Wed, Feb 1, 2012
With snow came sabbath time
During the recent snowstorm, like almost everyone in the greater Seattle area, I was mostly homebound. Where I live we had at one point 11 inches of snow.
Wed, Jan 25, 2012
Pastoral sadness
An old adage says "A mother is only as happy as her saddest child." As a father I know that to be true. I have a son who is struggling with his faith right now and he is not happy.
Wed, Jan 18, 2012
How we relate to each other as spiritual practitioners – Part 2
In this column I will concentrate on how we relate to our self as a spiritual practitioner.
Wed, Jan 11, 2012
Church to host an open house
Over 14 months ago our church building was burned by arson. From the first day, the outpouring of care from the community was incredible. Many of the various churches in the area offered their buildings for our use. Local organizations offered their services and facilities.
Wed, Jan 4, 2012
Embracing this life with new eyes
I’ve heard the saying, “You can tell a lot about a person by their …” shoes, or their dog, by the kind of car they drive, or what’s on their grocery list. You can usually fill in this gap with just about anything.
Wed, Dec 28, 2011
Hold on to the word of God
Thousands of years ago a prophet during Old Testament times had a dream about our time. In this dream, he was walking in a barren wasteland.
Wed, Dec 21, 2011
Are you giving any Christmas presence?
So, what are you giving for Christmas this year? Perhaps you are shopping for some people who seem to have everything.
Wed, Dec 14, 2011
Advent: A season of vulnerability
In the Episcopal Church, which is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion (think Church of England), we have always celebrated the ancient tradition of Advent.
Wed, Dec 7, 2011
Come home for Christmas
The caption on the coffee house door says, “Take comfort in rituals.” I like that.
Wed, Nov 30, 2011
Repairing the world
When we choose a place of worship many factors come into play. Of course, the primary factor is faith – does our faith and that of the institution match? But what if faith wasn’t part of the equation. On what basis would you choose a synagogue, mosque, temple or church?
Wed, Nov 23, 2011
You are a shelter for every misfit soul
As Thanksgiving approaches, we loosen our belts and our wallets in preparation for the coming feasts. Thanksgiving is a season of fullness.
Wed, Nov 16, 2011
America fosters religious tolerance
A survey recently reported that more than 90 percent of people in our country believe in God or in a universal power, which confirms what I have always believed about the religious character of Americans.
Wed, Nov 9, 2011
Generalizing generations
Thirty years ago, as three former U.S. Presidents – Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Richard Nixon – gathered for a photograph, Sen. Robert Dole made an observation.
How we relate to each other as spiritual practitioners
I want to address three problems on how we relate to ourselves, to others and to how as spiritual practitioners we become strangers to each other. In my next three columns, I concentrate on these three problems. First, an explication on my Mahamudra practice in Tibetan Buddhism. Later, I shift to process oriented thinking/feeling in phenomenological psychology. Both are significant to our exploration.
Wed, Nov 2, 2011
The discipline of silence
Our society is awash with words. Wherever we go, we are surrounded by words: words softly whispered or loudly proclaimed; words written in books, on walls, in ads everywhere; words sung or recited or blared from the TV or radio.
Wed, Oct 26, 2011
I belong to a cult
Pastor Robert Jeffress, of the First Baptist Church in Dallas, endorsed Texas Gov. Rick Perry on Friday, Oct. 7 before a speech in Iowa. According to Kasie Hunt of the Associated Press, he contrasted Perry's religion with Mit Romney's, and in comments to reporters, called Mormonism "a cult" and said Romney is "not a Christian."
Wed, Oct 12, 2011
The power of prayer
People of all faiths often pray in the form of supplication; humble requests asking for peace in the world, the safety of loved ones or the prevention of some feared disaster.
Wed, Oct 5, 2011
Dealing with life's changes
Heraclitus was a Greek philosopher, known for his philosophy that change is central to the universe. He is also known for establishing the term “Logos” in Western philosophy as meaning both the source and fundamental order of the cosmos.
Wed, Sep 28, 2011
What is the right way to pray?
Trick question. At least at Temple Beth Or, where there is no “right” way to pray.
Wed, Sep 21, 2011
Optimizing our mental health: A Buddhist psychological view
I previously wrote about how our basic attitude influences our awareness from fixation on a conceptual self, and how a self-centered attitude can cause destruction to self, to others and to our communities.
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