"The Miracle and Magic of Ordinary Lives and Living"

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

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Summary of Ordinary Life for July 20, 2025

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Dear Ones -

The first posting to my new Substack will be this Thursday. After this introductory post, I will be posting experiences, reflections, and photos of my experience in Lincoln, England where we will be accompanying the St. Paul’s choir who will be in residence there for a week. After this, I’ll be posting about other matters. You will find out more in the first posting. If you would like to subscribe to the Substack, click here.

The teaching I offered in Ordinary Life this week I called -

The Magic and Miracles of Ordinary Lives and Living

I began with a bit of magic. That is not in the written text and if you want to see it, you’ll have to watch the video. The magic fit with the point I make about how people respond to religious literacy teachings and also my elaboration of Richard Rohr’s “Cosmic Egg.”

There are two different ways people react to religious literacy teachings. One is to be energized and excited by it. The other is to be either bored or defensive. However, we must transcend our current understanding of religion if we are going to be empowered not only to endure these times but also if we are going to befriend the evolutionary process and create something more life enhancing for all who are and all that is. This an introduction to a passage from the Jesus narrative that can easily be mistaken as a historical narrative. It is in fact a powerful parable of radical inclusivity, community, and political liberation. In this teaching I elaborate on Richard Rohr’s “cosmic egg” and also on what Dr. Francis Collins recently said were our true cultural deficits.

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

To download the presentation slides and the announcement slides use the links below.

To read or download the text version of the talk, click here.

July 20, 2025 Announcement Slides

July 20, 2025 Presentation Slides

In order to download or to listen to the audio of today’s talk, use the audio player link bellow.

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

Come to Supper

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

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Summary of Ordinary Life for July 13, 2025

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Dear Ones -

Come to Supper

That was the title Dr. Holly and I gave to the teaching we co-taught this week. It is based on a story in the Jesus narrative where he is criticized for eating at open table companionship with what the religious leaders of his time called “disreputable people.” Open table companionship was the most radical way Jesus offered his teachings. At table everyone was welcome. He consistently chooses and prioritizes the outsider. The plan Jesus had for a new world order was one the liberated people from systems that dehumanized them.

That’s a brief summary. The audio/video versions of the talk has some significant differences from the text we 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 download or listen to the audio recording of today’s talk, use the audio player link below.

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

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.