ORDINARY LIFE - Thoughts and Ideas to Help You Live a Happier Life
* * *
Summary of Ordinary Life for December 7, 2021
* * *
Dear Ones -
I want to remind you that Diana Butler Bass, popular religion writer and social commentator, will be presenting talks at St. Paul's this week. There will be two sessions Saturday evening beginning at 4:30 and lasting until 8 p.m., dinner included. This experience is free but registration is requested. In order to register, click here.
She will also give the homily in both services Sunday morning and will speak during the Ordinary Life hour at 9:45 next Sunday.
Diana Butler Bass is considered America’s most trusted commentator on religion and contemporary spirituality. Her most recent book is "Freeing Jesus." I encourage you to mark your calendars and make reservations for the Saturday event now.
This week the title of the time in Ordinary Life was -
What Does It Really Mean to be "Born Again"?
The teachings in the Gospel of John are about having life - not about becoming religious, not about achieving moral purity, not about winning some contest of doctrinal orthodoxy - but about having life. What does it mean, then, to be "born again"? Christian history can be divided into three rather unequal periods: the age of faith, the age of belief, and the institutional era. In light of what we now know about the cosmos two things have, or need, to come to an end: a belief in cosmological dualism and a belief in individual salvation. Salvation is about transformation: transformation of our selves and the world. The fact that in the Unites States we have become each other's problem - enemies to be feared - shows how much we and our society need to be transformed.
That’s a brief summary of the time in Ordinary Life this week.
You can find the text we had in front of us, 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.
We are no longer requesting that you register for in person attendance.
Be well and much love,
Bill Kerley
In order to read or downlond the text of the talk, click here.
In order to view or download the presentation slides, click here.
In order to listen to or download the audio version of the talk, use the link below.
To watch the video of today’s talk, please use the YouTube player link below.