Santa Claus lives at the North Pole. He’s been busy all year working and thinking about you. But how can he find you with all the houses in the world, and yet he does, and somehow he knows what you’ve been hoping for. How can he do this with all the children in the world and […]
Advent is a season of reflection about living in a period of waiting, resting in an in-between place, yearning for the future to unfold. Let’s re-imagine THE Christmas Story in terms of its cast of characters being afraid at different points in their stories. What does this season have to tell us about our fear? […]
Along with the names of forty-four men in the Biblical genealogy of Jesus are four extraordinary women: Ruth, Bathsheba, Tamar and Rahab. This week concludes Joan’s four-part series on these surprisingly lurid females. Rahab’s story shows us the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob not only condones —but blesses— thieves, liars and traitors. It’s what […]
Most of us would probably agree that forgiveness is almost always a good quality and judgment of others is often ill-advised. And yet, don’t many of us struggle at times with both behaviors? I know I do. We will review two real-life stories illustrating almost unbelievable examples of forgiveness and non-judgment. Then we will end […]
Five hundred years before the birth of Jesus, a quiet man in ancient China dictated 81 verses, which are regarded by many as the ultimate commentary on the nature of our existence. The classic text of these verses, called the Tao Te Ching, or The Great Way, offers advice and guidance that is balanced, moral, practical and spiritual. […]
Mary Oliver says: What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? In Maurice Sendak’s book “Where the Wild Things Are, Max is sent to his room for acting wild. In his room he becomes king of the wild things and they have a great rumpus together. In the end […]
Mark Twain said, “There is nothing more dangerous than a do-gooder”. When doing philanthropic projects in developing countries one needs to be sure he or she is not falling into this trap. Too often projects stifle initiative, create dependency, and leave things worse than they were before the program was initiated. Since 2005, the PowerFlour […]
The Bible is littered with the scandalous acts, beliefs and behaviors that come as a shock to anyone who has been taught to regard the Bible as a single-minded manifesto of virtuous heroes. No biblical literature is more scandalous than the story of this “harlot by the side of the road.” When we finish hearing […]
“The Story of Job” is one of the most important in the Western tradition. It has multiple dimensions: philosophical, literary and religious. Our speakers today will discuss the story from these three perspectives. What significant philosophical problem does the story raise? How is it to be resolved? How is the story to be interpreted? What […]
The need to be right about something is a powerful impulse. But is there ever just one right answer to any of life’s big questions? If what we call facts can be disputed–as they have been and can be–what about ethical, moral, and spiritual values? We liberals are far from immune to the notion that our own […]