I began my writing career as an advertising copywriter and aspiring screenwriter but God had other plans for me. After I told the story of how I came to faith in my first book, Baptism by Fire, all my gifts from then on—for language, creative problem solving, leadership, gathering—were redirected into serving Christ. During the season when my children were young this meant teaching creative writing and Junior Great Books, (and chairing a lot of meetings). As I grew in my faith, my desire to help remove obstacles and create entry points for others grew, too. This compelled me to create an original, arts-based vespers called The Renaissance Service (TM), organize/lead retreats at a high desert monastery, write the books The Pitcher’s Mom and Elijah & the SAT, and continuously expand my life of prayer and study.
Seventeen years into my walk with the Living God, I received an MA in Theology at Concordia University, Irvine. Born of that remarkable season of deep study and conversation was a partnership (icktank) with a classmate that led to the books, Loaded Words: Freeing 12 Hard Bible Words from Their Baggage and SOLA! I also released (thru Icktank Press) a user-friendly version of my thesis work—Man Turned in on Himself: Understanding Sin in 21st-Century America— and happy are those, my palm-sized, “backpack apologetic” guidebook that helps talk through some of the very real and stubborn obstacles that stand between thoughtful people and the idea of a creator God.
In 2014, I was sent out from my first church to begin a new season of urban missionary work, including the active replanting of a new home church, HOPE L.A., Together, a tiny “ragtag crew” of faithful and empowered lay leaders created an outpost for ministry in the West Adams neighborhood, launching HOPE Kitchen to provide a fresh, hot meal every Sunday morning for all our neighbors, starting the LOVE RISES Community Choir, and helping pre-school families with groceries throughout the year.
In 2018, I began a formal course of study in Christian Formation and Spiritual Direction (CFDM), becoming a certified spiritual director. In the days just before I entered that program, I started “hearing songs.” This would ultimately lead me to the perfect teacher, Phil Cordaro, who guided me thru an intense year of learning piano, music theory, composition, and notation so I could birth these songs. Life in the Key of God, is the fruit of that remarkable year, and of a lifetime of friendships with so many talented souls.
In 2021 I turned my attention to singles released with music videos. In 2022, I created a songwriter/artist identity—Sophia Streams—so that my new work—which I rarely perform myself—can all be housed on in the same place moving forward. I also found myself called back to church where Christ first called me— First Lutheran Church of Venice—and am delighting anew in bringing my gifts there to serve.
Thank you for following along as I delight in my vocation of creating, writing, gathering, speaking, leading, teaching, praying, listening, following, and raising up the next generation of those who will carry within them the Eternal Flame.
Soli Deo Gloria
(Rose Window on homepage by photographer & digital artist, Amie Hollmann, NYC)
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© Heather Davis, Heather Choate Davis, and heatherchoatedavis.com, 2011. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Heather Choate Davis with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.
Heather Choate Davis 
Good Morning Heather, Loved your blog and can’t wait to read more!! Nancy
Thanks, Nancy! More on the way….
Hi,
Greetings. I got your mail forwarded by my daughter. I shall take some time to read some parts of your blog.
I am on online MA programme with King’s Evangelical Divinity School, UK but I have not really started.
Glad to hear from you indeed.
best regards,
quay beng tiong (john)
Kindly convey our regards to your aunt.
So good to hear from you John. I think you’ll especially like the blogs “Opting for Joy 1 & 2” Best of luck in your studies. I’m starting my MA in Theology as well this fall — maybe we can form a long distance study group!
Hi Heather,
Thanks for posting such vivid, detailed and poignant accounts of your Taize experience. I found your blog via Google as I will be going there this June for the first time. Your blog covered many of the questions that I had and now I’m even more excited and ready to go. Blessings to you and keep the thought-provoking entries coming!!
Laura
So glad my experience spoke to you. Taize is quite a place! I look forward to hearing about your experience when you return:)
Heather
Yes, Heather, I remember. I was just up in Irvine a few weeks ago, doing a Lenten talk at Saint Paul Greek Orthodox Church. I’m teaching this semester at a new, start-up college in Encinitas—Saint Katherine College. Here’s wishing you a blessed Holy Week (ours is next week), and a glorious Easter!
Dear Heather – Enjoyed your story in the Huffington Post and could relate to it as I have two sons who play baseball – one in college and one in high school. Did your boy ever think about getting “Tommy John” surgery, or had he finally reached the end of his playing days for other reasons? Thx, Mark
Believe it or not, Mark, I had Tommy John surgery as a teenage gymnast (performed by Frank Jobe, who pioneered it). But I think for Graham, he knew it was time to walk away. The tear healed quickly: the heart took a little longer. Thanks for writing. And good luck to your boys with their respective seasons!
Can you get a print copy of The Pitcher’s Mom?If so, how? I can’t seem to find it on Amazon. I would like to share it with someone who doesn’t have electronic access.
Thanks for the support Jeanann! The Pitcher’s Mom will be available in paperback next week—just in time for Mother’s Day. It should be on Amazon by the 23rd. Hope your friend likes it:)
“Like” !
Hey Heather, I really enjoyed reading about the Renaissance Service you created. I was actually considering creating something artistic for Lenten services at my church in Fresno in 2013. I was just curious if you have any of the liturgies or outlines of the services and content available for purchase and or use, so that I could have a skeleton of how to organize such a service. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks.
Hi Dan-
I was asked several years ago to create a package of Lenten services for another church in Northern California (as well as the vespers I did for The Glen Workshops in Santa Fe) and was happy to do that for a small fee. As I am now knee deep in my MA Theology studies and no longer have all my resources at my fingertips, I cannot provide you the same level of care. But I’d be happy to chat w/ you about how you might structure a simple service (I did them twice for our church during Lent–it really is the perfect season for it). I will email you and we can set up a time to chat from there. Pax, Heather
Hi–thought I’d come and check out the blog! Nice. Glad you’re doing this–you have such a wonderful writing voice.
Greetings from your first breakfast buddy at camp Arcadia!! I can’t wait to dive in to your books and will recommend you to our Christian women’s seminar that we have every year. They would love you!
Wishing you nothing but love and success in your mission of adding members to God’s family!
Wonderful to hear from you, Karen. I hope you like the books and help me with some good word of mouth in Iowa. Forever grateful for our first breakfast together and your making me feel so at home. Until we meet again…. Heather