SUNDAY LECTURE | Finding Religion Within Religion

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

* * *

Summary of Ordinary Life for June 30, 2024

* * *

Dear Ones -

We live in a culture where those still at the mythic level of individuation can be SO certain about things on the religious/spiritual level. They don’t know themselves but seem so certain of their knowledge of God. This path always leads to divisiveness and often to violence. A clearer understanding of Jesus and his tactics shows another/better way. I’m calling it, following the teachings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and John Caputo -

Finding Religion Within Religion

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

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.

Use the audio player below to download or just listen to today’s talk.

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

---

SUNDAY LECTURE | Ease and Entertainment

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

* * *

Summary of Ordinary Life for June 30, 2024

* * *

Dear Ones -

The title I gave to the teaching I offered in Ordinary Life this week was…

Ease and Entertainment

One way to explain our state of cultural chaos is that the religion of our culture, consumerism, has convinced us that everything in life is easy (or, ought to be) and that the main purpose in life is to be entertained. A solution is to be found in developing a realistic hope, accepting “what is,” and finding the “religion within the religion: that the living religious traditions offer us.

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.

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

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

If you would like to listen to or download the audio recording of today’s talk, please use the audio player link below.

If you would like to watch the video of today’s talk, you can use the YouTube player link below.

SUNDAY LECTURE | Why Don't We "Get" Each Other

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

* * *

Summary of Ordinary Life for June 16, 2024

* * *

Dear Ones -

I called the time we spent together in Ordinary Life this week -

Why Don’t We “Get” Each Other?

Our tendency is to think that if those who disagree with us would just “be reasonable,” then our differences would disappear. But, the fact is that any of us can “reason” ourselves into any position. We can all be affected by “motivated ignorance” and be completely blinded by our biases. Our moral thinking and reasoning is much more like a politician searching for votes than a scientist searching for truth. Caring for one another is how we contribute to healing.

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

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

To view or download the presentation slides, click here.

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 recording of today’s talk, use the YouTube player below.

WEEKLY PODCAST | In Between.160

I am wondering if we can call this our weekly podcast given that this is our first in several weeks! In light of this recording, I have to apologize for the sound quality…part of my audio device went missing.

Bill and I began a discussion about how to discern the most “right” path. We are aware that as we proclaim our assurances that love will find a way, another duo—call them Hill and Bolly—might have a conversation about a very different interpretation of love and believe themselves equally right. I think our human needs and feelings are universal, but that we trip up around our strategies to get our needs met. I discern that violent, hurtful strategies are far less “right” than peaceful, inclusive ones, even when each is guided by needs for belonging.

What do you say? How do you determine right from wrong? And do you believe people can change?