Finders Keepers

May 9, 2010 Bill Kerley

Dear Folks -

At the end of Ordinary Life this past week I announced that I will going into the hospital this Wednesday for quadruple bypass surgery. This is a very unexpected event for me. I am lucky in that my doctor, while seeking to treat my allergy induced asthma, discovered that I have coronary artery disease.

There is no history of heart disease in my family, I eat a healthy diet and get some sort of exercise seven days a week; this includes racquetball for over an hour four days a week. My cholesterol has always been low as has my blood pressure.

Consequently when the doctor, after doing a heart catheterization, discovered that one of my arteries was 100% blocked and the other three 90% blocked, I was stunned.

I will likely be away from teaching for a month. During my absence able people will give outstanding presentations. Please support them.

Keep Sherry and me in your thoughts and prayers.

Because I am in good health otherwise I am anticipating a full recovery.

The talk I gave this past week - Finders Keepers - was written while dealing with the anxiety and frustration of one medical test after another, each with more disappointing results than the one before or than anticipated.

There is buried treasure both in our world and in ourselves that requires we open our eyes and be receptive. Then, we can do what is required to "own" this treasure.

One of the things I acknowledge in this talk, and not for the first time, is that I do my teaching to contribute to my own growth and healing. That others derive some benefit from my work is icing on the cake for me. I'm glad you are on this journey with me.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Click here to Download introductory material: Why the Parables.pdf

Click here to Download text 20100509.pdf

Click here to Download Presentation Slides for Finders_Keepers.pdf

Click here to Download audio 20100509.mp3

Between Fire and Ice

May 2, 2010 Bill Kerley

Dear Folks -

A great deal of religion and spiritual in the Western world has been contaminated with notions of "greatness" and/or "success" as defined by Western culture. Real religion is about neither of these. Real religion is about hope and love.

Jesus told a parable about a tiny grain of mustard seed that was planted and grew into a bush that gave shelter to the birds. In this Ordinary Life talk I contend that this is likely the most misunderstood and misinterpreted parable of Jesus. What, in essence, the parable really says is that the values Jesus planted are more like a pesky weed that does have some medicinal value. I amplify on this thesis in the talk that follows. I also tell the true story of Ishi who decided to live his life reacting to things more out of curiosity than fear.

This is a summary of the talk I gave in Ordinary Life this week. The full text, audio, and presentation slides follow.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Click here to Download Introductory Material: Why the Parables.pdf

Click here to Download text 20100502.pdf

Click here to Download audio 20100502.mp3

What If They Gave a War

April 25, 2010 Bill Kerley

Dear Folks -

So this is a test.

The best spiritual teachers, in my opinion, do not tell people how to live or what to do. Rather, they give people choices about what will giving meaning in life. They don't so much give solutions as "reasons to hope."

This week in Ordinary Life I try to expound on a parable of Jesus that does precisely this. At first the parable seems harmless. On closer inspection, however, it is explosive. It confronts us with choosing whether we want to live into a future of violence or peace.

This is a summary of the talk I gave in Ordinary Life this week. The full text, audio and presentation slides follow.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Click here to Download Intro Material Why the Parables.pdf

Click here to Download Text 20100425.pdf

Click here to Download Presentation Slides 4:25:10 - What if.pdf

Click here to Download audio 20100425.mp3

Oak Tree or Bramble Bush?

April 18, 2010 Bill Kerley

Dear Folks -

Socrates said that the unexamined life is not worth living. Sadly, the evidence seems to be that many people lead unexamined lives. One of the main reasons for this is that such living requires effort and attention that makes the task difficult.

This talk - Oak Trees or Bramble Bushes - takes a look at the fact that where we are coming from determines where we are going. It raises questions about what values are at the center of our lives. I end it with some words by Thomas Merton that I look at almost every day. I would encourage you to make them part of your practice as well.