Weekly Messages
Where Is God Now?
After the great religious unraveling that began after WW1, many struggle with that question. This week, we’ll start thinking about where God is now. (It’s good news!)
Where Is God?
World War I began a great religious unraveling in the West. Where is God during war? Or on 9/11? Let’s think together, about fundamentally shifting where we look for God.
Everything and Everyone: Connected
It’s not just a pretty name (though it is). The notion of a Common Thread is rooted deeply in our tradition. We are, every one of us, carriers of the Inner Light. This week: two historical streams that didn’t drop that notion when Rome co-opted our religion—Eastern...
What is the Common Thread?
The church today has been heavily influenced by thoughts and principles coming from the Roman Empire. But there are other Christian heritages from other groups such as the Desert Fathers and Desert Mothers in the 3rd and 4th centuries. Have a listen to learn more.
Numbering Our Days
At the beginning of each year, we return to the same ancient Jewish Psalm that reminds us to number our days - but why? How do we do it? And how can ancient Roman Stoics, paintings from the 17th century, and blog posts from 2015 help us?
Forgiving Others
Last week we spoke about how we forgive ourselves. Turns out, if we figure out how to do that, it really helps us forgive others.
How Do We Forgive Ourselves?
That’s the most frequent question that has come in on menti.com during this lesson.
Turn the Other Cheek? C’mon! Seriously?
Revenge is hard-wired in our brains to protect us from future harm. But it’s really bad at the job! It’s a cure that’s even worse than the disease. There are other tools that are really effective. They’re just counter intuitive.
Revenge Matters (For Forgiveness)
In hyper-polarized times it is difficult to access our best selves. How do we find forgiveness for those who bother us, who hurt us? Well, counter-intuitively, revenge serves an important function.
Gratitude
Our culture talks a lot about gratitude, especially at this time of year - but how much of this is actually shallow and ineffective rather than transformational? Sunday, we talked about the danger of transactional thinking and how it can often encourage the misuse of...
So, Now What?
Last week we talked about how our community's history fits in the broader context of religion's meltdown in our society. We talked about how we've been rebuilding in the ruins of religion. Today, we talk about what that will mean for each of us. Have a listen.
Is There a Future for Religion?
A lot of folks don’t think so. I understand why they think so. But I think history invites us to think more broadly. Today’s lesson is the story of what we’ve been doing as a community, to be part of the future we believe there is.
Sex Norms — That Work
We integrate health and well-being into our lives best, when we are supported by a culture and institutions with a shared narrative and shared norms. But our time in history, is a time of stripping down and rebuilding both our norms and our institutions. The work for...
Sex Isn’t “Just Sex”
In a sense, yes. Sex is “just sex.” But there’s more to the story. There are deep psychological, emotional, and relational processes that accompany sex. If we get them right, forever after, isn’t just a pipe dream.
Yin, Yang, Sex, and Love
When we live in imbalance, it harms us. And as a society, we’re out of balance. And — our sex and love — they don’t last. Have a listen.
How The Church Screwed Up Sex
We owe folks an apology! Some of our society's worst instincts around sexuality, draw from blueprints the church drew up -- 1800 years ago. If we're going to offer anything as our society is rethinking sexuality (and we have some good stuff to offer), we have to go...
The Sexual Journey (the whole thing)
When we diminish how much of our humanity falls under the heading "making love," without realizing we're doing it, we cut out whole swaths of human experience. And... We suffer the loss of elders in our society. In this lesson, I'll suggest the two are linked. Have a...
Our Sexuality is *Way* too Small
Rethinking Sex: Let’s Start with a Story
After a long summer lesson that evoked more than a little emotion (read controversy), I'm ready for some smooth sailing. So of course, let's talk about rethinking how church approaches sex ed. And in particular, let's talk about how our community came to be fully...
How To Change The World: Wrap-Up
The exercise we're doing this morning is important enough to spend Sunday morning, breaking into circles, wrestling with the questions of pain and pressure here in Wake County. That's how we'll discern the work before us (along with other congregations in our city),...
The Power to Change the World: A Story
Today's lesson is a story about a white supremacist and some Jewish college kids. The rest of the lesson is context-setting; why this story matters to our community. I hope you'll have a listen. Doug
Building the Power We Need to Change the World
Here. Now. Small. Doable. How often do we repeat those simple guidelines? We repeat them so often, because again and again, they are how we access ancient wisdom. And building the power necessary to change the world -- no exception. Have a listen.
8/25 – Robin Camu
We Have Met The Enemy — And He Is Us
One of our brain's evolved survival mechanisms is the proclivity to externalize our troubles and assign them to "the other." It may have been a helpful survival strategy in hunter-gatherer bands thousands of years ago... But now? In a globalized society? Toxic! ...