Dear Folks -

One of the ongoing temptations in doing spiritual work is to fall into the belief that we already know. Or, to look at a spiritual teaching and think, "There is nothing for me here."

This is one of the things I like about some of the titles Marcus Borg has used for some of his books. For example, "Reading the Bible Again, for the First Time." I've borrowed from him in giving the talk I gave in Ordinary Life this week this title -

Listening Again For the First Time

We are to be involved in the on-going task of hearing over and over, and at deeper levels, teachings about who we are and what we are to do.

The full text from which I spoke is below.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

 To download the text of the talk click here  Download 9:16:12 - Summary

To download the presentation slides click here  Download 9:16:12 - Listen Again

To download the audio of the talk click here Download 20120916 - Mp3

Dear Folks -

Wise, useful and authentic spiritual teachings always seek to take us beyond where we are into new places. I refer to these places as "further out and deeper within" in an effort to capture the non-dual nature of them. That is to say, such teachings take us to the edge of what we think we know. Sometimes such teachings are "edgy."

Certainly this description applies to the teachings of Jesus. This is the concept I amplify on in the talk given in Ordinary Life this week.

The full text from which I spoke is below.

Much Love,

Bill Kerley

To download the text of the talk click here  Download 9:9:12 - Summary

To download the presentation slides click here  Download 9:9:12 - Teachings on the Edge

To download the talk in Mp3 format click here Download 20120909 - Mp3

Dear Folks -

There are many reasons we miss transforming truths when they are presented to us. In this "life talk" I list some of these and suggest ways we might be open to "truth."

We easily defend ourselves from hearing "prophetic voices."

The teaching of Jesus I based this talk on is this: "No prophet has honor on his own home turf."

Prophetic voices are irritating when what most of us want is comfort. This is why I gave this talk the title "Irritating Comfort." Read on for that to make sense.

Go to the Ordinary Life website to download the audio, text and presentation slides. You'll find the cartoons (one not mentioned in the text) there as well.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

To download a copy of the text click here Download 9:2:12 - Summary

To download a copy of the presentation slides click here  Download 9:2:12 - Irritating Comfort

To download the audio of the talk click here Download 20120902 - Mp3

Dear Folks  -  I gave the "life talk" in Ordinary Life this title -

Flirting With Life

I based that on a cartoon I saw where the angel of death asked a woman who was involved in very risky behavior, "Are you flirting with me?"

In many arenas of life it seems that we are indeed flirting with death or disaster.

Spiritual teachers of all traditions talk about "a way." This refers to a way to be and a way to live. Jesus talked in unmistakable, if unpleasant words, about the importance of "putting first things first." If we don't, we court disaster.

That's a brief summary of the talk.

Go to the Ordinary Life website to download the audio, text and presentation slides. You'll find the cartoon there as well.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

To download a copy of the text of the talk click here  Download 8:26:12 - Summary

To download the presentation slides click here  Download 8:26:12 - Flirting With Life

To download the audio click here Download 20120826 - Mp3