Hi, I’m Meg.

So, are you ready to join me on this journey?

For me, this journey started quite a while ago, as a young 20-something, on Capitol Hill.  Almost immediately, I was thrown into the relational deep end, into a political culture of power I knew nothing about.  Although it was an honor to work in Congress and to experience American history up close, it was also quite a shock. During those early days, the working environment was a toxic mixture of high-level competition and control, where arrogance, intimidation, and harassment were common. 

Despite the fact that I couldn’t articulate any of this at the time or really understand what was going on, something inside me knew relationally things were not quite right.  I began to wonder what was wrong.  If what I was experiencing could be different. I wondered, too, if God was involved.  I also wondered what I could do. Even though I felt really young and extremely unqualified, I still wondered.  I just didn’t know what to do.  Everything in me resisted accepting the toxic environment as “just the way it is.”

Fast forward several years.  Now I was serving in the Senate, working for the chaplain in a highly visible, pastoral position, where I regularly met with staff to counsel, advise, and guide them through their daily life and work challenges.  Not surprisingly, there was one recurring topic everyone wanted to talk about whether men or women — relationships — both personal and professional.  Not only with each other but also with God and self.

One day stands out.  A male staffer asked to meet with me.  During the course of our conversation, he admitted, “Meg, you talk a lot about a relationship with God, but I don’t have a relationship with myself, much less one with God.  Honestly, I’m not sure how to have meaningful relationships with others, either professional or otherwise.”  Inside I thought, “What?” . . . “God, what’s he saying?”  This conversation led me to even more questions about how we relate to one another as men and women.  Like, are we just destined to misunderstand and hurt one another in what seems like an endless loop of power struggles?  Or is there another way?  One that might include healing and change?  Is it possible?  If so, what could it look like?  How do we get there?  Could I help?

This is The Crossing Ministries.  Our mission is to help you explore these questions in your relationships — personal and professional — between the men and women in your life.  As you step forward, you will discover new ways of relating to God, to yourself, and to others. But, maybe, it won’t be in the way you imagine, especially alone or on your own.

This is something else we’ve discovered in the pandemic.  We actually need and want to be around each other.  It seems, though, we’re just not sure how. 

More About Me

Now you know more about how my journey toward The Crossing began.  How I first stepped into this space.  What initially propelled me to take this risk for myself, for my faith in God, and for all my relationships. Professionally, right now, I lead, teach, guide, and mentor women and men how to think about and cultivate healed, restored relationships with each other, both in one-on-one conversations and in larger groups.  As you might imagine, this has also been a powerfully personal journey of risk for me too, as I seek healing and restoration of fragmented, broken relationships in my life. 

Above all else, I’m convinced, both in professional and personal relationships, as followers of Jesus, God wants us to live completely different from what our culture calls “at war” with one another.

Professional Journey

Looking at my professional journey, it’s unfolded like this.  Beginning in the House of Representatives, I worked politically for two members of Congress. Then, I served pastorally in the Senate, joining the staff of two chaplains, Dr. Lloyd J. Ogilvie and the current Senate Chaplain, RADM Dr. Barry C. Black.

Contributing to my passion for healed relationships, I purposefully put myself in places to learn more. While at Oxford University, I studied apologetics under the supervision of Professor Alister McGrath. This led to a published, collaborative book with Dr. Francis Collins, the former director of the National Institutes of Health, on the rationality of faith called Belief: Readings on the Reason for Faith.  For several years, I also served as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Foundation for Relief and Reconciliation in the Middle East, founded by The Rev. Canon Dr. Andrew White, also known as the Vicar of Baghdad. 

For the last 20 years, I’ve authored a weekly blog spot called First Thoughts, focusing on practical spirituality to help us think about who we are in relation to our loving, reconciling God found in Jesus Christ.  The One who desires to be in a personal relationship with us.

Right now, I’m finishing the manuscript for my first published book.  By weaving in my personal story, I introduce the idea of ordinary suffering.  Looking specifically how it puts us at risk of walking away from our faith — by giving up on God, ourselves, and each other.  Together, we explore topics like ambiguity, disappointment, manic activity, waiting, perfectionism, rest, and forgiveness.

In 2014, I was ordained as an Anglican priest.  I have a B.A. in Speech Communications from Baylor University, an M.A. in American History from Fordham University, and a Master of Divinity from Trinity School for Ministry. 

By far, my favorite thing to do in all the world is to travel internationally.  I love experiencing other people and cultures.  At this point, I’ve visited twenty countries and counting!  Despite the fact that Covid has made international travel more difficult, I recently returned to Europe for the first time in years.  In addition, I love to watch live sports events, relax with a good book, and spend time with good friends and family over a delicious meal, like roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, and sticky toffee pudding.  Yum!