About

For our community, “Selah” represents the space between words, the heart of silence, the space for contemplation. It is a simple and sacred word that invites us to pause and wonder.

The original meaning of the word is somewhat mysterious. “Selah” can be found in the Psalms of the Torah and less frequently in a few other places in the Bible. In the Psalms it is thought to signal a space for a musical interlude. It has been translated to mean “to pause,” “to stop and listen,” or “to give attention to something heard.”


We are a community that pauses – between actions, thoughts, and words – to listen. When we pause we let things settle, we notice what surfaces, we awaken to what we are not yet seeing, and in so doing divine things begin to reach our hearts.



The Heart of Contemplation

We have the capacity to experience all of life as sacredly-held in this very moment.

Contemplation is an activity that is described as a state-of-mind, or better yet a state-of-being.


As a concept, contemplation has evolved over time. Some have demystified the experience to just “thinking deeply”, while others have remained closer to its sacred roots. The word comes from Latin roots, where “con-templum” represented the notion of being with God in sacred space.


Searching across the information landscape, there are a wide range of definitions for contemplation. Following along a secular-to-sacred spectrum of these understandings, we can find “thinking about something” at one end and “union with God” at the other. In between we read expressions for contemplation such as “deep reflective thought,” “a conscious awareness,” “an intense examination,” “concentrating on spiritual things,” “a consent to God’s presence and action” and “a state of mystical awareness of God’s being,” just to name a few.


For our Selah community, contemplation is all this and more. It is a particular posture of the heart that encourages our capacity to gaze, wonder, reflect, ponder and respond in the here-and-now. It is for deep listening into ourselves, each other, divine love and the natural order of life. It is the practice of gazing upon God, waiting upon the Spirit, listening for the Divine, opening to the Sacred, holding silence in Yahweh, consenting to the Presence and encountering Christ in the everyday. Contemplation is a way of experiencing eternity as sacredly-held in this very moment.

We offer courses, events, resources, spiritual direction and community

in support of contemplative living.

Selah affirms the initiating and transformative love of God expressed profoundly in the Creator, Holy Companion, and Christ Jesus which forms the foundation of Selah’s Intention, Values and Expressions.

Selah is a welcoming community that pauses, encounters the Spirit through contemplative practices, and grows together toward wholeness and loving others.

Welcoming God’s love as the true Source of our being, our belonging, and our becoming.

We value Contemplative Living – Selah values Contemplative Living through spiritual
practices and grace.

  • We recognize the triune presence of God as the One who fills each moment with us, gives inspiration for vision, births newness and hope, and reconciles all creation.

We value Generous Listening – Selah values Generous Listening given through pause, listening, and responding to self, others and God as we turn to wonder rather than quick judgment.

  • We relate to God and others with receptive hearts, minds, and bodies, nurtured in the way of Christ Jesus.

We value Community – Selah values spacious community and mutuality as a shared contemplative journey with others.

  • We honor the uniqueness of all persons as the recognized presence of Christ Jesus.

We value Love in Action – Selah values responding to God’s transformative love in kind
and meaningful action for the sake of others.

  • We encourage an openness toward, sanctuary for, and hospitality to all persons.

Rooted and grounded in love, shaped within the Christian tradition while accompanying those who wander through other faith expressions, Selah nurtures those who seek spiritual companionship on the journey of life in whatever circumstance, such as:

  • Desiring a deeper experience of God who is Love
  • Seeking sustainable soul care 
  • Wanting something more out of a driven life
  • Longing for meaning in a culture of distraction
  • Finding a community who listens
  • Navigating transition in an ever-changing world
  • Experiencing crisis that requires courage and perspective

Musings from Selah’s Board President

In the spirit of Selah being a community that takes time to pause, I’d like to invite you to do so with me. Notice the work of the Spirit amongst us as a community. Savor the fruits of those who have invested in this work.

Fifteen years ago, with inspiration, skill, and unique giftedness, Selah’s Founding Director, John Kiemele, envisioned, birthed, and nurtured Selah in its first ten formative years. As a parent might form a supportive community around their child, he invited in and developed a close community of fellow contemplatives who shared his vision. He also provided room for others, introducing them to and guiding them in the contemplative life. John’s leading and nurturing of Selah through its childhood gave it a solid ethos and foundation, setting it up for stability in its ongoing organic growth in the years to come. For John and his birthing of Selah, we are so grateful!

As he transitioned to a new phase of his life, our now Executive Director, Mary Pandiani, first served as Interim Director and then later was asked to step into the permanent role of Director. In her discernment process, I recall Mary considering what she would uniquely have to offer Selah in the next stage of its development. It became clear to her that her vision and gifting was to develop and lead leaders, expanding the capacity of what Selah could provide in depth, width, and geography. In addition, this would offer others the opportunity to grow and deepen in their spiritual journey, empowering them to use their gifts to support the spiritual growth of others. She was shepherding Selah into its teen years, providing presence, guidance, and release as Selah and its leadership further spread its wings.

At the time, little did she, or any of us, know there would be a pandemic that would halt in-person gatherings. As a result, many organizations, churches, and non-profits were forced to shut down or reduce their offerings. Selah, though, with the growing use of virtual gatherings, was able to respond to the need for spiritual community and nurturing.  Now people from a wide range of geographical locations could participate in the contemplative community from the safety of their homes. Selah continued to flourish, and Mary’s Spirit-led leadership guided Selah in navigating the challenges of its teen years, allowing those challenges to be a catalyst for further growth and development. For Mary and her discerning spirit, we are so grateful!

Having emerged from the isolated phase of COVID, Selah has continued to live into ever-expanding growth. Selah now has an increased paid staff, board, facilitators, curriculum developers, a marketing team, a creative and generative team, those offering classes, and gathering hub leaders… thirty-seven people in all. In addition, Selah has an ever-widening group of people who participate in the offerings of Selah from as far away as Switzerland. More to celebrate. More gratitude.

This increase, I believe, reflects the work of the Spirit and the faithfulness of our leaders. They have paused, noticed, listened, and responded to the Spirit’s invitation to birth, nurture, grow, and release. As a result, the Selah community is equipped to continue experiencing a deepening union with the One who holds us all in great love.

Savoring all that is and anticipating what is to come,

Lorina Meade
Selah Board President

In the Spring of 2006, after intriguing conversations with a variety of people about spiritual formation in ordinary living and particularly the shared desire to grow in contemplative dimensions of the Christian life, John Kiemele sensed the vision for a “center.”  By August of 2006, 25 people, including friends from SoulStream Initiatives of Abbotsford, BC, Canada, gathered in John’s Gig Harbor home to hear the seed-vision and committed to pray on a regular basis as the vision began to unfold.  In December of 2006, a Leadership Team emerged that began learning about and experiencing contemplative living, and also hammering out some organizational details around what was to become officially known as Selah Center by October of 2007.  The name “Selah Center” emerged from the rarely used Biblical word, “selah,” found most often in the book of the Psalms.  In that context, the most common definition suggests “selah” pertains to pausing and giving thoughtful, meaning-filled consideration to what has been heard or sung.  Pausing…meditating…contemplation…hmmm….this seemed fitting for this unfolding vision.  A Board of Directors was formed as well as a team of regular facilitators.  Originally comprised of men and women mainly from Gig Harbor, these teams now have expanded to include others from the greater Puget Sound area.

The purpose of Selah Center is to invite all people to pause, and to cultivate contemplative experiences with Jesus leading to inner freedom and loving service.  In short, Selah Center invites people to pause and learn to savor life in the way of Jesus as it was meant to be.   The heartbeat of the Selah Center is to nurture contemplative experiences with Jesus in community and share resources and companions leading to inner freedom and loving service.

Beginning in January of 2008, Selah Center launched several regular experiences such as Spiritual Direction, Retreats, Reading Groups, Selah Prayers, Courses and Seminars.  Selah Center filed an application for its 501c3 non-profit tax-free status with the IRS in September of 2008, and received this privilege by December of that same year (you have to ask about the story behind the Selah goblet below!).  By July of 2009 we began renting a day-time drop-in facility at 3419 Harborview Drive in Gig Harbor where dedicated volunteers helped ready the facility to host individuals and groups in this welcoming, peace-filled space at the harbor’s edge.  A website was developed to communicate the happenings of Selah Center (www.selahcenter.org).

In January of 2010, we experienced a transition called “Selah Stretch” when founder and executive director John Kiemele faced his family’s relocation away from Gig Harbor.  By September of 2010, Selah Center was offering its unique invitation in both Gig Harbor and in north Seattle locations.  After several months of discernment, the Board of Directors voted to cease renting a facility in Gig Harbor and began the transition from an emphasis on programs to an emphasis on being a community of contemplatives with a focus on two initiatives:  contemplative living resources and community formation.

We are excited to watch God continue growing the resources and community of Selah as we companion people throughout the Puget Sound.  To God be all the glory!

Selah has a community that includes a board of invested contemplative peers along with a dedicated group of Companions who accompany one another on the journey of contemplative living.

Meet some of the board members below:

Cindy Waple was introduced to Selah in 2013 when asked to be a spiritual director for a participant in Living from the Heart. From that initial relationship, she was introduced to Mary and eventually became a participant in soul care groups and most recently, was part of the 2019-2020 Living from the Heart cohort. Cindy has been involved in spiritual formation and the contemplative lifestyle for many years and continues to marvel at the richness and depth of learning and living as God’s beloved. She holds a BA in Christian Leadership and is a spiritual formation teacher, facilitator, spiritual director and transition coach. Before retiring in 2014, Cindy served as Spiritual Formation Coordinator for World Vision US, creating, leading, teaching and providing resources focused on the spiritual nurture and development of staff.

Katy Anderson I went to a Christmas Eve service held by John Kiemele many years ago, and was deeply held by the quiet contemplative nature of the evening gathering,  Since then, Selah has nurtured  me through Soul Care groups, Living In the Heart, our local gathering Hub, and through the treasured friendships gifted as part of this journey.  Selah has created the space for authentic, whole-hearted living for me, and I’m thankful to be held and accepted in this space. I grew up in Gig Harbor, moved to Portland and worked as a carpenter until moving back here several years ago. In many ways it feels good to be home, the beauty of the Puget Sound, the salt water, the trees, family , and also the opportunity to grow in the Selah community. I live on a small farm, and enjoy gardening, planting trees, walking with my dog, woodworking projects in my shop, and being with friends and family.

Keith Duffy I first became acquainted with the concepts of living a contemplative life in the Spirit over a decade ago when I was exposed to the writings of some of our treasured Christian mystics such as Teresa of Avila, St. Francis of Assisi, and my favorite, Thomas Merton. The prospects of ‘union with God’ drew me toward discovering better who I am in God and who God is in me. For the last three plus years, I have enjoyed the Selah community immensely as a sacred opportunity to engage with others in discovering the rewarding rhythms of a daily contemplative experience through activities such as Soul Awake, Companion gatherings, various Selah offerings, as well as many Kairos sessions along the way. Going on a pilgrimage in Italy with other Selah friends in the fall of 2025 was a highlight. I currently live in Woodinville with my wife, Linda-Jo. Together, we love spending time with our three adult children and three grandchildren. After 40+ years at Boeing, I retired in 2024 and greatly enjoy the cadence of retired life with many home projects, travel adventures, and anything else that pops up on the “schedule.”

Debbie Gregory heard about Selah in 2014 when describing her longing for a deeper experience of God to a friend who had attended Living From the Heart through Soul Stream in Canada. At the time, she was preparing to leave a large, long-standing bible study ministry and, uncharacteristically, did not have a clear reason for the decision or a plan for what was next. Soon after, she participated in Awakening to God led by John Kiemele and knew her soul had come home as her longing for intimacy with the Divine began to be satisfied. Since then, she has attended most everything Selah has offered and continues to be transformed on the journey as God’s beloved in contemplative community. She completed her Spiritual Direction training in 2022. Debbie is a retired RN, having worked at Harborview Medical Center in the Trauma Intensive Care Unit for over 30 years. She lives in Lake Forest Park, WA with her husband. They have two adult sons and five grandchildren. Her greatest joys are spending time with her family and investing in deep connection with the people in her life.

Mark Olson is an ordained pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church. He served churches in South Dakota, Nebraska, and Colorado, before moving to Chicago in 1998 when his partner, Doreen, began a position with the denomination. Following a couple of interim pastor roles, he became Dean of University Ministries and then Dean of Enrollment at North Park University in Chicago. He retired in 2015 and moved to Bellingham, where he participates in the life of Bellingham Covenant Church. He has extensive experience with non-profit organizations and boards of all sizes. His current interests include the Creation Care ministry at Bellingham Covenant and he has facilitated a variety of groups and classes on different topics, including Creation Care. He serves on the team that supports the Pastor of Christian Formation at BCC. A life-long boater, he is co-owner of Tranquillus Charter LLC in Bellingham and does much of the year-round work of maintaining a 42 trawler in charter-ready condition. His spiritual director has suggested that his work on the boat, usually done in some solitude, is in keeping with good Benedictine understanding of working with one’s hands.

Michelle Mach

Jess Uhler My spiritual path brought me to a place of burnout, where I rediscovered the contemplative spirituality I fell in love with in college. I longed for a more experiential, formative, expansive way of interacting with God, beyond the focus on belief or dogma. I longed for deeper practices, not just deeper head “belief”. Being introduced to contemplative practices and community with Selah in 2015 expanded my experience of and understanding of the divine.I’ve participated in several groups and courses with Selah. My training as a spiritual director was done through St. Placid Priory in Olympia, WA and completed in 2025. In spring of 2026, I completed a cohort with the Center for Embodied Faith, focused on attachment, trauma and nervous-system work in the context of our relationship with God. I’m listed in the Christ-Centered Spiritual Direction Association website.I love to swim in the Salish Sea, garden, lift weights, write, and make pictures with my camera.

The Selah Lead team supports the Selah community by helping others coordinate offerings. Listening to and cultivating creative opportunities, the Lead Team gives shape to Selah’s intention and expression in and outside the community by walking alongside those in the C&G (Creative & Generative) Forum.

Mary Pandiani, D.Min, Executive Director

Mary leads Selah, a contemplative community that seeks to provide a sacred space for people to pause, encounter, and grow. Mary has served in various capacities for Selah, including as a founding board member, seminar/group leader, and co-facilitator for Selah’s extended programs, such as SoulAwake. Mary is a spiritual director and coach, co-facilitator for a spiritual direction training program, and an advisor for doctoral students. Mary received her Doctorate of Leadership at Portland Seminary, and her work focuses on a posture of contemplative living across the seasons of life. Her foundation starts with a love for the God who wants to be known and a desire to help others to pause-notice-listen-respond in ways that lead to a deeper understanding of God’s divine invitation. With the support of her husband Bill, Mary serves Selah while also enjoying her family of four adult daughters and their families. Mary lives in Gig Harbor WA where she knows the value of beauty in creation and the gift of community.

Katy Anderson I went to a Christmas Eve service held by John Kiemele many years ago, and was deeply held by the quiet contemplative nature of the evening gathering. Since then, Selah has nurtured  me through Soul Care groups, Living From the Heart, our local gathering Hub, and through the treasured friendships gifted as part of this journey. Selah has created the space for authentic, whole-hearted living for me, and I’m thankful to be held and accepted in this space. I grew up in Gig Harbor, moved to Portland and worked as a carpenter until moving back here several years ago. In many ways it feels good to be home, the beauty of the Puget Sound, the salt water, the trees, family, and also the opportunity to grow in the Selah community. I live on a small farm, and enjoy gardening, planting trees, walking with my dog, woodworking projects in my shop, and being with friends and family.

Troy Fenlason has been participating and contributing in the life and community of Selah in a variety of ways since he met our founder, John Kiemele, in 2010. He is an active companion who has served on the board, facilitated seminars, and helped launch the Edmonds Hub.  Out of their home, he and his wife Vanessa have been leading a contemplative soul-care group for more than 12 years and parenting 5 children for more than 23 years. He is a psychologist with over 20 years of psychotherapy experience who works to facilitate listening spaces that foster healing, growth, and transformation. He is inspired by his experience of contemplation in community through Selah and seeks to deepen and widen that experience for himself and for others. In his Lead Team role, he is inspired to care for organic community development flowing out from our contemplative core.

Jack Grimm was led to the Selah Center through a contemplative living community group. His involvement in various Selah offerings, soul care groups, and Edmonds Hub gatherings have furthered his desire for a contemplative path and community. He enjoys the teamwork and spiritual discernment the Selah Lead Team embodies, and looks forward to watching the Selah Center evolve. He shares his home in Edmonds with his wife (Sue) and one special dog (Choco), and loves watching his two sons (Nick and Alex) pursue their lives. Some of his favorite things include discussing ideas, home projects, golf, and a nice glass of wine with friends.

John Kiemele, PhD, is a Wellbeing Educator, Spiritual Guide, and Listening Coach who has spent the past 30-plus years guiding individuals and groups across North America and internationally, assisting them to discover and deepen life-giving connections and wellbeing practices. John is Founder and Director Emeritus of Selah Center. John is co-creator and facilitator of “AIM to Live Well.”  Recognizing how intentional pausing and listening unlocks life, John strives to engage the whole person – body, mind, soul – in the lifelong process of living well. John earned a PhD in educational studies and spirituality, and completed certificates in Mindful Self-Compassion, Wellness Coaching, Spiritual Direction, Mindfulness, and the Enneagram Spectrum. John enjoys baking, hiking, traveling, visiting cathedrals and monasteries, attending live theater, watercolor painting and rummaging through antique and thrift shops.

Karen Nelson is a spiritual companion who has spent the past 43 years guiding singers of all ages in the life-enriching gift of choral music. In school, church and community settings her experience in choral singing has given her a deep appreciation of the beauty of the human voice and the spiritual gifts that come with sharing it. Working with national arts organizations as an arts curriculum expert, she connected underserved populations with classically trained artists for mutually enriching experiences. She continues to explore human relationship with the Divine through the arts, spiritual disciplines, and through day to day blessings of ordinary living. In the way musicians seek to hear the harmonies of a larger work and lend their unique voices to it, she seeks the harmonies of the sacred in our world, and encourages all to join in the song. In her spare time, Karen enjoys writing, live theater, nature walks, time spent with friends, and plenty of play time with the family dog, Chester.

Mary Pandiani, D.Min, Executive Director

Mary leads Selah, a contemplative community that seeks to provide a sacred space for people to pause, encounter, and grow. Mary has served in various capacities for Selah, including as a founding board member, seminar/group leader, and co-facilitator for Selah’s extended programs, such as SoulAwake. Mary is a spiritual director and coach, co-facilitator for a spiritual direction training program, and an advisor for doctoral students. Mary received her Doctorate of Leadership at Portland Seminary, and her work focuses on a posture of contemplative living across the seasons of life. Her foundation starts with a love for the God who wants to be known and a desire to help others to pause-notice-listen-respond in ways that lead to a deeper understanding of God’s divine invitation. With the support of her husband Bill, Mary serves Selah while also enjoying her family of four adult daughters and their families. Mary lives in Gig Harbor WA where she knows the value of beauty in creation and the gift of community.
Contact Mary at director@selahcenter.org

Erika Mariani, Executive Administrator 

Erika grew up in Spokane but has spent most of her life on the West side of the state, beginning with her years as an undergrad at Pacific Lutheran University. Here she met her husband, Mark, and they have been married for 25 years and have three boys, Luke (16), Kellen (14) and Zeke (11) and a mini golden doddle, Rudy. They have lived in the North End of Tacoma for the past 17 years. Before starting a family, Erika spent four years in California and graduated from Fuller Theological Seminary with an MA in Theology. She has spent the last two decades working and volunteering in college ministry, small group ministry, women’s ministry, and youth ministry. For the past eight years Erika has enjoyed being involved in contemplative communities, especially with Selah Center. She decided to become a certified Spiritual Director and recently finished the Listening with the Spirit program through St. Placid Priory Spirituality Center.  In her free time Erika loves to play golf and tennis, go on long walks with friends, attend her kids sporting events, and travel with family. She feels blessed to be working for Selah for the past year.
Contact Erika at info@selahcenter.org

Stacia Pew, Digital & Creative Communications Manager

As Selah’s Communications Strategist, Stacia develops and designs the Selah website, e-communication, and marketing materials. She helps to strategize ways to invite others to pause, encounter, and grow through participation in the Selah community and its offerings. Stacia is a certified Spiritual Director through the Listening with the Spirit program offered through St. Placid Priory Spirituality Center and is currently serving at the Washington Corrections Center for Women. She has owned her graphic design business, Back2Back Design, for over 20 years. She also served as Graphic Designer, Missions Specialist and Lay Counseling Coordinator at both Chapel Hill and Harbor Covenant churches in Gig Harbor, WA. Stacia received her Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Graphic Design at Pacific Lutheran University and has completed two years at Portland Seminary. She and her husband Tom, have six adult children and four grandchildren. In addition to playing with grandchildren, Stacia loves kayaking, camping, creative journaling, and deep friendships.
Contact Stacia at strategy@selahcenter.org