Blog Entries – Page 11 – Gathering in Light

Six Books that Changed My Perspective in 2013

It takes me awhile to read a book, but that’s probably because I love to have three or four or six books going all at once. I usually have at least one fiction going, a book for spiritual insight, a more academic text, and then some kind of personal development book (leadership, some skill I’mContinue reading “Six Books that Changed My Perspective in 2013”

What is Enlightenment Like? Anthony De Mello

This is a story from Anthony De Mello’s book “Awareness” I used in my sermon yesterday: Somebody once asked, “What is enlightenment like? What is awakening like”? It’s like the tramp in London who was settling in for the night. He’d hardly been able to get a crust of bread to eat. Then he reachesContinue reading “What is Enlightenment Like? Anthony De Mello”

my guest post on the smitten word: an ounce of action

Suzannah Paul of the Smitten Word has been hosting a series of guest posts on her blog about embodied faith this month. She was kind enough to accept a piece I wrote for the series called “An Ounce of Action.” Below is an excerpt. Jump over there by clicking the link below if it interestsContinue reading “my guest post on the smitten word: an ounce of action”

Suicide and The Things We Carry: A Meditation on the Loss of a Father

There is No Red Phone [A Skit]

This is a skit we did just before my message this past Sunday. We had fun with it.

I dreamed a dream

I rarely have vivid dreams but last night I had a dream that a random group of people followed me as I walked home. They shouted “hey boy,” I could hear them with chains clinking and baseball bats smacking their hands. They wanted to kill me. I escaped by hiding behind a house. As theyContinue reading “I dreamed a dream”

Mysticism, Revolution or Suicide?

One of the books I’m reading currently is Henri Nouwen’s “Wounded Healer.” There is a lot that is quote-worthy in this text but I wanted to draw out a couple of quotes that have specifically speak to me. For those of you unfamiliar with the book, Nouwen states that the main premise of the bookContinue reading “Mysticism, Revolution or Suicide?”

Jesus and Love – James Alison

We often speak of God as love, but what do we mean by that? Often “love” is used to mean “don’t take sides,” “remain neutral,” but is this reflective of who God is revealed to be in Jesus? I like James Alison’s response to this question: God’s love cannot be understood, in the first place,Continue reading “Jesus and Love – James Alison”

Today’s Bullied Teens Subject To ‘Sticks And Stones’ Online, Too

Today's Bullied Teens Subject To 'Sticks And Stones' Online, Too : NPR. This is a link to today’s episode of Fresh Air looks at the subject of Cyber-Bullying. I can’t recommend it enough to parents, teachers and ministers alike. Emily Bazelon of Slate Magazine is interviewed about the subject because of her new book “SticksContinue reading “Today’s Bullied Teens Subject To ‘Sticks And Stones’ Online, Too”

On God Pub: No Dogma, No Drama

Pub Theology 1 from Episcopal Diocese of Oregon on Vimeo. In 2010, my good friend Shelly Fayette, priest at Good Shepherd Episcopal, and I started a joint venture we call God Pub. It’s not often that Quakers and Episcopals join forces to create a space where folks could come together to discuss questions about GodContinue reading “On God Pub: No Dogma, No Drama”