Blog
Bestow yourself
April 27, 2016
We could simply say “give.” “Bestow” is a word with more grandeur; it connotes a very special gift. Our most unique and total gift is to bestow ourselves. Jesus bestowed himself to reveal the Father to the people of this world (at least). He did not merely publish content. Most of all, he gave a life. We can do this too. Parker Palmer describes circles of trust in which people refrain from trying to save… Read More
The Quiet Sea
April 22, 2016
Last week I heard the American Boychoir perform “The Quiet Sea,” which I found very moving. May I suggest that you listen first to a recording (by a different group): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66CFFQdNe3o Next, look at the lyrics: http://www.west-windsor-plainsboro.k12.nj.us/cms/One.aspx?portalId=10639990&pageId=18331264 Now you have this extraordinary song. It starts with a spiritual voyage on a quiet sea. Then come storms that make the quiet sea unfindable . . . but . . . it is there. The drama of… Read More
My Psalm 92 song
April 14, 2016
Giving thanks: we recognize something good, realize that some one else is responsible for it, turn to the giver in a person-to-person way, and give voice to our gratitude. Here’s my song of thanks based on Psalm 92.
Community, identity, and religion
April 6, 2016
Once the religious leaders had determined to destroy Jesus, and Jesus had determined to protect his followers by demonstrating his spiritual superiority over every intellectual and physical challenge they could bring to bear, the stage was set in Jerusalem. Presenting a list of grievances and redefining identity, Jesus’ declaration of independence announced a break with implications for community. Jesus was speaking to a crowd that included enemies, followers, and some who identified with neither camp…. Read More
Finding new frontiers in spiritual experience
April 1, 2016
For the experiential component of my world religions classes, the first project was to get in touch with “your wonderfulness within.” I made it clear that this is better known as the spirit of God within, and has different names and interpretations in various religions and secular psychologies. For the students, the simplest and most popular option was conscious breathing. Simply take time to let your attention rest on your breathing. People wanted to know… Read More
Participating in goodness
April 1, 2016
A television clip showed convicts from a facility in the San Francisco Bay area. They were working in the rich soil of a field on a hill south of the city, participating in a program of cultivating herbs to sell to local gourmet restaurants. Many of them were learning new gentleness and patience. What does it mean to live as a member of the universal family? People talk about serving, giving back, making a difference,… Read More
Walking in beauty
March 30, 2016
“Walking in beauty” is a Navajo phrase that symbolizes a cosmically attuned and responsible way of life. Coping with hardship or gathering in celebration, our fulfillment comes as part of nature, through the arts, with others in society, and in relationship to the divine. At its best, every culture in its particular beliefs and practices realizes universal values. Walking in beauty symbolizes for me a facet of living divinely. Truth places an accent upon thinking,… Read More
Living the truth and the universal family
March 30, 2016
The laws of this universe come from somewhere and from someone. The Creator reveals himself, so we can know him, receive his love, and love him in return.
Hope vs. radiant assurance
March 26, 2016
Hope occupies a place on the spectrum of confidence ranging from despair to radiant assurance. Despair implies that hope has vanished. Radiant assurance is beyond hope, which implies a degree of uncertainty.[1] This reflection on our attitudes toward the future begins with a look at our consciousness of the past. Edmund Husserl distinguished (1) explicit remembering from (2) retaining the past as a receding dimension of the present. Reading or hearing a sentence, we retain… Read More