Last Sunday was Pentecost Sunday – and also our annual Blessing of the Animals. So, with a little help from my dog friend Dinigi (Athabaskan for “Moose"), I preached a sermon that addresses that most important theological question: Do Dogs Go to Heaven? [caption id="attachment_12347" align="aligncenter"...
Here's a comprehensive article that appeared in Spirit, Science and Metaphysics (that includes videos), on 5 different types of meditation. There’s a myriad of methods for meditation. Some are easy and some are difficult. All require daily practice to perfect. Here are five of the most...
Many Christians in the West, and especially the US, view substitutionary atonement as the only way of understanding the cross of Christ and Christian salvation.What is substitutionary atonement? Is it biblical? Is it what the Apostle Paul meant when he said "Christ died for our...
My wife, Debbie, and I recently visited our families in Atlanta. The focus of our trip was to address some financial and housing issues of our aging parents, my 84-year-old mother and Deb's 80-year-old father. We knew that it wasn't going to be easy. So...
My sermon for Palm and Passion Sunday was titled "Hating Life." It explored the words in John, "Those who love their life will lose it, and those who hate their life will save it." Are we called to a life-hating faith or is there a...
Last Sunday my sermon featured the important concepts of repentance and mind. Many Christians do not fully grasp the connection between some of Christianity's key concepts with the larger context of Greek philosophy and religion. The message of repentance (metanoia) is an invitation to change...
Here's a thoughtful article, 20 Daily Practices that Changed My Life, that appeared in the Elephant Journal by Camille Willemain; a coconut-loving, barefoot, beach bum who finds bliss exploring the endless possibilities of the Earth. She aims to inspire people to release their fears, chase their dreams, and do...
Last Sunday, my sermon addressed our need to recognize both the objective and subjective aspects of our consciousness. We live in interesting times, when the objective or rational mode of knowing has displaced much of the old subjectivity. What we see emerging, however, are new...
Last Sunday I spoke a little about Presbyterian history. Did you know that Presbyterian polity influenced the rise of democracy and that many in England called the American Revolution the Presbyterian Rebellion? However we self-identify, our deeper self is without boundaries, without center or circumference,...
Our adult spiritual ed class has been discussing Reza Aslan's book "Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth." Her words not only raises questions about the historical context of Jesus of Nazareth, they also point to the distinction between the Jesus of historical...
