About Shea Darian

Cupped hands of refreshing water

If you haven’t guessed by now, I am not your run-of-the-mill clergyperson.  I am a student of both Science and Mystery who loves to “color outside the lines.”. I am a believer in radical inclusion, a lover of humanity and a healer by trade. For me, that place where wonder, love, and healing meet, therein lies the Holy of Holies. 

Shea Darian, M.Div.

Stone Archway Passage

Kahlil Gibran wrote in The Prophet, “Your daily life is your temple and your religion. As you enter into it, take with you, your all.” For me, existence is a Living Prayer. 

Shea Darian, M.Div.

Darian family photo (Shea, Andrew, Morgan, Willa

When I commune, laugh, and play with those I love, it brings the Divine home to me.  

Shea Darian, M.Div.

My Everyday Work

When I entered ordained ministry at the age of twenty-five, I did not know that being a healer in a hurting world would take me far from the parish and pulpit, or include working with those of all faiths and philosophies. I did not know that I would minister first and foremost within my own family – with Andrew, my spouse of thirty-six years, and our children Morgan (35) and Willa (33). I did not know that my spouse and children would become my most significant ministers and blessing-givers, nor that creating a family with love and joy at the center would lead me to my work with parents and families, throughout the U.S. and beyond, who are seeking everyday meaning, peace, joy, and healing for themselves and their children. I did not know that providing spiritual care to those experiencing grief and crisis would inspire me to create a new paradigm of the grieving process that serves as a compass to help grievers ease and heal suffering. I did not know I would open an Interfaith Chapel for Healing or become the minister and director of Doing Grief Community Healing Project – for those of all faiths and no faith.

But here I am… following the open doors before me… still filled with wonder for my life’s calling to bridge the distance between institutionalized faith and a world of people who are craving meaning, hope, healing, and a sense of belonging.  

If you haven’t guessed by now, I am not your run-of-the-mill clergyperson. I am a student of both Science and Mystery who loves to “color outside the lines.” I am a believer in radical inclusion, a lover of humanity, and a healer by trade. For me, that place where wonder, love, and healing meet, therein lies the Holy of Holies. 

My Everyday Spirituality

As a child, God and Wonder were one-and-the same for me. The veil between matter and spirit seemed thinner back then. God was an experience not a deity, and faith was an encounter to be lived. It still is.

Kahlil Gibran wrote in The Prophet, “Your daily life is your temple and your religion. As you enter into it, take with you, your all.” For me, existence is a Living Prayer. 

My Everyday Life

I live in Sun City, AZ with my beloved spouse Andrew. I am a parent to two children that I adore, who are among my greatest friends. As a senior athlete, I compete in racewalking at the national level. Singing and writing songs and poetry are cherished prayer practices, and stargazing and dallying in nature are my revered meditations on awe and mystery. My circle of family and friends is a hallowed sanctuary. When I commune, laugh, and play with those I love, it brings the Divine home to me.