Dear Folks -

   Here is a summary of the talk I gave in Ordinary Life this week.

   I have given myself the task of attempting to describe what it means "to be happy" by looking at the Beatitudes given by Jesus. This talk focuses on this beatitude: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled.

   "Righteousness" is not a word we hear often and when we do it is a turn-off. Who wants to be righteous? What the word really means is "justice." That's another matter.

   Focusing on justice causes us to look at the use and misuse of power. That is what much of this talk is about.

   If we fill ourselves with the trivial pursuits of our culture, even if that involves getting and exercising a huge amount of power, we will have no room for the "food" that really satisfies.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Download 20080824.pdf
Download 20080824.mp3

Dear Folks -

   Here is a summary of the talk I gave in Ordinary Life this week.

   I have given myself the task of attempting to describe what it means "to be happy" by looking at the Beatitudes given by Jesus. The one under consideration in this talk is, perhaps, the biggest turn-off line in the entire Christian Testament: "Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth."

   Nothing in our culture supports being "meek." Indeed, our culture rewards just the opposite.

   I contend in this talk that the word "meek" doesn't mean what we usually thing it does. Meekness is this: Being who we truly are - no more, no less.

   That is what this talk amplifies on and uses a revisit to Richard Rohr's notion of "the cosmic egg."

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Download 20080817.pdf
Download 20080817.mp3

Dear Folks -

   Here is a summary of the talk I gave in Ordinary Life this week.

   I have given myself the task of attempting to describe what it means "to be happy" by looking at the Beatitudes given by Jesus. The second Beatitude states, "Happy are those who mourn." How could that be?

   If we follow the conventional wisdom of our culture, we'll likely never understand this teaching. Our culture is ruled by comparing, competing, anger and fear. In doing the work required to live without these reactions to our experience of life, we begin to experience the losses that are part of being truly human and

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Download 20080810.pdf

Download 20080810.mp3

Dear Folks -

Many years ago I read a story in the newspaper about a family
whose house caught on fire. They all got out safely. As they stood
watching the flames destroy their home, the mother rushed back into
the burning house to retrieve some precious object. She emerged a few
minutes later clutching an orange. In her upset and confusion that is
what she deemed most precious.

My hunch is that when we feel threatened we all clench our fists
around something. I'm speaking metaphorically.

This week in Ordinary Life I want to talk with you about what the
first Beatitude might mean for us. It reads: "Blessed are the poor."
How so? In what way? Anyone who has the capacity to receive and read
this e-mail is in no way "poor." So, how does this beatitude find
relevance for us?

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Download 20080803.pdf

Download 20080803.mp3