who I am
heather penzel
My awareness of God’s presence in my life began with being raised by parents who both deep roots in Christianity. I remember inviting Jesus “into my heart” at a very early age and always considering myself His follower. Unfortunately, encountering a living God was not necessarily a part of my upbringing.
Coming into adulthood, I began to face many of the underlying causes for a personal struggle with depression. Before entering university, I issued decree to the the Divine: “I need You to make what I know in my head about Your love real in my heart, or I don’t want to do this [life] anymore.” During this same time frame, I began to investigate the charismatic stream of Christian faith. I was part of a Vineyard church-based small group that was like a family who incubated my tender heart.
Perhaps the most impacting experience of my adult life was a 6-month internship spending the hours of midnight to 6am in a prayer room. It has often been in contemplative prayer that I have most clearly heard God’s voice and felt His love. I learned that while charismatic experiences can be like throwing gasoline on a small flame, the contemplative tradition is the transforming work of stoking a fire to an intense and slow-burning heat.
I was introduced to Quakerism while attending seminary. During that time, I sensed God sitting quietly with me allowing me to be in my anger and rage at Him without correction, judgment, or turning away from me. This transformed my images of God and allowed me to accept myself as a queer, non-binary person.
More recently, I have been influenced by teachers outside of the Christian tradition such as Ram Dass, Chani Nicholas, Eckhardt Tolle, and the poet Hafiz. It’s been a beautiful season of seeing the values of Jesus being lived out in diverse streams of faith. I am also a part of a local Anglican community as well as part of a spiritual recovery program.
A sacred text that has long been a touchstone for me reads, “I am certain that God, who began the good work in you, will carry it onto completion...” My hope is pass this faith onto help others, to empower them to see themselves as divinely created, whole individuals – body, mind, emotions and spirit. The values that drive my life are justice, peace, integrity, community, and equity. Whether it be with family, friends, or the community one is a part of, their wish is to be a welcoming presence, hospitable and safe for everyone I cross paths with.
rooted in
quaker tradition
There are nine core beliefs of Quakerism:
There is a living, dynamic presence at work in the world which is both within us and outside of us.
There is that of Spirit in everyone.
Each person is capable of the direct and unmediated experience of God as you understand God.
Our understanding of Creator is nurtured and enlarged in community.
The Bible is one important spiritual resource, and the life and teachings of Jesus are relevant for us today.
The revelation of eternal truth is continuing and ongoing.
We welcome truth from whatever source it may come.
Our inward experience of God transforms us and leads us into outward expressions of faithful living, witness, and action.
Modeling God’s presence in our lives is more important than espousing our beliefs.
what people are saying
“Heather created such an amazingly safe and welcoming space for me. I have had several interesting revelations while working with her. They are a kind and wonderful soul. Looking forward to more. Thank you, Heather!”
- Michelle, Portland
“I felt warm and welcome when I met Heather. I took with me two intentions to the reiki session and came away with a positive mindset towards both; this carried on to positive outcomes in my own life. Heather was thorough in identifying her own perspectives and insights which were quite applicable to my own life.”
— Rhihanna, Ōtautahi