ORDINARY LIFE - Thoughts and Ideas to Help You Live a Happier Life

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Summary of Ordinary Life for July 14, 2024

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Dear Ones -

At the beginning of our time together in Ordinary Life this week I offered some unscripted words about the assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump. (these are not in my printed text) I am writing this on Monday morning, July 15, and already the “news and information” about this scary event is overwhelming. Some of it is very ugly, scary, and untrue.

At eleven o’clock I attended the worship liturgy at St. Paul’s where Dr. Jim Bankston gave the sermon. He spoke to this situation in a masterful way. His sermon is ready for viewing and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you not only watch it but forward it to as many people as possible. Click here to view it. He used the three principles put forward by John Wesley as a guide each of us can follow in the stormy days ahead:

Do no harm. Do good. Stay in love with God.

I would add: take a break from social media of all kinds. Certainly don’t add to the flames by forwarding (mis)information. This is a time to step back, take a deep breath, and see each other - rather than looking at each other.

Ironically, my teaching in Ordinary Life was about how the way we are seeking to travel - a way to “no where” and a way to “now here” - both at the same time - causes us to encounter the denied, repressed, rejected parts of ourselves that can cause any of us to behave in demonic ways and put all of us in stormy waters. Like it or not, there are storms ahead. No religion or religious belief can avoid this. To deny it is fatal. We must experience what it means, in faith, to embrace the storms that embrace us.

That’s a brief summary of this week’s time in Ordinary Life.

The audio/video versions of the talk has some differences from the text I spoke from. You can find the text of the talk, the presentation slides and links to the audio and video version of the talk using the links below.

Our podcast, “In Between,” can be accessed through the Ordinary Life web site.

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Be well and much love,

Bill Kerley

In order to read or download the text of the talk, click here.

In order to view or download the presentation slides, click here.

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To listen to or download the audio version of today’s talk, use the audio player link below.

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