SUNDAY LECTURE | This Serious Game We Play

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

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Summary of Ordinary Life for June 9, 2024

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Dear Ones -

When we are gathered for Ordinary Life, we are playing a game. It is a very serious game but a game nonetheless. All we do in life is play games and assume roles. Understanding this is a non-dual matter. Non-dualism is hard to grasp because we are so steeped in a dualistic culture. Jesus taught non-dualism when he taught that “there is no other.” It is non-dual to say, “Though I am not God, I am not other than God either; though I am not you, I am not other then you either.” Dualism says that mysticism is not understandable. Non-dualism says that mysticism is endlessly understandable. Then, I tell a story with heavy credit to Alan Watts and Jim Finley about how and why things are. I called the teaching -

This Very Serious Game

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.

If you are interested in making a contribution to Ordinary Life, click here. There is an option to scroll to “Ordinary Life” as the option for how to designation your gift. Thank you!

Be well and much love,

Bill Kerley

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

To view or download the presentation slides, click here.

To view or download the announcement slides, click here.

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

To watch the video recording of today’s talk, use the YouTube link below.


SUNDAY LECTURE | Jesus as Poem and Plot

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

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Summary of Ordinary Life for June 2, 2024

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Dear Ones -

The title that we gave to this week’s time in Ordinary Life is -

Jesus as Poem and Plot

After my giving some of the assumptions on which we based what we had to say, Holly Hudley, taught about how, if everything is constructed, we can deal with the inevitable task of deconstruction. One way is to see the teachings of our tradition not as “facts to believe” but as poems and plots to enter into. Holly amplifies on the role of “theopoetics.” This open the door to non-duality the main teaching o which is “there is no other.”

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

The audio/video version of the talk is briefer and slightly different from the text we had in front of us. You can find the text of the talk, the presentation slides and the audio version of the talk using the links below.

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

If you would like to know how to make a contribution to Ordinary Life, click here for video instructions.

Be well and much love,

Bill Kerley

To read or download the text version of the talk, click here.

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

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

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

If you would like to watch the video recording of this Ordinary Life Talk, click on the YouTube Player link below.

SUNDAY LECTURE | What Would Jesus Do Away With?

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

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Summary of Ordinary Life for May 26, 2024

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Dear Ones -

The first thing I want to remind/request is this: Please plan on attending the Pride Picnic which will be held this coming Sunday at noon at St. Paul’s. You will need to register for this and that is as simply as calling 713-528-0527 or going to the St. Paul’s website. Click here. (I did it on line and it took less than five minutes.)

The title I gave to the talk I offered this week is -

What Would Jesus Do - Away With?

If being Christian means to follow Jesus, what is the specifically Jesus-like thing we are called to do? Everybody seems to want Jesus on their side. It seems, however, that not so many want to be on Jesus side. I introduce the book that, in 1896, started the WWJD craze. And, at the beginning of the time did a magic effect which you will have to see when the video is posted to appreciate.

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

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

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

If you would like to know how to make a contribution to Ordinary Life, click here for video instructions.

Be well and much love,

Bill Kerley

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

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

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

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

To watch the video of today’s talk, use the YouTube player below.

SUNDAY LECTURE | Speaking of the God Who Cannot Be Spoken Of

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

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Summary of Ordinary Life for May 19, 2024

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Dear Ones -

The mystics of all the living religious traditions say, in one way or the other, that finding one’s “true self” is also finding “god.” Last week I talked about one way of gaining an understanding of human development and our identity. This week I turned that coin over to examine the matter of “god.” I began with the well-known line from the Christian mystic, Meister Eckhart, who prayed, “God, rid me of God.” We do not master “god talk.” Rather, “god talk” masters us. Because God is not reducible to understanding, a wise and useful theology will have plenty of room for doubt, ambiguity, and mystery. After elaborating on this, I conclude that when it comes to God we have nothing to say and that we must not be ashamed or hesitant to say it.

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

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

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

If you would like to know how to make a contribution to Ordinary Life, click here for video instructions.

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.

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

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

To watch the video of today’s talk, use the YouTube player below.