The Holy Spirit and the Honey Bee: a Wise Elder’s Journey of Discovery as a Partner, Mother, and Priest

In this deeply personal and profoundly reflective memoir, Dr. Jean Milliken traces the arc of a life shaped by faith, marriage, motherhood, and a relentless search for voice and purpose. Born into a legacy of generational trauma marked by divorce and alcohol abuse, Jean invites readers on a journey through the challenges that shaped her and the healing that followed.With candor and grace, she shares the lessons gleaned from decades as a pastoral counselor, marriage therapist, and Episcopal priest, offering insights born from serving diverse communities across New York’s Lower East Side, Georgia, Virginia, and the Washington National Cathedral. Along the way, Jean explores how she found her voice in institutions historically dominated by men, learned to communicate across cultural and relational divides, and evolved a living faith rooted in compassion, justice, and connection.This is more than a memoir; it is a roadmap for anyone seeking spiritual growth, relational healing, and the courage to speak their truth.”A truly subversive romance, The Holy Spirit and the Honey Bee is a must-read for men and women who want authentic relationships with family, friends, and the mysterious realm of faith.The honey-bee of this story is the Holy Spirit, emerging as Divine Wisdom, and the metaphor of cross-pollination captures her playful yet earnest quest for belonging which shapes her long marriage, complicated mothering, and career as both priest and pastoral counselor. More than a memoir, this book charts the way home for all spiritual nomads.”-Marjory Zoet Bankson, author of Creative Aging; Rethinking Retirement and Non-retirement in a Changing World