ORDINARY LIFE - Thoughts and Ideas to Help You Live a Happier Life
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Summary of Ordinary Life for August 6, 2023
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Dear Ones -
The title I gave to the dialogue Dr. Holly Hudley and I had in Ordinary Life this week was -
Faith as Fiction
To say that something is “fiction” doesn’t mean it isn’t “true.” The word “fiction” comes from the same root word that we get the word “fabric” and “factory” from.
This class was a continued reflection on our response to “The Sea of Faith” by Don Cupitt. (Again, you can watch the documentary made from the book by clicking here.)
The first thing we have to do in spiritual work is “empty the cup.” We are so full of our own notions and ideas that it can be difficult for new teachings to find a home in us. Holly quoted from Tao this verse:
We join spokes together in a wheel,
But it is the center hole
That makes the wagon move.
We shape the clay into a pot,
But it is the emptiness inside
That holds whatever we want.
We hammer wood for a house,
But it is the inner space
That makes it livable.
We each reflected on the recent article in The Atlantic that has gotten so much attention on why the American Church is in Decline.
I spoke of the difficulty of “having faith” because there is a reluctance to relinquish long-held beliefs and because it is just hard work to construct a “reasonable faith.”
Holly talked about the faith of “knowing and being able to speak” and of the faith of “not-knowing and being unable to speak.”
The closest synonym to faith is not “belief” but trust. The opposite of faith is not doubt but certainty.
Those are a few of the “highlights” of our time in Ordinary Life this week. There is no text but the audio and video is available on and through the Ordinary Life website.
Our podcast, “In Between,” can be accessed through the Ordinary Life web site.
If you would like to know how to make a contribution to Ordinary Life, click here for video instructions.
Be well and much love,
Bill Kerley
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