(This sermon was preached 39 years ago. I was a college professor teaching religion in a Baptist college. Fundamentalists had chosen me as their target in that college with the intention of having me fired. Susan and I decided that we were no longer Baptists. The straw that broke the… Continue reading
Accepting ourselves as loved unconditionally, sacrificially, and eternally by God can be the most difficult step in our Christian pilgrimage. We just can’t believe that such good news is for the likes of us. But it is for us and for everyone else in God’s creation. That is what grace is all about. And it is only as we accept such grace that we will be free to love others, to live victoriously and courageously, and to dance in the light–and even in the darkness. Continue reading
Questions and cracks are two ways God can use to deepen our faith, encourage our growth, and give us great joy. Those who dread such a route very often have a religion based on fear. If they question or doubt, they are afraid they will go to hell or face some terrible punishment. But once our minds have expanded by asking a question or harboring a doubt, they can never return to their original size. Continue reading
Our culture has been blessed by the African American Howard Thurman who has been called the American prophet of soul. With an impressive career as an educator in some of the finest universities in the United States, Thurman was a poet, mystic, philosopher, and theologian. This morning I want to share… Continue reading
Jean Vanier is a Canadian Christian who founded the L’Arche movement. (L’Arche is French for “The Ark.”) This movement is made up of communities of mentally and physically challenged persons and “normal” people (Who among us is really normal?) who seek to live in the spirit of the Beatitudes from… Continue reading
