How Did We End Up Here?

Dear Ones -

All people who register for the Nadia Bolz-Weber event will receive a link prior to the event that will allow for live-streaming. So that even if you live in Houston or near by and can’t attend the event in person, you will be able to participate that way. To learn more about and register for this event, click here.

This week in Ordinary Life I called the teaching I offered -

How Did We Get Here?

The time focused on the time “after Jesus and before Christianity.” Jesus was a Jew with a desire to reform his religion, not start a new one. He emphasized behavior and not beliefs. It is important to know how the teachings of Jesus became the religion we have today. We can apply what we learn about this to the cultural shifts we are experiencing. Our work is to find God in the here and now no matter how dark and meaningless our times may seem.

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.

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 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.

If you would like to download or just listen to today’s talk, you can use the audio player below.

If you would like to watch the video of today’s talk, click on the YouTube link below.

Malcolm Scott on Resilience

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

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Summary of Ordinary Life for February 9, 2025

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Dear Ones -

Two matters for your calendar:

First, Ordinary Life Happy Hour is this Saturday. Check the Ordinary Life website for details. This is a Valentine’s celebration! See you there.

Second, the Nadia Bolz-Weber event is open for registration. The event requiring registration is Saturday, March 22. The times she will be with us on the next day, Sunday, March 23, are free and open to all. Information about this event will be on public media soon so if you want to attend the Saturday evening event, register now. All information is on the Ordinary Life website page. Click here.

There is no text of what was offered in Ordinary Life this week. Malcom Scott told his story that stressed the role forgiveness played in his life of resilience. It was stunning! Malcolm was wrongly incarcerated for life in prison for a crime he did not commit. You can watch his story that was on dateline by clicking here. The video and audio will be up on the Ordinary Life website shortly after you receive this. If you were not able to attend, I highly recommend your watching it.

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

If you would like to watch the video recording of today’s talk, you can click on the YouTube link below.

God's Dangerous Dream

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

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Summary of Ordinary Life for February 2, 2025

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Dear Ones -

I really want to encourage you to make plans to attend Ordinary Life this coming week. Malcom Scott, whose story was featured on Dateline will speak and, then, dialogue with me and be open to questions from you. His is a stunning story. You can find the Dateline episode on Peacock under the title “Long Road to Freedom.” Or, see a news report by clicking here

The Rev. Nadia Bolz-Weber. New York Times Best Selling Author will be coming to speak on Saturday and Sunday March 22nd and 23rd. The Saturday event will be by registration only. She will speak and dialogue from 6:30 until 8:30 p.m. The fee is $30.00. She will also give the sermon at both the 8:30 and 11 a.m. services on Sunday as well as dialogue with me during the Ordinary Life hour. In order to register go to the Ordinary Life website.

This week in Ordinary Life Dr. Holly Hudley co-taught with me and we called what we offered -

God’s Dangerous Dream

We based the teaching on The Magnificat - or, The Hymn of Mary - from Luke’s birth parable. This text is sun in liturgical church on a regular basis and, at the same time, it is hard to hear. What Mary’s Hymn, indeed the entirety of the message of Jesus invites us to do is not to ask whether this truth matches up with our truth but, rather, does our truth match up with this dream.

That’s a brief summary. Information about how to find the full text and video are below.

The audio/video versions of the talk has some differences from the text we 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.

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 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.

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

In order to watch the video recording of today’s talk, please use the You
Tube link below.

A Lighthouse of Love in a Stormy World

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

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Summary of Ordinary Life for January 26, 2025

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Dear Ones -

Well, you had to be there. I speak of what happened during our time together this week in Ordinary Life. During my teaching I was using the experience of Paul on the Road to Damascus. Just as I uttered the words “he was struck blind,” the loudest crash of thunder and lightning exploded nearby, momentarily knocking the power out. The timing could not have been more perfect.

I called the teaching “A Lighthouse of Love in a Stormy World” and based it on the opening line of one of the narratives we have of Jesus. The line is “here is the good news.” What is that “good news” and what did Jesus hope to accomplish by giving it? My belief, expressed during this talk, is that by learning more about who Jesus was as a historical figure, we can learn more about what it means to live as “ordinary mystics.” The kind of teacher Jesus was can help us understand and live an alternate wisdom in our own time. We have to go beyond the way our culture shapes us to be shaped by our relationship with Sacred Mystery.

That’s a brief summary. Information about how to find the full text and video are below.

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.

If someone passed this newsletter to you, you can sign up by clicking here.

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 version of the talk, click here.

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

To view or download the announcement slides, click here.

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

In order to watch the video recording of today’s talk, please click on the YouTube video link below.