Welcome to Journeying Alongside!

I write reflections on what it means to journey alongside others as a chaplain and spiritual director.

I share vignettes¹ from my work with the hope that it inspires you to seek the divine in your own life, whatever that looks like. Some of my stories will break and warm your heart, but I hope all of them will help you live more fully and intentionally.

I also write about how to be a better listener, how to engage with different spiritual practices and how to take care of yourself in the process.

There is a fair amount of grief, resiliency, introspection and humor here, all wrapped up together.

This substack is free to subscribe to (and always will be) and I publish long-form articles 2x a month.

Who am I?

Lovely to meet you, I’m

Christine Vaughan Davies

.

I live with my family on a small, hobby farm in New Jersey and mostly spend my free time chasing chickens and chauffeuring my school-aged children to all their activities.

Vocationally, I wear lots of hats on any given day, these include:

• Presbyterian Minister

• Director of Hospital Chaplaincy Department

• ACPE Certified Educator

• Seminary Professor

• Spiritual Director

Fun Facts:

• I have competed in several triathalons. I love swimming and biking and just try to survive the running portions.

• I am a beekeeper and occassionaly harvest honey from my hives unless my foe, the bear beats me to it.

• In addition to other formal rituals, I believe drinking coffee and eating chocolate count as spiritual practices!

I have an individual spiritual direction practice and speak at events and lead workshops - you can book me for any of those on my website. You can also follow me on social media:

• Instagram

• LinkedIn

• Facebook

I look forward to getting to know you as we journey alongside each other together! Feel free to email me at journeyingalongside@substack.com to introduce yourself!

Some Typical Posts to Get You Started

God Doesn't Need Another Angel

Christine Vaughan Davies

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May 19

As a hospital chaplain, I have some wishes for the betterment of humanity. I want everyone to recognize loss, name their emotions and talk about advance care planning. But at the top of my list is stopping the use of “Religious Platitudes.” I am referring to the vaguely religious sounding phrases that well-meaning people offer to someone in pain. Here is a…

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An Unexpected Thin Place

Christine Vaughan Davies

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Jun 2

There is Celtic term that describes certain locations as “thin places.” They are the sacred spots where this world and the next seem separated only by a thin veil. In those places we may feel especially attuned to the holy. Writer Edwin Weiner describes thin places as

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A Prescription for Imposter Syndrome

Christine Vaughan Davies

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Apr 21

“Who am I to do this work?” “What can I possibly offer others?” “Who would want to talk with/listen to me?” These are the questions I hear from my interns when they begin their chaplaincy work. When preparing to sit with others in pain, most of my chaplain students feel inadequa…

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