Your Custom Text Here
Dear Folks -
Since April Fool's Day fell on Sunday this year, I begin this
talk with the history of the day and then some of the greatest (to
me) April Fool hoaxes of all time. One example is the great spaghetti
harvest. Some of what passes for authentic religion in our time is
almost laughable. It would be if it weren't so sad. I summarize what
seemed important to Jesus as he did his teaching.
Much love,
Bill Kerley
Download 20070401.pdf
Download 20070401.MP3
Dear Folks -
This "life talk" is about how a true understanding of who we are
and what our purpose is can carry us forward through life -
especially the hard parts. I have been basing the talks I've done in
Ordinary Life lately on an understanding of the lines in what we call
the "Lord's Prayer." This week I look at one of the most
misunderstood lines in the prayer - "Lead us not into temptation."
Much love,
Bill Kerley
Download 20070325.pdf
Download 20070325.mp3
Dear Folks -
In Bill's absence this Sunday we have the privilege to hear Dr. Tim VanDuivendyk. Dr. VanDuivendyk is a system executive for Spiritual Care and Chaplaincy with the Memorial Hermann Healthcare System. Also, he serves as chaplain, a Marriage and Family Therapist and author of the recently published book, The Unwanted Gift of Grief: A Ministry Approach.
======================================================
Tim will be addressing the unwanted gift of grief. It is important that we understand the embracing of grief as a vehicle that transforms and heals us toward new life. This transforming gift is a healing process given to us by God, even as we cry out "My God! My God! Why hast thou forsaken me?" He will touch briefly on how do you help someone who is in the middle of the wilderness of grief whether a colleague in the office or a neighbor. This is a course that VanDuivendyk wishes could be at the heart of the curriculum in every congregation, high school and university settings.
====================================================
Dear Folks -
One of the things that people all over the world want is freedom.
We find freedom for ourselves only when and to the degree we grant
freedom to others.
Those two sentences summarize the content of this week's talk in
the Ordinary Life Gathering. In this talk I look at the original
meaning of the line in the Lord's Prayer about "forgive us our debts"
and show how it was expanded to include a host of other meanings
about untangling the cords that we use to bind both ourselves and
others. We have a hard time hearing this line because of two things:
we don't live as near the economic edge as did Jesus first hearers
and we have fallen under the influence of "recent Christianity" which
doesn't practice the deep openness Jesus did.
Much love,
Bill Kerley
Read more