drank their way through their monthly "foster parent" stipend checks. My friend's childhood home had no running water, insulation, heating or cooling. She went to school unfed, unbathed, and without a decent wardrobe or winter coat. She shockingly shared with me that one of her ten-year old foster siblings ran away and her "parents" did not bother reporting her missing status to any authority. Why would they since the checks kept coming? It was hard for me even to imagine such harsh circumstances surrounding one's childhood (and her stark reality put my own early blessings in quick perspective). But then she shared with me that her bus driver, a kind man named Mr. Bowen, had taken her under his care, providing support as well as supplies, uniforms, transportation, and generally "watching over" her in school and beyond. When she was in college, Mr. Bowen, who had paid for all her college textbooks, died. When she entered the chapel back in her small hometown for his funeral service, the funeral home employees sat her with "the family." She was surprised to read in his obituary that she was listed as his only granddaughter. Though no biological relation, Mr. Bowen had been just the "father figure" (or in this case "grandfather figure") she needed to survive and even thrive. My friend went on to do well. She has a Master's degree, a great job, her own home, and a growing faith. And of course, she has a rescue dog she found wandering the streets who has made all the difference!

Thank God for Mr. Bowen. Thank God for all those men in our lives, whether related or not, who have "loved us into being" (as Mr. Rogers said). In my own life, I think back on youth ministers, pastors, teachers, professors, and mentors who took an interest in me and guided me toward my own God-given calling in life. But most of who I am and what I learned I owe to my dad. Yes, it was complicated. No, we did not agree on many things. Yes, I walked away with a few wounds that took a long time to heal. Eventually, after doing some "family of origin" work and taking time to process the family dysfunction and how it impacted me (by the way, there is no family that is not "dysfunctional" on some level) I decided I would spend the rest of my days contemplating the ways my father blessed me and imparted his blessing upon me.

Of all the lessons I learned from my dad, I believe the most important one was how faith makes us more kind, caring, and compassionate. To this day, I believe that if your faith does not make your heart break over the same things that break the heart of God, your faith may as well be dead. My dad followed Jesus and would proclaim his love for Christ to anyone who would listen. There was many a weeknight when my father was out sharing the "good news" with "the lost" hoping to convert them to a life of faith, and specifically to join his church family. But beyond those weeknight "cottage meetings" my dad lived his faith in his love for all people. I watched. I helped. I learned. Those lessons of giving, generosity, and caring for others, especially the "least of these" are the lessons I treasure most today.

So as I anticipate Father's Day (and my dog Mystic better throw me a bone!) I think fondly of the man who raised me as his "two-son." I focus on his weekly mowing the lawn of the widow lady who lived behind us. I think of his generous financial support of anyone in need. I remember his mission work in Latin America. I celebrate his single-handed potty training of both my niece and nephew while their parents were on vacation (talk about a hero!). I remember the night he drove to meet a man who claimed to be poor in the parking lot of a nearby restaurant. The man robbed my dad. My dad came home, laughed about it, and admitted to my mom and me that "the country boy would some day learn about life in the big city!" I also remember when the neighborhood demographics shifted and my dad led the charge to hire a Black minister who reflected the reality of the neighborhood and the future of the church. He stayed there as the church shifted ethnic identities. Even though the new black minister was a Democrat (and gave my dad a bumper sticker that read "Friends Don't Let Friends Vote Republican!") my dad loved and admired him till the day he died.

Don't misunderstand me. My dad got some things wrong and made some mistakes. But he got the big things right. His theology was never nuanced. But he got the point of the golden rule and lived his life in such a way that you could see its radiant truth most days: It is more blessed to give than to receive.

That's not all that complicated. But it sure is beautiful.

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Join Us On A Life-Changing Pilgrimage in Spain This October!

Walk the Camino De Santiago with Saint Cecilia's Round Top and Father Bill Miller!

Join us on The French Way of the Camino de Santiago from Madrid, October 18th - 28th, 2026. ACT FAST! If you are interested, please follow the link to the Insiders Camino and sign up as soon possible.

We have chosen to work with Insiders Camino because of the extraordinary and thoughtful way they have curated these particular Camino pilgrimages. The company is run by two Anglican Christians who have lived in Spain for many years. There is a real emphasis on the spiritual dimension of pilgrimage with a portion of your fee supporting the Anglican Pilgrim Centre in Santiago. The opening worship service is led by the Episcopal Bishop of Spain with opportunities for reflection and prayer each day. The planning and logistics are all top-notch and thoughtfully-designed - from dinner at the oldest restaurant in the world in Madrid, carefully-chosen hotels and guest houses along the route, to having a support vehicle nearby as we walk, easing any concerns you may have about difficulty. You may walk as much, or as little, as you desire. We are delighted to offer this special Camino pilgrimage.

Learn more and sign up here:

https://stcecilias.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=8a707b721ceabf3492cded699&id=44d87180a1&e=abdcd15c9b

French Way Pilgrimage – Madrid to Santiago 11-night French Way church pilgrimage from Madrid to Santiago. Walk 73 miles with your church community, Prado Museum, coach support, quality hotels.

This Sunday at Saint Cecilia's Round Top!

Join us this Sunday, June 21st, Father's Day, at either 8:45 a.m. or 10:45 a.m. for an inspiring hour of worship! All FOUR of our awesome musicians are working overtime to make this one special for our dads and for all! Sara Hickman joins Anna La Mare, Joey McGee, and Stephen Mansolo to share some great songs including the hymns Good Good Father, This is Amazing Grace, His Eye is on the Sparrow, and How Deep the Father's Love for us, as well as the popular hits Daddy's Hands (Holly Dunn) and My Father's Daughter (Anne Wilson). Father Bill's sermon is titled: "Why (I Thought) My Dad Can Beat Up Your Dad" or "Not My Father's Oldsmobile!" or "When the Day of Reckoning Has Come." Bring a friend to celebrate our Father's extraordinary, unconditional, life-changing LOVE for all His children!

BIG NEWS ON PILGRIMAGES!

Join our 5,000 subscribers for a spiritually healthy dose of inspiration!

Our special Father's Day edition of our "Spirituality for Real People" Enews arrives in your inbox July 18th! I'll share a new reflection "The Faith of my Father," as well as exciting updates on pilgrimages and The Howlelujah Tour. Join our 5,000 subscribers:

Spirituality for REAL People - Subscribe Walk with me on a journey toward a spirituality that is Christ-centered, healthy, life-affirming, compassionate, and joyful.

When one of your incredibly talented singer/songwriter musicians says a naughty word in church at the end of her concert and, as the religious authority figure, you have to reprimand her publicly even though you and your dog both also talk like sailors! 😂😇🐶😜

Back in 2022, the wonderful writer, Judith Valente, interviewed me for an article on humor and ministry for the U. S. Catholic. For the most part, ministry, liturgy, sermons, spiritual writing are all woefully lacking in humor and joy, and church services are too often dour and dismal. In this Sunday's sermon i will celebrate the deep joy found in following Jesus and in our relationship with the One who made us (who, obviously, has a well-developed sense of humor!)

"I have long maintained that serial solemnity and spiritual awareness have nothing in common,” says William B. Miller, an Episcopal priest and author of The Beer Drinker’s Guide to God (Howard Books) and The Gospel According to Sam: Animal Stories for the Soul (Seabury Books), in which he chronicles the spiritual insights he gained from his dog.

Yet, for much of salvation history, humor might as well have constituted a venial sin. Miller says he once set out to stock his home library with books on religious humor. “Those volumes occupy a tiny fraction of my library, and most of them are out of print. What does that tell us?” he asks.

For centuries, religious people have treated tragedy and theology as the flip sides of the same coin, Miller says. “While there is a tragic dimension to life and faith, there has always been a deep element of joy, happiness, surprise, and spontaneity,” he notes. “It’s just that you’d never know that by visiting your local church or religious institution.”

Until then (when clergy and churches "get it"), Miller offers this advice as a start for clergy members who want to loosen up: “Pay attention to dogs and children. Read more poetry. Take yourself less seriously. Remember [as Oscar Wilde said] life is too important to be taken seriously.”

Meanwhile, I gotta laugh. It's still the best way to breathe in the Spirit of our lively, and life-giving God!

BEFORE YOU DIE AS A HUMAN, DO THESE THINGS

1. Tell the people you love that you love them.
One day, there will be a last conversation, a last hug, and a last chance to say what truly matters.

2. Watch a sunrise without rushing anywhere.
Sit quietly and remember that life is happening beyond deadlines, notifications, and worries.

3. Forgive yourself for being human.
You were never meant to live without mistakes, failures, heartbreaks, or moments of confusion.

4. Travel somewhere that changes your perspective.
Stand before mountains, oceans, forests, or star-filled skies and remember how vast life really is.

5. Fall deeply in love with something.
A person. A purpose. A craft. Nature. Learning. Life becomes richer when your heart is fully awake.

6. Laugh until tears fill your eyes.
Some of the most meaningful moments in life cannot be planned or purchased.

7. Spend more time with your parents.
One day, you'll realize they were growing older while you were busy growing up.

8. Learn how to enjoy your own company.
If you cannot sit peacefully with yourself, there are parts of your soul still waiting to be discovered.

9. Help someone who cannot repay you.
The purest acts of kindness expect nothing in return.

10. Learn how to let go.
People leave. Seasons change. Chapters end. Peace begins when you stop fighting reality.

11. Express yourself without fear.
Sing. Dance. Create. Write. Speak. Don't leave your true self trapped inside self-doubt.

12. Spend time in nature.
The trees, rivers, rain, mountains, and stars have a way of reminding you what truly matters.

13. Stop worrying so much about what people think.
Most people are too busy worrying about themselves to judge you as much as you imagine.

14. Heal the wounds you keep hiding.
Unhealed pain quietly shapes your relationships, choices, and happiness.

15. Take photos with the people you love.
One day, those pictures may become some of your most treasured possessions.

16. Allow yourself to cry when life hurts.
Strong people feel their emotions. They don't spend their lives running from them.

17. Learn something deeper than survival.
Study wisdom, philosophy, spirituality, art, or the questions that give life meaning.

18. Experience true stillness.
A peaceful mind is one of the most beautiful experiences a human being can have.

19. Stop postponing your happiness.
Life is not waiting for you somewhere in the future. It is unfolding right now.

20. Leave people better than you found them.
A kind word, a helping hand, or a compassionate heart can leave a mark that lasts far beyond your lifetime.

One day, none of us will care how much money we made.

How many followers we had.

How impressive we looked.

We'll care about the people we loved.

The memories we created.

The kindness we shared.

And whether we truly lived while we had the chance.

Before you die...

Don't just exist.

Feel deeply.

Love fully.

Forgive often.

Be present.

Take risks.

Make memories.

And leave this world with a heart that can honestly say:

"I was here.

And I truly lived."

From our Buddhist friends.

I am interviewing shelter dogs this week to join us on The Howlelujah Tour in August. Yesterday I met Luther and Mary Rose! Who will be the Chosen Dog and help us make a difference for our animal friends?! Special thanks to the kind, patient and amazing staff at the Gardenia Janssen Animal Sheiter!

GIVE DAD A GIFT HE WILL ACTUALLY READ AND ENJOY! HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

"Miller's three books are as inspiring as they are hilarious!"