Hi, my name is Melynne.

I’m a writer, author, and retired chaplain following my own map.

As a United Methodist minister, I spent most of my career outside the church—first as a university chaplain and then as a creative writer.

In the space between religion and spirituality is where I feel most at home, and it is where I have found my calling to affirm and nurture the (non-religious) spiritual life of those who have left religion or were never a part of it to begin with.

When I say “spiritual” I’m describing that part of us that yearns for connection filled with meaning and purpose—within ourselves, with others (which may or may not include God), and with the greater good.

I hope my writing nurtures that part of you.

My Writing Journey

I am naturally inquisitive as well as introspective and imaginative. These different traits have propelled me into encounters with hard questions in life where I often find myself uncovering connections others may not see.

I didn’t grow up wanting to be a writer (I wanted to be an architect), but along the way I discovered that writing helps me wrestle with those never-ending questions. It implores me to unearth and delve into the connections I see between what is going on in my life, the lives of others, and the world.

And writing invites me to name the collective resilience, hope, and beauty I find buried within our stories, bringing to light and nurturing these connections that hold the power to fill our lives with meaning and purpose.

If you're longing for connection in a world that feels more divided than united, I invite you to join me on my writing journey. My book, Common Spaces Between Us, explores my own struggle to find connection and offers concrete ways to connect with others in the midst of our differences. Click here to read more about it.

A Core Value

One of my core values is to honor the different ways each of us attend to our spirit, remembering that tending our spirit

may include connecting with God through a religious or faith community.
may involve connecting with God without religious rituals or practices.
may not be about God or religion at all.

When I think about my own way of tending my spirit in relation to God, I resonate with the words of Richard Rohr (from The Divine Dance): “Being quietly joyous and cooperative with the divine generosity that connects everything to everything else.”

Other Bits & Pieces

Some of my previous jobs: farmworker, public health nutritionist, renal dietitian, police chaplain, college chaplain.
My undergrad degree (B.S.) is in Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science.
My grad degree (M.Div.) is in Theology and Social Ethics.
I make the best chocolate chip cookies. Ever.
I believe every home should have a dedicated table for working on jigsaw puzzles.
I’m a black tea (hot or iced) connoisseur. I never could cultivate a taste for coffee.
Enneagram 4. At my best, I’m my most authentic self. At my worst, I’m envious of everyone.
The family minivan was Bertha. My little red VW wagon was Ferdinand. And now, my blue Subaru is Jules, named after the main character in The Intern who remembered how to believe in the beauty of her dreams.

Official Bio

Short Bio

Melynne Rust is a writer, author, and retired chaplain. In her work she explores the deep ethical and spiritual connections that live within our stories. Melynne lives on a barrier island off the east coast of Florida, where she is an avid walker with her two Labs, River and Teddy.

Long Bio

Melynne Rust is a writer, author, and retired chaplain. She served as a university chaplain and a police chaplain prior to pursuing writing as her ministerial vocation. She is the author of The Things That Saved Me: Breathing Light Into Our Stories and Common Spaces Between Us: Nurturing the Good in the Midst of Difference. In her work, she explores the deep ethical and spiritual connections that live within our stories and have the potential to breathe new life into us. Melynne lives on a barrier island off the east coast of Florida, where she enjoys spending time with her family and walking with her two rambunctious Labs, River and Teddy.

Let's Stay Connected

To receive my writing directly in your inbox, please subscribe to my newsletter Between the River and the Sea.