From Disintegration to Transformation

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

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Summary of Ordinary Life for July 6, 2025

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Dear Ones -

How our hearts ache for those who have lost loved ones in the flooding in the Hill Country. There is going to be a free event at St. Luke’s UMC this Thursday - “Walking Through Tragedy: How to Speak to Your Children, Notice Symptoms of PTSD, Manage Separation Anxiety, and more. . . “ The event is free and there will be many resources. It is from 9:30 a.m. until 10:30 with counsellors available. No fee. No need to register. Just show up. If you want to make a financial donation to the recovery effort and needs, there is a “dropdown option” on the St. Paul’s website giving button.

The teaching I offered this week is titled -

From Disintegration to Transformation

This teaching is about our developing a sense of trust in the evolving wisdom of creation itself and participating in this process. A listing of the assumptions and illusions that have led us to this point is given. This leads to the mistaken assumption many people have about scripture and especially the text in the Jesus narrative about Jesus calling to be one of his apostles a tax collector. The teachings of Jesus are so simple - love everyone, judge no one. They just are not easy. What we believe, the assumptions by which we operate, where we get these beliefs and the evidence we use for claiming the truth of these things is crucially important and growing more so daily.

That’s a brief summary. The audio/video versions 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 links to the audio and video version of the talk using the links below.

If you are interested in making a contribution to Ordinary Life, click here. There is an option to scroll to “Ordinary Life” as the option for how to designation your gift. Thank you!

Be well and much love,

Bill Kerley

In order to read or download the text version 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.

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

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

 
 

Comfort in the Midst of Chaos

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

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Summary of Ordinary Life for June 29, 2025

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Dear Ones -

The title I gave the teaching I offered in Ordinary Life this week was

Comfort in the Midst of Chaos

We began singing together “This Little Light of Mine” - the text we were using was Jesus’ urging his followers to “let their light shine. It is ironic that I was taught this song in a deeply segregated south when it became a “hymn” for the Civil Rights movement.

The religious/spiritual work we are attempting is difficult because it is hard to “let go” and because it requires discipline and practice.

Our culture has all the marks of an abusive system.

Spirituality is NOT about getting it together but about developing trust in the evolving wisdom of creation itself.

That’s a brief summary. The audio/video versions 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 links to the audio and video version of the talk using the links below.

If you are interested in making a contribution to Ordinary Life, click here. There is an option to scroll to “Ordinary Life” as the option for how to designation your gift. Thank you!

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 listen to or download the audio of today’s talk, please use the audio player link below.

In order to watch the video recording of today’s talk, click on the YouTube link below.

Politics in the Church with Dr. Jim Bankston

Dear Ones -

This week in Ordinary Life Dr. Jim Bankston and I dialogued about the topic -

Politics in the Church

Consequently, there is no written text of our time. My love and respect for Jim Bankston is enormous. He brings to his theological observations a stance of both inclusivity and integrity that is something we all, in my opinion, should aspire to. There is both an audio and video recording of our time available.

You can find the presentation slides and links to the audio and video version of the talk using the links below.

If you are interested in making a contribution to Ordinary Life,
Click Here

Be well and much love,

Bill Kerley

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 download or just listen to the audio recording of the Ordinary Life Discussion of “Politics Within the Church”, please use the audio player link below.

In order to watch the video recording of today’s talk, you can click on the YouTube video link below.

Catching Up With a Dangerous Jesus

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

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Summary of Ordinary Life for June 15, 2025

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Dear Ones -

I understand that there were some “technical difficulties” with the live-stream this week. If you missed the teaching and/or were frustrated by that, please take the time to watch the video version. It should be up by the time you receive this and it is excellent preparation for the time next week when Dr. Jim Bankston will be joining me as we dialogue about “politics in the church.”

I called the teaching I offered this week -

Catching Up To a Dangerous Jesus

The real work in following “the wayless way” involves honoring the true memory of Jesus. This is what will empower us for the future. This work involves deconstruction, reconstruction, re-membering, and “poetry.” Creating a community that seeks to follow Jesus is a much bigger, deeper, and more challenging venture than most of us have known or thought about. We are all part of a “system” that causes us not to see clearly and to easily forget.

That’s a brief summary. The audio/video versions 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 links to the audio and video version of the talk using the links below.

If you are interested in making a contribution to Ordinary Life, click here. Thank you!

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.

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

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