Weekly Messages
The Biggest Changes—Always Start In Our Heads (1)
Following up on our New Year lesson -- let's talk about how the deeper changes in life, and in history, happen.
Teach Us To Number Our Days (2020)
Nope. We don't do New Year resolutions any more. But, is there a way to invite change in our lives? Gain "hearts of wisdom." Have a listen.
Taking A Hit—And Snapping Back (5)
How do find hope in the dark times? Let's get practical.
Taking A Hit—And Snapping Back (4)
2020! What a year! Damn! If ever we need to know how to take a hit and snap back, this is the year! Have a listen.
Taking A Hit—And Snapping Back (3)
Hope can see light—even when it’s dark. For centuries, our tradition has used the winter equinox, the darkest day of the year, to remind us to look for light in the darkness. Hope is there, even as 1000 Americans die every day. Even as those we love suffer. That’s our...
Taking A Hit—And Snapping Back (2)
There’s an old saying. “Endurance beats enthusiasm every time.” I really hope 2021 is not as bad as 2020. But there will be troubles. And we will go through them. What endurance does for us, is minimize the collateral damage while we do. Have a listen.
Taking A Hit—And Snapping Back (1)
Collectively, we’ve taken a pretty big hit. For some of us, it’s been insult added to injury—personal troubles on top of national troubles. Let’s talk about how we snap back.
Can Organized Religion Be Fixed? Part 2
What would religion be like if you didn’t have to believe the right stuff to belong? Let’s talk about that.
Can Organized Religion Be Fixed? Part 1
The Pharisees gave Jesus a lot of grief for trying to fix a religion that was clearly broken. Jesus. Seems good company to be in.
Giving Up Sugar-Daddy Religion (3)
Imagine God more broadly, and before long, we actually do consider the welfare of others as important as our own. Have a listen.
Giving Up Sugar-Daddy Religion (2)
So if religion isn’t a sugar-daddy deal with God… What is it? Have a listen.
Giving Up Sugar-Daddy Religion (1)
Here’s another thing people hate about religion. Finding out late in the game, so many false promises! (Happened to me—Doug). Have a listen.
It’s Harder to Hate People We Know
We’ve been talking about how religion divides us. But, when we get religion right, it does just the opposite. Kinda important these days.Have a listen.
I Hate Religion—It Divides Us (2)
Ask anybody. Yep. Religion divides people. It’s a big problem — but one we can fix! Have a listen.
I Hate Religion—It Divides Us (1)
That's a problem we can fix. It takes some rethinking of the instincts that have betrayed us, but we can fix that!
“Here’s Why I Hate Religion, Preacher Man”
I (Doug) got a few emails after last Sunday’s lesson. “Damn, Doug. That’s what religion did to ME!” Well, it’s easy to only hate religion, but have a listen. There really is some baby in with that bathwash.
How We Broke Religion (And How We Can Fix It)
Religion often does more harm than good. Damn! I hate that. Because it could be a powerful pathway toward healing—our souls, our world.
Healthy Souls … And the Enneagram
The Enneagram. A centerpiece of our curriculum for the soul -- Working the Circle. Have a listen.
Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Days (2)
We continue last week's exploration of how we turn our afflictive experiences from enemies that destroy us—to friends that enhance us.
Terrible, Horrible, No-Good, Very Bad Days (1)
A bunch of days like that day lately, Right? They can make us better people. They can also make us terrible people. The former is better! Have a listen.
Where Does Tenacity Come From? (5)
We finish this section on tenacity, with one of the strengths of our community -- how human beings change, grow, and develop. We've distilled the ancient spiritual practices to an easy-to-remember icon -- "Working the Circle." Have a listen.
Where Does Tenacity Come From? (4)
We're talking about how carefully considered routines help us live tenaciously -- long, sustained effort in the same direction. In the livestream notes last week, one commenter asked in essence, "So yeah. Noticing my habits. Noticing my routines. Got it. But how the...
Where Does Tenacity Come From? (3)
Shared routines, carefully considered, allow us to sustain commitments over the long haul, even when we don't have the internal infrastructure in place, to build new habits. Hey! we can do that with one another. Have a listen.
Where Does Tenacity Come From? (2)
People of our time, people working on the most important moral issue of our day -- racial harm, racial inequity -- must be tenacious. We must be tenacious, because racism is tenacious. Have a listen. Another principle in how we develop tenacity.