http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship Worship RSS Feed http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2012-02-01_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. http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2012-02-01_with_snow_came_sabbath_time http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2012-01-25_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. http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2012-01-25_pastoral_sadness http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2012-01-25_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. http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2012-01-25_how_we_relate_to_each_other_as_spiritual_practitioners___part_2_ http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2012-01-11_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. http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2012-01-11_church_to_host_an_open_house http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2012-01-04_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. http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2012-01-04_embracing_this_life_with_new_eyes http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-12-28_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. http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-12-28_hold_on_to_the_word_of_god http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-12-21_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. http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-12-21_are_you_giving_any_christmas_presence_ http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-12-14_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. http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-12-14_advent__a_season_of_vulnerability http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-12-07_come_home_for_christmas The caption on the coffee house door says, “Take comfort in rituals.” I like that. http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-12-07_come_home_for_christmas http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-11-30_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? http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-11-30_repairing_the_world http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-11-23_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. http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-11-23_you_are_a_shelter_for_every_misfit_soul http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-11-16_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. http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-11-16_america_fosters_religious_tolerance http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-11-09_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. http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-11-09_generalizing_generations http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-11-09_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. http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-11-09_how_we_relate_to_each_other_as_spiritual_practitioners__ http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-11-02_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. http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-11-02_the_discipline_of_silence http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-10-26_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." http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-10-26_i_belong_to_a_cult http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-10-12_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. http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-10-12_the_power_of_prayer http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-10-05_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. http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-10-05_dealing_with_life_s_changes http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-09-28_what_is_the_right_way_to_pray_ Trick question. At least at Temple Beth Or, where there is no “right” way to pray. http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-09-28_what_is_the_right_way_to_pray_ http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-09-28_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. http://mukilteobeacon.com/columns/worship/article.exm/2011-09-28_optimizing_our_mental_health__a_buddhist_psychological_view