WEEKLY PODCAST | In Between.159

We are tussling through the book What to Believe by John Caputo. It contains 12 lessons on deconstructing and reconstructing ideas about God. He starts by talking about what he’s carrying in his religious satchel as he engages this conversation. He grew up Catholic, wanted to enter the priesthood, and at some point went, “Wait, what? Who is this God i am asked to belive in?”

Bill is further along in the book than I am, but he keeps dropping seeds, one of which is: “The event by which I become myself and the event by which God becomes God are the same.” Co-evolution. Very Meister Eckhart-y. There is no elsewhere to go but right here, inside and in between. It relates, I think, to healing from the inside out. Zooming way out, I want to hope that evolution - in which we participate - is heading toward union. When I zoom in it is hard, at times, to separate the hurtful, divisive acts of our very human existence from that hope for union. And yet, these are the opposites to hold!

Thanks for listening!

SUNDAY LECTURE | Healing From the Inside Out

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

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Summary of Ordinary Life for April 28, 2024

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Dear Ones -

Dr. Holly Hudley gave an absolutely outstanding presentation in Ordinary Life this week. She gave it the title -

Healing From the Inside Out

In the talk she gave a philosophical grounding as well as practical application information for how each of us can enter into such a healing process. As usual she had very helpful slides, which you can see on the website, and a beautiful Hafiz poem. Outstanding and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you reading, listening to, or watching the video of her time.

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

A reminder that Dr. Jeff McDonald, St. Paul’s Senior Minister, will be speaking in Ordinary Life next week in a Town Hall format to discuss what has happened in the General Conference of the United Methodist Church. Please plan to attend.

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 presentation slides, click here.

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

In order to read or download the text of the sermon Bill Kerley gave on this day at St. Paul’s, click here.

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

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

WEEKLY PODCAST | In Between.158

What do a plant and a daily spiritual practice have in common?

(This is not a joke.)

They both heal from the inside.

This Sunday, in two different contexts, Bill and I will talk about “a daily spiritual practice” and its capacity to heal the self and the world. Using the Threefold Way as a context, I am talking about healing from the inside out. Bonaventure, considered the second founder of the Franciscan order, wrote about how one might come to know union with the divine. All the major spiritual traditions have a path of spiritual awakening whose aim is union, and each path incorporates practice. Practice helps us form habits, and habits ultimately change our behavior. Further, what we cultivate on the inside gets reflected on the outside.

Come see us this Sunday! Bill preaches in both services, and Holly will teach Ordinary Life. Until then, notice your habits and whether they are cultivating self-love and healing or self-judgment and harm. Just notice, for this is the first step toward healing.