What is spirituality and how does it relate to our sense of self? Three Rochester women
who present as extremely spiritual tackle the topic for us and provide takeaways for
anyone looking to deepen and enrich their spiritual life.
“Spirituality, for me, is all about having my life centered around living a life that is in
alignment with Jesus and living a life that is based on biblical principles,” says Christy
Cass, co-lead pastor with husband, Andy Cass, at The Echo Church in Rochester.
Renee Kuehl remarks that she’s a believer in God and is a Christian. A follower of Christ,
not religion, Kuehl reads the Bible daily and talks to Jesus “like the best friend he is to
me,” she says. “I worship corporately and in the car, listening to praise music or wherever
I am! I journal and practice breath work to calm my mind to sit and be with God. My soul
is at rest.”
“I’ve always thought of spirituality and religion/faith as one and the same,” says Megan
Nagelli of Rochester. “As I’ve gotten older, it’s become more and more apparent to me
that people don’t consider spirituality and religion to be the same thing. To me they are
the same. What fills up my soul and gives me peace, purpose and direction in this life is
the gospel.”
“For me,” she goes on, “spirituality, religion and faith are constantly developing over
time. Like with anything, each season of life that we go through can affect our
spirituality. Some seasons are easy and full of growth. Other seasons are difficult and dry.
We go through both the peaks and the valleys for a reason, and each comes with their
own beauty.”
How important to their sense of self is spirituality? Cass says it’s her top priority. Kuehl
agrees. “It’s the most important thing and something a lot of people don’t give nearly
enough priority to, in my opinion,” says the mother of two and stepmother of three. “Who
we are, at our core, is where we need to be loved and seen and be made to feel safe,
right? That’s how we feel whole, yet it’s a part of us that very few, if any, other people
can really get to.”
“It’s where we hold our greatest fears and our greatest dreams,” Kuehl says. “Where we
just want to be still and be OK. We struggle our whole lives to find others to validate us,
to help us get to this ‘place’ that doesn’t actually exist outside our own connection to our
own spirit.”
“The thing I love about spirituality is that it is never too late to give it a try,” pastor Cass
remarks. “God will always meet you where you are at. If you feel like something is
missing, I challenge you to pray and ask God to come into your life.”
It’s a lifelong journey, Kuehl says of spirituality. Taking care of our spiritual selves
requires time, attention and intention, as well, she says, much like caring for our bodies.
“The cool thing about us, as whole beings, is all of these things are so interconnected,”
she says. “Example: Pray while walking with no electronics. Boom! You’re taking care
of the physical, mental and spiritual self all at once. Take your time. Do the work.”
“Find what makes you feel well in your soul. I promise you it will make all the
difference. If I may be so bold, I believe the answer for anyone and everyone is Jesus.”
