Weekly Messages
The Dangers of Fixing our Metaphors
We cannot contain God. Our words and images are metaphors, incomplete at best. When we believe and insist they reflect more than a fleeting glimpse of a reality we cannot contain, they stop helping and start damaging . . . us . . . and others.
Practicing the Divine. (Huh?)
"Experiencing the Divine" can range from peak, mystical experience to inner changes that sneak up on us. The primary door into experience, is steadfast participation in spiritual practice.
The Arc of the Spiritual Universe Bends toward Redemption
As we consider living lives that matter, we do well to recognize that we humans are meaning making beings. When religion get things right, it provides a grand narrative of redemption to inspire our personal stories toward growth and hope, even in the dark times....
Give to Live
Chasing happy . . . is killing us all. Contributing to something bigger than self, surprisingly, helps us live longer. A meaningful life lies at "the intersection of your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger." (Frederick Buechner)
Plotting Our Escape from This Brave New World
As forecasted in Huxley’s 1932 novel, Brave New World, we have become numbed and dumbed, replacing purpose with pleasure. If we want to live lives that matter, and contribute to something bigger than self, we can start by linking our everyday actions to: 1. leaving...
Times, They Are A-Changin’ — But We Humans Aren’t
Since the 70’s, social forces have conspired to demand more of our time. But that doesn’t change our basic human wiring, our basic human need to belong. What can we do to re-stitch community that is here, now, small, doable?
Longing to Belong
One third of Americans over age 45 suffer from loneliness. As we consider living lives that matter, building our relationship skills so we can belong and invite others to belong will go a long way toward restitching the torn fabric of community.
A Life that Matters (Part 2)
Restitching the torn fabric of community Contributing to something bigger than ourselves Living in a meaning-making story Experiencing the Divine
A Life that Matters (Part 1)
Restitching the torn fabric of community Contributing to something bigger than ourselves Living in a meaning-making story Experiencing the Divine
5/6 – Perlie Davis
By Perlie Davis
Inviting One Another Into Shared Experience
Reconcilable Differences
Our social fabric (and our personal relationships) are in tatters, in part because our Western-culture instincts leave us without a reconciliation skill set. Learn three practical ways to train in the art of caring so you can begin restitching the torn fabric of...
The Economics of Caring v. Coping
Yes, the discipline of caring takes energy, but no more than what we use to desperately guard our fragile ego identity. Trade coping for caring. Entering into shared space with others pays harmonious dividends that our false-self strategies can never afford us....
Disarming Disharmony
Disharmony is fueled by increasing feelings of alienation and isolation. Moving toward others with an empathetic response brings healing and hope. A powerful tool for our heal-the-earth toolbox.
Easter 2018. A Oneness Story
Community Meeting (March 2018)
Part of the community? Have a listen.
Resilience 4: "Propheting" from the Long View
The language of the prophets is the language of hope and promise. Even in times of despair, they take the long view. Divine reality, which lives and breathes in each of us, always brings light to the darkness, fairness to the unjust, peace to the fearing.
Resilience 3: When We See, We Are Free
Over time, modern conveniences lower our immunity to tough times. See these comfort addictions, and we can free ourselves from their hold and boost our resilience. Have a listen.
Resilience 2: Sin There, Done That
Our story of sin can undermine our resilience. It's a story we inherited from our history, and honestly . . . it's not so helpful. See how rethinking sin can boost our capacity for resilience.
Resilience 1: The Gain of Pain
Pain is not bad. Pain is just painful. And with pain being an inevitable part of the human experience, discover how you might not “waste” it by simply cursing the darkness but rather use it to build resilience and light a candle in the darkness.
Yes. I Said "Duty" in Church
In our Western, individualistic society, duty has become a dirty word. We all benefit when we step into our full story of ourselves as both one and one of many, and the virtue of duty becomes the natural outflow of our shared mindset.
The Fable of Immunity . . . To Community
We are relational beings. Our overly exuberant, Western reverence for individualism has become toxic, leaving us to believe we must shoulder the world alone. Broaden our well-being concerns beyond "me, my and mine," and counter-intuitively, each of us becomes a...
Go Fast–Go Alone. Go Far–Go Together
Moving from pseudo-community (well-mannered, polite), to authentic community takes intention, discipline, and skill. Creating an environment where authentic community can flourish is essential work of the church. This year, we will refocus on this intention so that we...
Universally Permanent Ways to Kill Hope (what NOT to do)
When bad things happen, the story we tell ourselves will determine whether hope is stirred or stymied. Hope lives when we see setbacks as temporary and one time events. Our tradition gives us tools to hold on to hope, particularly in the darkest of times.