SUNDAY LECTURE | Now Thank We All

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

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Summary of Ordinary Life for November 26, 2023

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Dear Ones -

Wow! The response I’ve had via e-mail, text, and in person to this week’s presentation in Ordinary Life has been stunning and wonderful. I had ask six individuals to come and share their experiences and history with Ordinary Life. The people who spoke were: Jim Smith, Lynn Schroth, Jack Bellows, Shawn Nemeth, Kim Monday, Brian Powers, and Steve Garris. Each presentation was unique and wonderful. I thank each of them for their willingness to do this. All Ordinary Life attendees are wonderful and these six were, I think, a good representation of the class. Again, thank you.
I was preaching in both services today, so it was terrific to have these folks step and share their thoughts with our class.

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

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 view or download the presentation slides, click here.

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

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

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

You can click here to access the audio and video of today’s 11am Service Sermon. Click here for the text version.

WEEKLY PODCAST | In Between.145

At least lately, it seems we get into these very dire conversations about the world going to hell in a handbasket. I am reminded, however, that all things, be they a person, a tree, a political system, or a universe, must go through a process of death and rebirth or transformation. This is the way of things. Nothing lasts forever. Everything changes. This particular time is not unusual in that regard. No matter what, however, it is never the wrong time to grow in consciousness and become more aware. By becoming aware, we can push the darkness toward the light. These two are continuously operating in tandem - never separate.

In the meantime, make a gratitude list. I’m serious. Just quickly, mentally, or by hand, make a gratitude list and speak it out loud. Your thoughts become things, and things change the world. This simple practice is alchemical…it can transform you and the world.

SUNDAY LECTURE | Intense Commitment and A Relaxed Faith

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

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Summary of Ordinary Life for November 19, 2023

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Dear Ones -

The religious/spiritual journey I am attempting to teach about requires an intense commitment and a relaxed faith - both at the same time. This reflection on the phrase in the Lord’s prayer - “give us this day our daily bread” - offers an excellent opportunity to reflect on this way.

Both existing Hebrew Scripture and Jewish liturgy shaped the telling of the Jesus story. No aspect of the Lord’s Prayer was more so significantly shaped than this phrase. What is required to hear it is an intense commitment and a relaxed faith. The phrase is: a prayer for food, a request for help in living one day at a time, a prayer for justice, and a prayer for help in trusting. It is a difficult teaching for us to hear because we are not Jewish, we love to be in control, and we are dissatisfied with “what is.” However, the things that matter are not all sparkly, new, and novel. They are ancient and ordinary - like bread. The Exodus story is a myth about freedom from bondage, death, and darkness.

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

The audio version of the talk has some significant 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

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 today’s talk, use the audio player below.

If you would prefer to watch the video recording, click on the YouTube player link below.

SUNDAY LECTURE | The Future of Faith

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

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Summary of Ordinary Life for November 12, 2023

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Dear Ones -

This week’s talk in Ordinary Life was titled -

The Future of Faith

I began with my version of an old Zen teaching story about the guru’s cat that was tied during evening meditation time to keep it from disturbing those gathered to meditate. The point of the story is that many people adopt, embrace, and practice all kinds of religious rituals and beliefs without having any understanding where these things come from. We must move from mindless practices to mindful mysticism. Mystics see, experience, and express that they are a part of the world and not apart from it. What blocks our spiritual growth and happiness is the belief that we are separate from the Sacred and from each other. God is not so much an architect but the Architecture that we are merely part of. We must move to embrace communal responsibility and communal salvation. Viktor Frankl in “Man’s Search for Meaning” gives a hopeful way forward.

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

The audio version of the talk has some significant 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 presentatio 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, you can click on the audio player below.

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