It's Not Right! It's Not Fair! It's the Kingdom of God!

March 7, 2010 Bill Kerley

Dear Folks -

It is not at all difficult to look into the world and see things that we think are "unfair" and "unjust." My own experience is that often when I try to pay attention to what is going on within and around me, I find that I am filled with judgment. Furthermore, more often than not, our efforts to "set things right" end up only making matters worse.

Jesus told a delicious little story, often called "the parable of the laborers in the vineyard," where laborers who were hired late in the day were paid just as much as those who had worked all day long in the sweltering sun. Not fair is it?

I amplify on this theme and give my interpretation of this parable in the talk that follows.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Click here to Download intro material for unit of study: Why the Parables.pdf

Click here to Download text 20100307.pdf

Click here to Download presentation slides 3:7:10 - It's Not Fair.pdf

Click here to Download audio 20100310.mp3

An Unhappy Ending

February 21, 2010 Bill Kerley

Dear Folks -

From childhood on we are taught in our culture to look for and believe in "happy endings." Life as it is, however, has difficulties that lead to less than happy outcomes. It is when we ignore this or try to sidestep it that we really create for ourselves "unhappy endings." Sometimes we hold on to something we believe to be the truth so tightly that when the real truth presents itself to us, we don't open the door to it. This leads to true unhappiness. Perhaps nowhere do we cause ourselves more difficulty than when we try to impose our notion of "justice" on a situation.

That's a summary of what the "life talk" I gave in Ordinary Life this week is about. A full copy of the text I used is below. This is one of those times when I personally think the audio version is better.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Cick here to Download theme study intro material: Why the Parables.pdf

Click here Download text 20100221.pdf

Click here to Download Keynote presentation - An UnHappy Ending.pdf

Click here to Download audio 20100221.mp3

Shrewd or Screwed

February 14, 2010 Bill Kerley

Dear Folks -

I can't recall a time, except perhaps the 60's, when there has been as much rancor and divisiveness among the American people as now. Looked at from a psychological perspective this behavior can be seen as a way we are coping with anxiety. Scared people and groups of people get busy, withdrawn and fragmented as a way to cope with being scared. Expressed anger is a mask for fear and sadness.

When we are behaving in such a way we are not able to see what needs to be done that is in our true best interest. Scared people settle for short term security and go unconscious about "the big picture."

Jesus told a parable about a man who, when he found himself in desperate circumstances, acted shrewdly. We are in a position of great privilege and great vulnerability on several fronts and it is in our best interest to be shrewd.

That, to the best of my ability, is a hint of what I talked about in Ordinary Life this week. A copy of the text I used is below.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Click here to Download theme study intro material: Why the Parables.pdf

Click here to Download text 20100214.pdf

Click here to Download Keynote presentation - Shrewed or Screwed.pdf

Click here to Download audio 20100214.mp3

Outside the Box

February 7, 2010 Bill Kerley

Dear Folks -

One of the things that causes us much suffering in life lies in all the energy we expend to "stay in control." No one like to lose control. The fact is, however, that there are process in life that carry us along toward our inevitable end. To ignore this or to try to sidestep it leads to our missing out on "life as it is." What is needed for the living of life is a non-dual way of living. Without this we will inevitably become people full of judgment, blame and anger.

That, to the best of my ability, is a hint of what I talked about in Ordinary Life this week. A copy of the text I used is below.