MSI Press Blog

  Not everyone who seeks God sits in a sanctuary on Sunday morning. Across the country, a quiet shift is unfolding: people who identify as deeply spiritual are stepping outside traditional church walls. They’re not abandoning faith. They’re reimagining it. Who Are They? They’re the “spiritual but not religious.” They’re the “dones”—those who once belonged to a church but left. They’re mystics, meditators, wanderers, and wounded believers. They’re people who still pray, still seek, still listen for the sacred—but not in pews. Where Are They? Nature trails and quiet gardens , where the wind feels like a benediction. Online communities , where spiritual conversations unfold without dogma. Living rooms and coffee shops , where small circles gather for reflection, storytelling, and shared silence. Retreat centers , where solitude and soul work replace sermons. Art studios, yoga mats, and journals , where creativity becomes communion. Why Did They Leave? The reasons are as ...

  In a world that promises instant clarity, curated peace, and five-step spiritual breakthroughs, the idea of a Dark Night of the Soul feels… inconvenient. It’s not marketable. It’s not fast. It doesn’t come with a workbook. But in 2026 — a year already thick with uncertainty, acceleration, and spiritual fatigue — the Dark Night might be more relevant than ever. What is the Dark Night, really? It’s not depression. It’s not burnout. It’s not a crisis of faith. It’s a stripping away. A sacred disorientation. A season where the old ways of knowing God stop working — not because God has left, but because we’ve outgrown the container. The Dark Night is not punishment. It’s invitation. Why it matters now In 2026, many people are quietly asking: Why does my prayer feel hollow? Why do the rituals that once comforted me now feel foreign? Why do I feel farther from God even though I’m doing all the “right” things? These aren’t signs of failure. They’re signs of transit...

  image from Girrell, Spirituality and the Equinox Kris Girrell notes in his blog that his latest book, Spiritually Homeless , was released on the equinox, quite appropriate (but not intentionally). In his blog and in his book, he talks about the importance of letting go. The equinox heralds the letting go of this year's life by nature. Our lives, too, have cycles of growth and cycles of letting go.  Read more about this concept and Kris' book in his blog post:  Spirituality and the Equinox . Recently,   Spiritually Homeless  (Girrell), reached   #32 in Amazon hot new releases/faith deconstruction and #116 in faith deconstruction. Book description: Many have walked away from organized religion not out of apathy, but out of honesty. Still the spiritual hunger remains; the longing for community and a place called home persists.  Spiritually Homeless   offers a deeply compassionate and practical guide for those navigating spiritual life beyond church...