Weekly Messages
A Christian Church for the Quantum Era (1)
At last week's community meeting we reviewed what we do and why we do it. Being "A Christian Church for the Quantum Era," we said, is our most basic purpose. Today we begin a series of lessons talking together about what that means. First up, why "Christian?" That...
Church-Family Meeting
Not a normal Sunday. We're talking about what we do as a community, and why we do it. Not a normal Sunday, but if you're part of the community you need to hear. If you're not, you'll learn a lot about us this way. Have a listen, Doug
Working the Circle: Embracing the Four Practices
We speak often of the four categories of spiritual practice. Today, we set them before ourselves as we begin the new year. Let us integrate these practices into our lives together. Have a listen, Doug ps... download the worksheet you hear about in the lesson HERE...
NeighborServe: Haiti and HelpOneNow
One of the four essential spiritual practices is serving the well-being of the earth. One of the ways we are helping one another embrace the practices of service is to develop a relationship with the Ferrier Village in Haiti. Today, Nick Errato from HelpOneNow is...
Self-Awareness and Self-Disclosure: The "On-Label" Use
We talk a lot about self-awareness and self-disclosure when we speak about our community's practice of conflict resolution. But as always, we speak of it as an "off-label" use of an ancient spiritual discipline. Today we talk about the "on-label" use. Have a listen,...
Preparing for the New Year: Our Relationship to Change
Each new year, I think about growth points and change in my life. I bet many of you do as well. But forget the individual changes set before us or a moment, and let's consider how we approach change. In this lesson we think together about the relationship we develop...
Advent 2013 (3)
We conclude this year's Advent message--on Advent. We've been looking at the ancient wisdom around celebration, and today finish off with an informed understanding of why the holidays so often exhaust, instead of energize us. Have a listen, Doug
Advent 2013 (2)
We continue looking at why we do Advent, expanding our discussion into some of the "how's." Advent is a two-step dance, both feasting and the preparation that makes the feasting meaningful. Have a listen, Doug
Advent 2013 (1)
It's been a while since we've spoken about why we do Advent. A few folks in the community asked me that recently, so for the next few Sundays, we'll look at the history and practice of Advent. Turns out, if anxiety is a big deal for you, you ought to have a listen,...
Gratitude: Good for the Soul
We just went through Thanksgiving week. One would think that the week to talk about gratitude is before the holiday. However, as you'll hear in this lesson, gratitude doesn't stop with words we say. Our ancient tradition teaches us the importance of gratitude being...
Charity 5: "There’s Just No Time!"
Anyone alive in our society today recognizes that time has become a precious commodity. We hear all the spiritual injunctions to care for others, and we would like to--really we would! But when?! In this lesson we talk about some of the pressure that drives us like...
Charity 4: The Cult of Individualism
If we would experience experience this crown jewel of all the virtues... If we would take up the mandate before our generation; restitching the torn fabric of community... ...then it will be necessary for us to see--and step back from--the deleterious effects of the...
Sermon Nov 10, 2013 – Robin Camu and Scott Shackleton
By Robin Camu and Scott Shackleton Scott and other participants share their experiences on the recent Haiti trip.
Charity 3: Restitching the Torn Fabric of Community
The last two weeks we spoke of the comprehensive nature of the virtue of charity. Today we turn to a pressing need in our society. Factors have been at work for some time now that tear community apart. We see it in corporations and congress, but it begins in homes,...
Charity 2: More On the Word’s Lost Meaning
This is the second week in a lesson on the ancient virtue of charity. Today, before we start to apply the virtue to our lives and community, we continue broadening our understanding of the texture of this "crown jewel of the virtue curriculum". Have a listen, Doug...
Charity 1: Recovering the Lost Meaning of the Word
The meaning of the word "charity" has undergone a big change in the last 500 years. It has been reduced to doing good things for those in need. It is a much deeper virtue than that. It is, in fact, the deepest of the virtues, the greatest of the virtues. In this...
Chastity and Avarice (9) Sun am
We conclude this lesson with some remarks on the high cost we pay when we abandon the ancient virtue of chastity. Have a listen, Doug
Chastity and Avarice (8) Wed. pm
Tonight we address a question submitted about sexual compatibility. I'll make the scandalous statement that any time two people try and build a sexual life together, they almost always experience incompatibility. The point isn't to make sure we're sexually compatible...
Chastity and Avarice (7) Sun. am
As we've seen, what we do with our genitals has far-reaching implications. It shapes. Sexuality is that deep a part of us. How we handle our sexual energies, how we make our sexual choices... impacts even the fabric of the society we are creating for ourselves. And...
Chastity and Avarice (6) Wed. pm
Two questions came in that we address this evening: 1. Is masturbation a sin? 2. How early do we start speaking to kids about sex? Have a listen, Doug
Chastity and Avarice (5) Sun. am
So, this may be a bit of a rant. I'm not sure. I am posting this before I actually deliver the lesson. As I'm writing my notes for tomorrow, I'm working really hard not to make it so, but I got a little worked up this week. I had three experiences, all of which...
Chastity and Avarice (4) Wed. pm
Tonight we look at how our culture is masculinizing sexuality and teaching our young women to disregard their own sexuality. We look at how our lack of wisdom (chastity) is damaging the feminist movement, and women in general. Have a listen, Doug
Chastity and Avarice (3) Sun. am
Since as a society, we've lost our bearings, have devalued chastity and venerated avarice, today we look at some of the wisdom of our forebears that we've lost along the way. How do we handle our sexual and erotic desires in ways that works to make our pair-bonds...
Chastity and Avarice (2) Wed. pm
We continue on Wednesday evening, what we began last Sunday, a look at sexuality through the lens of the ancient virtue curriculum... chastity and avarice. Tonight, we begin working through the questions I started gathering last month. This week: "My husband looks...