Ordinary Life Podcast

Begin Again

Dear Folks -

I know that this week is a busy time for most of you with shopping, visiting, traveling and all the other matters related to the Christmas season. If you are in the Houston area I would remind you that there will be Christmas Eve services at St. Paul's at noon, 2 (Spanish service), 4, 6 and 8. The services are an hour earlier than usual this year since Christmas falls on Sunday.

There will be no gathering of Ordinary Life on Christmas Day and only one service of worship at 11:05.

On New Year's Day there will be a social hour on the first floor of the Jones Building during the time Ordinary Life usually meets.

Ordinary Life will resume our regular schedule on January 8, 2012.

The title I gave this week's talk in Ordinary Life is

Begin Again

In the talk I differentiate between "salvation theology" and "transformational theology." There is no place to get to in our spiritual practice because our spiritual work is, thankfully and frustratingly, an ongoing process.

The full text I used to speak from is below.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Click here to upload audio

Click here to download .pdf text file

Click here to download .pdf slides

Table Scraps Theology

Dear Folks -

This week's "life talk" is titled "Table Scraps Theology" and is based on what I think is one of the most powerful of all the stories in the Jesus story. It is one that is not frequently dealt with because, among other things, it presents us with several significant challenges: challenges about how we think about ourselves, others and - especially - Jesus. It is a story in which, because of an encounter Jesus has with an absolute "outsider," he changes his mind. The goal of the talk is to get us to be open to making changes of mind, heart and behavior ourselves.

The full text I used to speak from is below.

 

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Click here to download audio file

Click here to download text

Click here to download slides

Journey Inward/Journey Outward

Dear Folks -

I have used this phrase in my talks the past few weeks:

Wise and useful spiritual work and religious ritual should take us deeper into ourselves
and further into the future - both at the same time. In this talk which I titled

Journey Inward, Journey Outward

I amplify on this notion. I end up saying that this spiritual journey cannot be
understood from the standpoint of the dualistic mind and offering a poem by
Anne Sexton to make my point.

The link to the full text I used to speak from is below.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Click here to download audio

Click here to download text

Click here to download slides

A Muscular Hope

Dear Folks -

Several years ago I heard some late night comic on television observe, "The Christmas decorations are up. That can only mean one thing. Thanksgiving is not far behind."

It seems the Christmas decorations are up earlier and earlier in our culture - especially in the temples of our cultural religion - the shopping malls.

I love Christmas but the way it is approached in our culture causes people to buy into the notion of optimism rather than hope. Optimism and hope are very different.

The "life talk" I offered this week is called

A Muscular Hope

In the talk I try to say why it was that the Jesus movement grew to the point that early in the fourth century it was made the official religion of the Roman Empire.

The full text I used to speak from is below.

 

Much love, 

Bill Kerley

Download the audio as an .mp3 by clicking here

Download the text as a .pdf by clicking here

Download the slides as a .pdf by clicking here

Bound for Freedom

Dear Folks - 

At the beginning of this week's "life talk" in Ordinary Life I showed some prayer rugs from Turkey and Iraq. They fit with the Sufi story I opened with. You can find photos of them on the Ordinary Life web site.

The title I gave this talk is "Bound For Freedom."

The word "bound" can have at least two definitions. "Bound" can be tied up or it can mean headed determinedly in a specific direction. I used it in both senses of the word. If we are to achieve the freedom that wise and useful religious ritual and spiritual practice intends, some things must be tired up so that we can achieve freedom.

The full text I used to speak from is below.

Much love, 

Bill Kerley

Click here to download audio 

Click here to download .pdf copy of talk

Click here to download .pdf copy of slides

 

Unmasking Inconsistency

Dear Ones -

This week the title of my "life talk" is

Unmasking Inconsistency

No one of us likes to have attention called to the fact that we "say one thing and do another." The harsher form of this would be to call someone a hypocrite.

Yet, this is precisely one of the functions of a spiritual teacher. Not constantly, of course, or soon that teacher would have no students.

This unmasking of inconsistency is certainly something Jesus did and it is, in the end, why he was executed. The powers that were didn't like what he said about them.

In talking about this matter when we gather Sunday I'll also be dealing with the question, "Did Jesus really perform miracles?" (At least we'll begin that discussion.) My intention is to begin with a minor "miracle" of my own. If you are late, you'll miss it.

I hope, if you are in the Houston area, to see you this week in Ordinary Life.

Bill Kerley

Click here to Download Text_20111113

Click here to Download Slides_20111113

Click here to Download Audio_20111113

Making Spiritual Decisions

Dear Folks -

In my "life talks" I continue to work my way, passage by passage, through Robert Funk's version of the Jesus story. This week's reading raised for me the importance of making wise and useful decisions in the realm of our spiritual and religious work. I began by talking about the difference between a religion and a cult and then moved on to clarify the difference between spirituality and religion.

We are constantly making inevitable choices about what gives our lives meaning. I want to help raise the matter to a high level of consciousness.

The passage also contains the line "a house divided against itself cannot stand." The divisions and divisiveness that exist in our culture and our world stem from the inner fragmentation, numbness and withdrawal we are constantly tempted to fall into by our culture. I also speak to this and the need for psychological integration.

The full text I used to speak from is below. So also is an announcement from the Ordinary Life finance committee.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

 

Click here to download text 20111106.pdf

 

Click here to download audio 20111106.mp3

 

Coming Clean

Dear Ones -

Last week I introduced the notion of power in talking about "demon possession." Though we don't likely use such language, we each know what it is like to be possessed - the word I use is "captured." We also know what it feels like to be both unaccepted and unacceptable.

These issues were powerful and cultural shaping matters for the society in which Jesus lived. They also have extraordinary relevance for both our inner and outer lives. This is what I will be amplifying on this week in Ordinary Life. I'm giving my talk this title:

Coming Clean

I hope, if you are in the Houston area, to see you this week in Ordinary Life.

Bill Kerley

Download - Click Here for Coming Clean Text File

Going Beyond Conventional Wisdom

Dear Folks -

One of the way scholars determine what is or is not a likely authentic teaching of Jesus is the frequency it appears in the sources available to us. The one I based my Ordinary Life talk on this week appears six times in the documents available to us. It is an odd saying and one that has been not only misunderstood but also abused. The saying is this -

Those who have more shall be given to them. Those who have not what little they do have will be taken from them.

I contend that this is a call for us to live beyond both the desires of the ego and the prevailing cultural "wisdom" of our time. We must continually go deeper into ourselves and further into the future.

The full text I used is below - even the ending I didn't get to because the fire alarm went off near the end of the talk causing an abrupt ending to the gathering.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Click here to Download text 20111016.pdf

Click here to Download audio 20111016.mp3

A Level Playing Field

Dear Folks - 

This week I based the talk I gave in Ordinary Life on the teaching of Jesus that "the first shall be last and the last shall be first." It is a puzzling teaching and, if you in "first position," a rather irritating one.

The text I used is below.

Much love, 

Bill Kerley

Click here to download audio file

Click here to download the text

Click here to download the slides

From Adversity to Advantage: The Five Building Blocks of Resilience

Dear Ones -

What a treat this series of guest speakers has been! This week in
Ordinary Life we will hear from Herb Orrell. He "received a Masters of
Divinity from Drew University and has been teaching and writing on the
subject of spirituality and health for more than 25 years. As an
ordained clergyman, Herb has guided many patients and their families
through personal crises and trauma, helping them find meaning, hope and
resilience.

Herb is the author of the breakthrough book on the grieving process,
Unspeakable: The Truth About Grief, and his articles have appeared in
numerous magazines and newspapers.

For the last 14 years Herb has been a consultant to some of the
world's largest corporations. His company Compassion IQ Learning and
Performance (www.CompassionIQ.com <www.CompassionIQ.com> ) provides
innovative training in the areas of resilience, spiritual care, and
compassion fatigue prevention."

And for this week, Herb will be discussing, "From Adversity to
Advantage: The Five Building Blocks of Resilience." In summary of this
topic he says: "While we all face difficult and sometimes traumatic
events in life - illness, divorce, death of a loved one, unemployment,
financial crises - some people are able to transform these kinds of
events into powerfully positive transitions that bring them new
direction, deeper faith, and a richer more meaningful life. How do they
do it?

Is there a roadmap for resilience? What do successful resilience stories
have in common? I have walked with many people through crises and
trauma, and I've had some of my own. I've discovered there are five
building blocks to resilience and I'd like to share them with you. Hope
to see you Sunday, September 18."

Be Well,
Susanna Hooper

 

Click to Download Audio_20110918

Please be aware, the first 2 minutes of audio are a bit loud, but balances out thereafter.

Comparing Imago Relationship Therapy to the 11 Principles of Ordinary Life with Roddy Young

Dear Folks -

I can't think of a more appropriate way to commemorate the 10th
anniversary of 9/11 than by considering our relationships.

Luckily, in Bill's absence we will be hearing from one of our class
favorites, Roddy Young. He "will compare Imago Relationship Therapy to
the 11 Principles of Ordinary Life and then provide a simple tool to
enhance communication skills."

Imago Relationship Therapy was developed by Harville Hendrix, PhD and
his wife Helen LaKelly Hunt, PhD. Hendrix, a pastoral counselor, was
teaching at Southern Methodist University when he began looking for
answers about why some relationships succeed while others fail.

Roddy Young, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Imago
Relationship Therapist counsels patients and caregivers at M. D.
Anderson Cancer Center and has a private practice specializing in
relationship therapy. Roddy's belief is that all aspects of life are
relational and that successfully dealing with relationships will help us
to transform ourselves."

I hope you are able to be present Sunday. That Fondren Hall's got some
swag!

And, no matter where you are on 9/11, please know you are loved.

Be Well,
Susanna

 

Click here to Download audio 20110911.mp3

 

Reverence with Rev. Stacy Pell

Dear Folks -

This week in Bill's absence we will be hearing from Rev. Stacy Pell.
She is an ordained deacon in the United Methodist Church. She currently
serves full-time as a staff chaplain at The Methodist Hospital in the
Texas Medical Center. In addition to her clinical work at the hospital,
Stacy oversees the Lay Ministry and No One Dies Alone programs. In
December of 2010, Bishop Huie secondarily appointed Stacy to St. Paul's
UMC where she enjoys participating as a worship leader (typcially the
9:45 service) on Sunday mornings. Stacy loves spending time with
friends and family and is a huge fan of Aggie football and Duke
basketball!

Stacy describes, "this Sunday I will talk about the concept of
reverence. One of my favorite authors is Barbara Brown Taylor and in her
book, "An Altar in the World" she invites the reader to think
practically about reverence by simply calling it "the practice of paying
attention." I will use Genesis 28:10-19 to ground our discussion and
speak about how I relate this concept to my experience in the hospital
setting."

If you are traveling this weekend, be safe. All others in Houston, be
in class! ;) The new Fondren Hall is so refreshing. Hope you can make
it.

Be Well,
Susanna Hooper

Click here to Download audio 20110904.mp3

 

Befriending The Enemy Within

Dear Folks -

This week was the last time for Ordinary Life to meet in the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. Next week we will return to our home space in a dramatically renovated Jones Building on the campus of St. Paul's.

We are profoundly grateful to the MFA for their hospitality during the past seven months. I am grateful to all of you who helped make this transition period as easy as it was. And, I'll be glad to be "back home."

This week I talked about how what this world needs of more of God and less of us. That is to say, we need to stop projecting the unconscious, repressed and unowned aspects of ourselves on to others "out there." It is our shadow selves that creates evil in the world and not our so-called enemies. This is not to say that we don't have enemies. It is to say that until we own our part, our complicity, in having created the systems in which we live, we don't stand a chance for creating a more peaceful world.

That's a bit of a summary of what I talked about this week. The text I spoke from is below.

* * *

If you would like to participate in an effort to increase interest in, awareness of and attendance at Ordinary Life, we have created a Twitter account for Ordinary Life.

You can follow Ordinary Life on Twitter at

www.twitter.com/ordinarylifenow

This will be a way, for those of you who have Twitter accounts to "follow" Ordinary Life and effortlessly pass on invites and information about what our gathering is about.

Ordinary Life is also now on Facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ordinary-Life/170099756389305?ref=hnav

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Click here to Download text 20110821.pdf

Click here to Download Presentation Slides 8:21:11 Befriending the Enemy.pdf

Click here to Download audio 20110821.mp3

Disappointing and Difficult

Dear Folks - 

We had some technical difficulties at Ordinary Life this week. The audio visual person who operates the booth at the museum where we have been meeting failed to show up so we had no good lighting, sound or ability to show the slide presentation that went with my talk. I think we can put the slides up on the Ordinary Life website. 

I began my talk this week talking about my experience with magic as a hobby. Magic tricks fall into one of two categories - either being disappointing (as in, "So that's how that works.") or difficult (as in, "I'm going to have to practice this for hours to be able to do it.") 

What got me thinking about this is that many of the sayings of Jesus are either disappointing or difficult - or both. We want magical and easy answers to life's dilemma and we don't get that. We get the difficult message of "love your neighbor" (who turns out to be everyone) and "lose your life." We want something other, different. 

The saying I look at this week is one most people have never heard: "Be passersby." This saying comes from the Gospel of Thomas and I spent a good bit of time talking about how and why we have the particular books in the Christian Scriptures that we do. I personally believe that this is most important information for us to know. 

After this, I seek to apply what this saying might mean for us.

The full text I spoke from is below.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

To download the text in .pdf, click here

To download the slides in .pdf, click here

To download the audio file in .mp3, click here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nothing Left to Lose

Dear Folks -

If you were present in Ordinary Life this week, you heard Bryan Fillette make an appeal for a program called "Hospitality With EAC Friends." If you would like to assist with this, contact Bryan at 318-613-1194 or by e-mail at gary.fillette@bmc.edu

One of the things that it means to be on an authentic religious and true spiritual path is to be free. My experience is that I am always finding places in my life where I am not free. One of the ways I personally discover this is by paying attention to what scares me. This is why I have come to believe that anxiety is the ego's take on genuine freedom.

This week in Ordinary Life I looked at some teachings of Jesus that underline the pacifist nature of both Jesus and the movement he started. He was against any system that oppressed people. What are we not seeing about our current situation? Where are we not free? These are the questions I attempt to deal with in the talk I gave in Ordinary Life this week. The full text that I use is below. As is often the case, the audio version is different in some significant ways.

Much love, Bill Kerley

Click here to Download Text_20110724

Click here to Download Slides_20110724

Click here to Download Audio_20110724

Working With Your Enneagram Pattern and the 'Inner Observer'

Dear Folks -

This week in Bill's absence, we will hear from Judy Wilbratte. Judy is
a compelling teacher of the Enneagram, a vital and useful tool for
psychological understanding and spiritual growthThe title of her talk is
"Working With Your Enneagram Pattern and the 'Inner Observer.'" She'll
be talking about how behavior follows thinking and will be linking what
shewill teach to what the Zen Master said in the talk he gave recently
inOrdinary Life. This presentation will be for those familiar and
unfamiliar with the Enneagram.

In other news...Ordinary Life is now on FaceBook and Twitter. Check out
the links below:

www.facebook.com/pages/Ordinary-Life/170099756389305

www.twitter.com/ordinarylifenow

(The Twitter feed has updates about Bill's trip with the SPUMC Choir!)

And finally, the Ordinary Life Book Club is also on FaceBook at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ordinary-Life-Book-Group/155949084459015.

Hope you can join in all the fun!

Be Well,
Susanna Hooper

Click here to Download Presentation Slides St. Paul -ZEN.pdf

Click here to Download audio 20110717.mp3

Guest Speaker Michael Butera talks on Spiritual Choice and Human Integrity: Give Life True Meaning

 

This week Bill Kerley is accompanying the St. Paul's fabulous choir to Exeter England. Where they will be singing a week of services in residence there.

Bill has asked asked Michael Butera to speak to Ordinary Life this week. Mike
is a former Roman Catholic priest who is now, as he has been for years, in private practice as a psychotherapist. He is a follower of the religious and spiritualteachings of Adi Da.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adi_Da

Mike has spoken to Ordinary Life several times in the past and has always been one of our most popular guest speakers.

 

 

Download Buterra handout 2

Download 7-10-11 Buterra Audio File

Spiritual Choice and Human Integrity: Give Life True Meaning

Dear Ones -

If you are new to Ordinary Life and want to know the thinking that lies behind
the current series I am doing, please visit the Ordinary Life website. There is
an explanation there -

www.ordinarylife.org

If you would like to participate in an effort to increase interest in, awareness
of and attendance at Ordinary Life, we have created both a Twitter account an a
Facebook page for Ordinary Life.

You can follow Ordinary Life on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ordinarylifenow

You can check out Ordinary Life on Facebook at

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ordinary-Life/170099756389305

Thanks to Richard Wingfield for setting up the Twitter account and thanks to
Adam Delouche for setting up the Facebook account and taking on administrative
responsibility to guide this experiment in increasing awareness of Ordinary
Life.

This will be a way, for those of you who have twitter accounts to "follow"
Ordinary Life and effortlessly pass on invites and information about what our
gathering is about. We'll see how this experiment works.

As for this week:

I have asked Michael Butera to speak to Ordinary Life this week. Mike is a
former Roman Catholic priest who is now, as he has been for years, in private
practice as a psychotherapist. He is a follower of the religious and spiritual
teachings of Adi Da.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adi_Da

Mike has spoken to Ordinary Life several times in the past and has always been
one of our most popular guest speakers.

This week he will talk more personally about his own spiritual path and
practice. The title he is using for
his talk is -

Spiritual Choice and Human Integrity:

Give Life True Meaning

I hope you will do yourself the favor of coming to hear Mike.

As you know, I am accompanying the St. Paul's fabulous choir to Exeter England
where they will be singing a week of services in residence there.

On the 17th Judy Willbratte will be presenting a class on the Enneagram. You'll
get a preview of that next week. I'll be back on the 24th.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Click here to Download Buterra handout.pdf

Click here to Download audio 20110710.mp3

Wanted! Not Dead, But Alive!

Dear Ones -

If you are new to Ordinary Life and want to know the thinking that lies behind
the current series I am doing, please visit the Ordinary Life website. There is
an explanation there -

www.ordinarylife.org

This information is also posted on my personal webside -

http://www.billkerley.com/index.html

I have a growing concern for the divisiveness that is growing among and within
various religious groups. My commitments are to increase religious literacy,
because it is a lack of such that underlies such short-sighted and ignorant
positions taken by many, and to bring together spiritual insights and
psychological principles that can contribute in practical ways to our growing in
freedom and love.

In an effort to increase interest in, awareness of and attendance at Ordinary
Life, we have created a Twitter account for Ordinary Life.

You can follow Ordinary Life on Twitter at

www.twitter.com/ordinarylifenow

This will be a way, for those of you who have Twitter accounts to "follow"
Ordinary Life and effortlessly pass on invites and information about what our
gathering is about. We'll see how this experiment works.

As for this week:

At one point in his teaching Jesus said to one who would follow him - "Let the
dead bury their dead." Marcus Borg says this is the most radical of Jesus'
sayings. I hope to explain why and what it might mean for us when we gather this
week. I'm calling the talk I want to give -

Wanted! Not Dead, But Alive!

I hope, if you are in the Houston area, you'll be able to attend Ordinary Life
this week. I look forward to seeing you.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Click here to Download Presentation Slides 7:3:11 - Wanted!.pdf

Click here to Download audio 20110703.mp3

Getting Out of the Rut

Dear Ones -

Last week I talked about our need to heal the image we have of God. This week
I'll spend time on our need to heal the image we have of ourselves.

One of my most important spiritual teachers said years ago that spiritual work
was not primarily about walking a "spiritual path." He said that spiritual work
was about what one did to get back on the path after being knocked off of it.
I'm giving the talk I want to offer this week this title -

Getting Out of the Rut

I hope, if you are in the Houston area, you'll be able to attend Ordinary Life
this week. I look forward to seeing you.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Click here to Download Presentation Slides 6:26:11 -Getting Out of the Rut.pdf

Click here to Download audio 20110626.mp3

 

The Feminine Face of God

Dear Ones -

I am giving the "life talk" I'll give in Ordinary Life this week this title -

The Feminine Face of God

I'll be speaking about our need to heal the understandings we have of ourselves
and also the need we have to heal the image we have of God.

For most people the image that comes to mind when the word "God" is used is not
a nurturing and compassionate image but, rather, one of harshness and judgment.
Even though most everyone can say "God is love," at the same time people either
fear God or experience God as some far-off being.

I believe some correcting (healing) could be brought to both the understanding
we have of ourselves and that we have of God if we could manage to see "the
feminine face of God."

I hope, if you are in the Houston area, you'll be able to attend Ordinary Life
this week. I look forward to seeing you.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Click here to Download Slide Presentation 6:19:11 - The Feminine Face of God.pdf

Click here to Download audio 20110619.mp3

All Are In The Family

Dear Folks -

This week Ordinary Life began with a video that you can find at -

http://www.youtube.com/v/LAhP-yLJJ9s&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded

(Let the video load completely before playing it.)

The video was a fun piece of "magic" done on an iPad 2 and I showed it because both magic and technology fit with the talk I wanted to give.

The talk begins with the question, "What does it mean to follow Jesus."

We all follow some set of values in life and this talk was intended to provoke those who heard it to gain some clarity about what values they follow. My answer is that to follow Jesus means to develop the faith to be open to all that is and all who are. Because, if the least of us is in danger, so are we all. That's a summary of what I said.

The text I used to speak from is below.

Much love, 

Bill Kerley

To download audio, click here 

To download the written file, click here

To download the slides, click here

 

His Eye Is On The Sparrow

Dear Folks -

The "life talk" I gave in Ordinary Life this week was based on a saying of Jesus
that talks about God paying attention to sparrows and knowing the number of
hairs on our heads. This is not, of course, to be taken literally. It is a
reminder of our true identity and how the teachings of Jesus were both intensely
personal and very political. Conservatives tend to emphasize the personal side
of the message and liberals the political. There has to be a balance.

The text I used to speak from is below.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Click here to Download 20110605 text.pdf

 Click here to Download 6:5:11 - His Eye is On The Sparrow Presentation Slides.pdf

 Click here to Download 20110605 audio.mp3

Bread in the Wilderness

Dear Ones -

The opening lines of the talk I have written for Ordinary Life this week are these:

"I have nothing worthwhile to say to you today.

"Which may make this the most worthwhile talk I've given.

"Will you hang on to that conundrum until we are finished here today?"

My talk is based on this saying of Jesus:

"Our Father,
Give us the bread we need for today."

The way many people think about or relate to these words reduces God to some sort of cosmic bellhop who is supposed to do our bidding. What this teaching is really about are two things that are required for experiencing the realm of reality Jesus taught about and modeled: staying present and trusting. I'll amplify on this when we gather this week.

I look forward to seeing you this week in Ordinary Life.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Click here to Download Text_20110529

Click here to Download Slides_20110529

Click here to Download Audio_20110529

 

 

 

 

 

Going Toward Nirvana: Betting on God's Love

Dear Folks -

One well-known piece of advice from the teachings of Jesus is this: "Don't worry about tomorrow." He uses more words than this, of course, but that is the essence of the teaching. We could probably shorten it simply to - "Don't worry."

If we could give up being anxious, that would be heaven on earth for us, wouldn't it. It would be a bit of Nirvana. That's what I called the talk I gave in Ordinary Life this week -

Moving Toward Nirvana;

Betting on God's Love

I begin by responding to comments I got in response to last week's teaching. One of these comments was, "I really enjoyed your talk today but I didn't understand it." I amplify on why I consider that such a compliment and also make comments about Rob Bell's controversial new book, "Love Wins."

The text I used to speak from is below. The audio version is slightly different.

 Much love,

 Bill Kerley

 Click here to download text 20110522.pdf

 Click here to download audio 20110522.mp3

Thoughts and Ideas to Help You Live a Happier Life

Dear Folks -

One of the best known, and least understood, sayings of Jesus is this: "Ask for what you want and you'll get it. Seek, and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened for you." More people, in my experience have given up on God and/or the religious/spiritual adventure because of a misunderstanding of this teaching than any reason I know. This teaching can only be apprehended, not understood, at the mystical level. That's why I gave the talk I did in Ordinary Life the title: "Ask. Seek. Knock. Touching the Mystery."

The text I used is below. The audio version is slightly different.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Download Click Here to Download Text File 20110515.pdf

Download Click Here to Download Audio File 20110515

St. Paul's UMC: Engaging Our Community for the 21st Century.

I am so glad to let you know that Dr. Jim Bankston will be speaking to Ordinary Life this week. Jim has provided excellent leadership for St. Paul's during the seventeen years he has been Senior Minister here.

I have wanted Jim to speak to our gathering for some time but his schedule is always so full. 

This will be an excellent time to engage Dr. Bankston on a more personal level and to get his take on what is going on in the religious scene. You have heard me say that St. Paul's is a bubble. It is a good bubble but it is not reflective of what is going on with the rest of much of organized religion.

I hope, if you are in the Houston area you are able to attend and take advantage of this opportunity.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

 

Download the audio of05-08-2011

 

 

You Gotta Start Somewhere

Dear Folks -

I called the "life talk" I gave this week "You Gotta Start Somewhere." It begins with how our lives are made up of near misses, close calls and "what if's." In the midst of this where is the realm of reality Jesus called God's rule and how can we experience it?

Paradoxically, we use words to say that words cannot say it. Words cannot communicate non-dual mind. The teachings we are involved with are incomprehensible simplicity.

That confusing enough? The text I used is below.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Click here to Download text 20110501.pdf

Click here to Download Presentation Slides 5:1:11 - You Gotta Start Somewhere.pdf

(Unfortunately, there is no audio available for this talk.)

Being Handed Over

Dear Folks -

Ordinary Life did not meet this past week as it was Easter. What I am putting below is the text I used for the Good Friday homily I gave at St. Paul's.

There is all the difference in the world between a lecture and a sermon. I did, however, want to share this with those of you who were unable to attend that service and might be interested in reading it.

Ordinary Life will resume meeting this week at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Click here to download 20110424 text (.pdf)

Everyone is Invited

Dear Folks -

You are receiving this "summary" of the talk I did in Ordinary Life this past week during Holy Week. If you are in the Houston area and are able, I remind you that there are, at St. Paul's, noontime communion services every day this week, a stripping of the altar service Thursday night at 7 and a noon Good Friday service. I will be giving the homily at that service. The title of the homily is, "Being Handed Over."

This week in Ordinary Life I talked about a parable Jesus gave. John Dominic Crossan says that this parable contains the essence of the teaching of Jesus. In summary it is that everyone, whether they know it or not, is not only invited into but also lives within God's love.

The text I used to speak from is below. 

Much love, Bill Kerley

Click here to download text (.pdf)

Click here to download slides (.pdf)

Click here to download audio (.mp3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Training to Be Nobody

Dear Folks - 

I will remind those of you in the Houston area that you have an opportunity to hear Paul Knitter this weekend - Friday night and Saturday. He will be speaking out of his book "Without Buddha I Could Not Be Christian." Dr. Knitter is the Paul Tillich Professor of Theology at Union Seminary in New York City. For more information go to

www.contemporarytheology.org

The title of my talk this week in Ordinary Life was "Training To Be Nobody." It is based on the teaching of Jesus that people who are able to experience the realm of reality he talked about must become as children.

I began the talk by explaining what is called the Weslyean Quadrilateral. This has to do with a way of doing theology that involves Scripture, Tradition, Reason and Experience.

The text I used to speak from is below.  Much love, Bill Kerley

Click here to download text (.pdf)

Click here to download slides (.pdf) (pending)

Click here to download audio (.mp3)

Have This Mind

Dear Folks - I have tried over the past several years to be consistent in sending out the text of the talks I give to the Ordinary Life gathering on Tuesdays. My personal schedule has changed such that this is no longer a possibility for me. Consequently, I will begin sending these "summaries" out on Wednesdays. As you likely know, the posting of the talks, copies of the slides I use and the audio version of the talks to the Ordinary Life website are all posted by volunteers. We have tried to arrange it so that no one gets burned out in this process. This transition is a "work in process" so please be patient. The talk I gave this week in Ordinary Life sought two do two things: First, to clarify more on what is meant by "non-dualism." Second, to offer a brief summary of how Buddhism can contribute to this understanding. The text I used to speak from it below. As usual, the audio version differs somewhat. Much love, Bill Kerley

Click here to Download text 20110403.pdf

Click here to Download slides 20110403

Click here Download audio 20110403.mp3

 

 

East Meets West

 

Dear Folks -

Thanks again to all those who are helping to make our transition to the museum as easy as it has been. This week we had the largest gathering of people for Ordinary Life that we've had in the history of our gathering - over 220. This was due to the fact that we had Zen Master Miao Tsan speak for us. There is no text of his talk but it is available as a podcast through the Ordinary Life web site. He spoke about non-dual reality and after his talk I was able to pose a few questions to him.

The text that I used to introduce him is below. My talk this coming week will further explore the notion of non-dualism as it applies to our spiritual work.

 Much love,

 Bill Kerley

Click to Download text 20110327.pdf

Click here to download audio 20110327.mp3

 

Constantly Curious

Download Constantly Curious Audio File

Mature/Adult Religion and Spirituality

Dear Folks -

In all the years I have been teaching I don't think I have ever heard such sustained applause in response to the talk Jim Sasser gave to the Ordinary Life Gathering this week. He gave his talk the title

Dodging the Holy Spirit

It was about his experience going into and what he learned from going through the "male rite of initiation" conducted by Richard Rohr's Center for Action and Contemplation. It was a brilliant presentation. I am putting the introductory remarks I made and the text Jim used below.

For those who are interested in pursuing this further go to

www.cacradicalgrace.org

Rohr's two books on the subject are "From Wild Man to Wise Man" and "Adam's Return."

To find out more about The New Warrior Training go to

http://mankindproject.org/#axzz1FvpvoW80

Much love,

Bill Kerley

 

Click here to Download text for 20110306.pdf

Click here to Download Presentation Slides 3:6:11 - Adult and Mature.pdf

Click here to Download audio 20110306.mp3

With Gentleness and Compassion

Dear Folks -

At the beginning of class Phil Lewis gave me information about a great article about John Dominic Crossan. Since Crossan has just spoken at St. Paul's and has been so influential in and on my own thinking, I'm passing the link to the article on to you. I've read it and it is good:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/02/27/Jesus.scholar/index.html?hpt=C1

* * *

Here is a brief summary of the talk I gave this week in Ordinary Life.

Though we have no factual knowledge about how Jesus began his ministry, the biographies we have about him indicate that his initial and primary interests had to do with the poor, matters of injustice and compassion for those who suffered so because of the oppressive system within and under which they lived. That got me to wondering what the first words of Jesus to people like us might have been. That's what my talk was about this week.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Click here to Download text 20110227.pdf

Click here to Presentation Slides Download 2:27:11 - Gentleness and Compassion.pdf

Click here to Download audio 20110227.mp3

Enlighten-Up

 

Dear Ones -

When we gather this week we will be in at least two things - first, it 
is still the Christmas season and, second, we'll be in the chaos of a 
new year.

I will continue to base my talks, for a while, on an understanding of 
the Christmas stories. The stories are full of light. We are called to 
live in the light. We are called to bring light to a dark world. We 
are also invited to bring into the light those aspects of ourselves 
that are in "the shadow." And, we are called to "lighten up."

The talk I want to offer you this week is all about light in its 
various applications. I'm call it -

Enlighten-Up

Much love,

Bill Kerley

 

Download 20110102

Download Slides 20110102

Download Audio 20110102

 

 

Bethlehem to Bedlam

Dear Folks -

This week's talk begins with the explanation of the origin of the word 
"bedlam." It actually comes from the word "Bethlehem." This is the 
last of the talks in the series I have been giving on the Christmas 
stories. I called it "From Bethlehem to Bedlam."

This is the experience of our lives is to go from the peaceful and 
hopeful scenes that Christmas generate in us to the chaos of our 
lives. I make two suggestions of how we can deal with this: live 
deeply and pay attention to what and who we identify with.

The text I used for the talk is below. We had technical difficulties 
this week so no audio of the talk was captured. Sorry about that.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Click here to Download text 20110109.pdf

(no audio available this week)

The Journey Begins – Again

Dear Folks -

Here is a brief summary of the talk I gave this week in Ordinary Life:

We live in a culture dominated by greed and violence. As such, it is easy - indeed! inevitable - for us to be knocked off the path in our spiritual practices and religious rituals. We are tempted to fall for the three "big ones" every day: the need to succeed, the need to be right and the need for control and power. Our work is to stay awake to our true identity and get back on the path of growing in freedom and love.

That's the talk in a nutshell. The full text, slides and audio versions can be found below.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

Click here to download text 20110220.pdf

Click here to download 20110220slides

Click here to download audio 20110220.mp3

 

Morality Versus Mysticism

The title I gave my talk this week was "Morality versus Mysticism." I dealt with what the saying of Jesus about putting new wine in new wine skins means and its applicability to and for us. In summary, authentic religious work and wise and useful spirituality involves our learning how to put our story into "God's story" rather than the other way around. Jesus was not a morality teacher but a mystical teacher. The full text I used is below. The audio version will be available on the Ordinary Life website. Much love, Bill Kerley

Click here to Download text 20110206.pdf

Click here to Download Presentation Slides 20110206 - Morality Versus Mysticism

Click here to Download audio 20110206.mp3

Fasting and Feasting

Dear Folks -

The talk I gave in Ordinary Life this week - Fasting and Feasting - begins with a information about how biblical scholarship has changed our understanding of the Bible over the past two hundred years. I focus specifically on how we know what Jesus did and did not likely say and do. Then I talked about one of the authentic sayings of Jesus and its applicability to us.

The full text follows. The audio version has much more in it. The audio version will be available on the Ordinary Life website.

The text I used for the talk is below.

Much love,

Bill Kerley

 Click here to Download text 20110130.pdf

Click here to download audio 20110130 mp3