What People Are Saying About Dan
~ Sample Comments ~
▪ I have known Dan for approximately 10 years as a person of great depth, faith, intelligence, care and integrity. He has been one of the foremost mentors and companions on my spiritual journey – someone who has been the conduit to hearing my own voice and consequently, the voice of the Holy. Dan has essentially been fulfilling the role of pastor to many people for a long time. I have had the pleasure of hearing Dan present to large and small groups, and his audience is captivated and lifted up by his articulate passion, his humility and his honesty.
~ Leah Lind, Associate in Ministry, Pacifica Synod of the ELCA, Mission Viejo, CA
▪ In today’s world we need Artists who can turn theology into something we can experience in our deepest selves. In that spirit, Dan Miller is a Weaver who sees the pertinent and distinctive fibers of theological principles, spirituality and the human condition, then like a true artist he weaves those finer threads into a cloak for the soul to wear and live in. I have been touched by a small few, who can teach at a level of transformation and Dan is one of them.
~ Val Dodge Head, Catholic Spiritual Director and Chaplain, Grand Rapids, MI
▪ I heard Dan speak for the first time at the initial session of a spiritual direction program. I recognized at the time that he has what I think of as a “deeper sense of things.” He can use words to suggest and point to things that words can’t really capture, much in the way a poet or good religious writer does. He is able to move past the conceptual level to a level of intimacy and experience. I think this is what we all long for.
~ Bob Blair, Episcopalian Spiritual Director and Certified Contemplative Outreach Presenter, Fullerton, CA
▪ I have known Dan since the early 2000’s. I have experienced Dan as a teacher, spiritual director and mentor. Dan is fun and he’s deep. He articulates questions that have been running wild within us. And he helps the People of God find a community of dialogue where conversations and ritual are always considered sacred. I find in Dan a wonderful combination of intellectual brilliance and pastoral sensitivity. Dan’s deepest desire is to love God and to live out that Love as an extension of God in the world, which he does with laughter, questioning, suffering, service and integrity.
~ Joyce A. Cottage, Spiritual Director, Facilitator, Community Organizer, Partnership, LLC, Mission Viejo, CA
▪ I have known Dan since 1981. His singular prime strength is his authenticity. Dan is rare in that he never goes to puffery. He shows and leads through great vulnerability and humanity. His teaching and stories are deeply relatable and capture the imagination. They inspire deep reflection. Dan is a qualified and compassionate spiritual director. He has a unique ability and gift to relate personally to an individual, to discern what their underlying struggle may be, and to guide with wisdom and humility.
~ Paul Boardman, Funeral Chaplain and Celebrant, Seattle, WA
▪ I had such a rich week at a retreat where Dan Miller was the main speaker. He led us in a three-part series — On Being Present — which was evocative, poetic, and personal, and always carrying an invitation for us hearers to get personally engaged. I continually left the presentations more activated, creative, and in awe than when I entered, and I knew that was because Dan used his own particular life and story as a portal for us to find meaning and hope in our own. I would highly recommend him to any church or group wanting to be inspired, challenged, and compelled by the love of God hiding in “the human and the holy.” ~ Vanessa Caruso, M.A. Spiritual Formation and Leadership, Circle of Hope, Philadelphia, PA
▪ Are you yearning for a deeper relationship with the divine mystery most fully revealed through Jesus Christ? Then Dan Miller can be a guide for you and your faith community. He thoughtfully prepares and presents seminars and retreats that drive the participants to reflect deeply on the mysteries of Christian faith and its intersection with the mundane as well as the extraordinary aspects of daily living. You will never go away hungry, as he sends you home with much to chew on.
~ Rev. Cheryl Raine, First Presbyterian Church PC(USA), Garden Grove, CA
▪ Dan is truly ecumenical, intuitive, and beautiful Soul. My work is with death, via hospice and bereavement. Dan helped me establish lifelines of reality, response, and healing, based in scripture, and studies of great theologians and spiritual writers. . . . He has been a profound influence in my spiritual and work life — a beacon from the lighthouse to my soul!!
~ Faith Jackson, Director of Bereavement, Hospice Volunteers and Chaplains, Altadena, CA
▪ I thank God for how he reveals The Way through you, in word and also in ways more ineffable.
~ David Norling, Spiritual Director, Anaheim, CA
▪ Dan Miller has the gift of establishing common ground for people from quite diverse faith backgrounds. The depth of his insight and the breadth of his scholarship make his seminars a life changing experience.
~ Alfred DePew, Facilitator, leadership specialist, and author of A Wedding Song for Poorer People, Vancouver, BC
▪ When I participated in The Human and the Holy for the first time, I was stunned. Here, finally was a man who understood adult spirituality for the mature Christian. It was such a joy to see Dan model an adult response to an infinitely compassionate God. . . .Dan talks and acts as a companion, walking the road with us, encouraging, validating, guiding. He never speaks as though he has all the answers. He listens carefully, asks questions, and thoughtfully considers what participants say. . . .When I attended H & H (The Human & the Holy), I felt as though I had “come home.” Finally I was with a spiritual guide who respected each of us as we explored our beliefs and lives.
~ Mary Finan, (1935-2012, R.I.P.) Retired college Professor of Business, author, former associate in a Roman Catholic women’s religious order, Participant of 3 years.
▪ Dan draws from the wealth of knowledge he has acquired in the Christian faith traditions and Judaism to share insights that will enlighten, challenge and evoke the mystery of God within the listener. He has a gift for storytelling that is humorous and compelling, moving the recipient always to ponder the “extravagant” love of God. Dan was adept at uncovering the wonder of that love and God’s constant presence in those I encounter and in all of creation. Ecumenism at its best!
~ Leslie Crowley, Roman Catholic Prison Chaplain, Edmonton, AB, Canada
▪ Dan Miller is an all-around storyteller, retreat director, and presenter. I’ve had many opportunities to hear Dan speak and to work with him as a member of the CSD team. His background in theology and spiritual formation is an asset especially in ecumenical and universal settings. Dan can take intricate and intimate subjects and present them in very understandable language which can be related to no matter what religious beliefs. His presentations lead one to go deeper into the subject matter and ultimately deeper into reflection and contemplation.
~ Jane Eggleston, Catholic Spiritual Director and Mentor, Corona, CA
▪ Dan is a master at his craft and a marvelous storyteller. Most of all he helps me put language on what I believe but can’t always express.
~ Jerry S. Catholic Layman
▪ I have known Dan Miller for over 15 years as a teacher in a Spiritual Direction program, a speaker on spiritual formation and practices, and as the facilitator in the Human and the Holy group. Dan has a unique ability to integrate theology, spiritual formation and spiritual practices into our everyday lives to deepen our intimacy with God. Dan helps nurture individual authentic spiritual formation with a worldview rooted in scripture. He has a pastoral heart to hear and hold others sacred stories and helps us to discover God in all of life and every aspect of ourselves, even the part we find difficult to acknowledge.
~ Katie Keichline, Costa Mesa, CA
♣ ♣ ♣ To see what people are saying about their experience of The Human and the Holy community Dan founded and leads CLICK HERE. To read what people are saying about his presentations to spiritual-directors-in-training and spiritual directors CLICK HERE.