Sense and Spirituality: Recent Episodes
Sheila Macgregor
A short, weekly podcast from Rev. Dr. Sheila Macgregor about faith, practical spirituality and the meaning of life.
Today I focus on the importance of rituals in our lives and the need for retirement rituals.
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Today We Look at Differences in the Way that Various Generations Communicate or Understand the Spirit. How Does the Australian Lyrebird Help Us to Communicate Better with the Younger Generations and thereby Grow Our Faith Communities?
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Extensive research has been done to show that attending church one or more times a week actually contributes to greater mental, emotional and physical well-being, especially in the elderly. So why not give Church another try!
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In this chapter Diana talks about the messiness of the body and challenges dualistic understandings of Christianity which depict the Spirit as good and the Body as evil or sinful. She also reminds us that Jesus was a flesh and blood human being who served God in and through his body and who healed by touching others. He never said: "Think about this OR fight about that." Moreover, his Healings Were Nearly Always Preceded by Physical Touch. Theology is not a head trip. It is done best in and through our bodies. In fact, that is the only way we do theology!
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In chapter 5 of Diana Butler Bass's book, Freeing Jesus, we explore the meaning of John 14:6, where Jesus says: "I am the way, the truth nad the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
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Jesus did not teach a conventional rules-based wisdom. He was not interested in correct beliefs or proper morals. Rather he embodied a way of love, a way which called people to to center in God, and in the path of sacrifice, a way that would lead to a new heart. As Diana talks about her memories of her best teachers, she recalls people who taught from the heart. Do you have memories of a special teacher who taught with compassion and embodied love?
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This week we explore the introduction and chapter one of Diana Butler Bass's most recent book, "Freeing Jesus." What are your earliest impressions of Jesus? How has your understanding of Jesus changed over the years? How might we begin to remove the barriers and fences that the Church has erected around Jesus over the centuries and truly free him -- and also free ourselves -- to share his message of love and justice and compassion for all?
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This coming Sunday, we celebrate Jesus the Good Shepherd. What does it mean to describe Jesus as our Good Shepherd? You may find it helpful to hear this psalm from the perspective of an avid baseball player.
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Telling funny stories at Easter is a way to symbolize that God got the last laugh over Satan when God raised Jesus to new life.
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The human body is a miracle, which contains 20 million kilometer of DNA and ten thousand trillion cells. These cells are being replaced many times during the average adult's life. So why would we think that God who has created us will not continue to grace us with existence in a marvelously new, resurrected body? The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is God's promise that we too will live eternally with God. This is why we celebrate Easter for seven weeks -- and on EVERY Sunday of the year!
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Included in this brief Good Friday reflection is a short prayer for you to pray on this day.
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This week we look questions we ALL must ask ourselves during Holy Week.
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What is this bizarre Book of Revelation about? And what is the author's real message? Today we consider the final chapter in Marcus Borg's book, Reading the Bible Again for the First Time. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/sheila-macgregor/message
In this chapter Borg sketches the historical background of the gospels , the key message of each Gospel writer, and the meaning of the Gospel stories for our lives today.
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In this podcast, as we explore chapter 7 of Borg's "Reading the Bible Again for the First Time," we take a fascinating tour through Israel's Wisdom literature: the Book of Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Book of Job. Borg explains the difference between the kind of Conventional Wisdom we find in Proverbs and the more "Subversive" or "Alternative" Wisdom we encounter in Ecclesiastes and Job. He also invites us to consider whether ours is a "firsthand religion" or a "secondhand religion". Is our faith based on what others have told us about God or about our own personal experience of God -- or both?
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Or were they addressing issues much more urgent and pressing to their own day -- issues that are still pertinent in our time. There is so much in the Hebrew Prophets from which we can learn. Hope you will take a couple of minutes and listen to this podcast based on Marcus Borg's book, "Reading the Bible Again for the First Time."
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The first five books of the Bible, known as the Pentateuch, contain the suspenseful and memorable early story of the people of Israel. We learn of God's two-fold promise to Abraham and Sarah and their family: to give them the Promised Land of Canaan and to bless them with a multitude of descendants. But, as we know only too well, life never goes as planned. There are obstacles and threats that prevent things from unfolding just as planned. But when it seems as though the promise is jeopardized, God is faithful.
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Using an historical-metaphorical approach, Borg explores the meaning of the two creation stories found in the Book of Genesis. We learn that, while these stories are not factually true, they nevertheless contain great truth and wisdom for our time.
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In chapter three of Reading the Bible Again for the First Time, Marcus Borg invites us to consider the Bible using an historical-metaphorical approach. He notes that the historical and the metaphorical lenses provide two large umbrella that help us to discern the meaning of the scriptures.
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In chapter two of Borg's book, "Reading the Bible Again for the First Time", we look at the Bible as the reflections of two ancient communities that share their experiences and stories of God. We also consider what it means to talk about the Bible as "sacred" or foundational to our identity; the sacramental nature of the scriptures; and what it means to speak about the Bible as the Word of God.
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Over the coming weeks I will be sharing some key ideas from each of the chapters of "Reading the Bible Again for the First Time" by the famous biblical scholar, Marcus J. Borg. Why not purchase your own copy, or borrow one from your local library, and follow along? You will be glad you did!
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The God who comes to meet us in the precious Babe born in Bethlehem had beautiful brown skin. More importantly, he had a heart that was big enough to include people of all colours! Merry Christmas, friends!
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Where is the Good News of Christmas taking you this year?
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If we want to get to the joy of Christmas, we must first travel through the desert where John the Baptist is.
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How are you preparing to welcome Christ this Christmas?
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As we complete our series on Amy-Jill Levine's Difficult Words of the Bible, Levine gives us some helpful advice on how to wrestle with the scriptures.
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This week we continue our study by looking at more difficult words of Jesus.
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As we honour the memory of those who lost their lives in the pursuit of peace with justice, and as we remember those who continue to serve in peace-keeping missions around the world, I share a poem written by Rev. Andrew Lane, who served in France in World War One.
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In this episode we explore the history of the concept of Hell in the Old and New Testaments. Do you believe in Hell and, if so, what is Hell like? How can you help to relieve the intense suffering of those today who live in a kind of Hell on earth?
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Today we look at the real meaning of the Great Commission.
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The Doctrine of Discovery had its roots in another conquest, before Christopher Columbus ever landed in the so-called "New World".
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Jesus talked a lot about spiritual blindness. Another name for this is Colonialism, which taught us to see people of non-western European origin as inferior. How might we begin to open our eyes and see all people as God's precious creation?
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How is God calling you to give of your first fruits -- your very best -- to those in need?
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Please take some time today -- Truth and Reconciliation Day -- for reflection and prayer!
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Have you ever considered what it would be like to be a residential school survivor? What would it be like not to be able to access your family history? Or how would you feel if you could not tell your story in your own way? Euro-Canadians have denigrated, distorted and often erased Indigenous stories, often seeing them as inferior forms of knowledge or representing an inferior educational methodology, and this in spite of the fact that our Lord was himself a Master storyteller who often told stories to teach a lesson.
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Jesus practised a ministry of massive inclusion; but there were some people he did exclude? Who were they and how are their stories a cautionary tale for the rest of us?
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Did you know that we have way more words for "exclusion" in the English language than words for "inclusion"? Sadly, the very language many of us speak and write betrays a cultural bias toward excluding people!
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One of the most courageous and fascinating women around Jesus is also one of the least known: Joanna. She has much to teach us about standing up for what is right and fighting systemic injustice. She also teaches us how to say that little word NO!
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When our promises do not match our actions!
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The New Testament scholar Elisabeth Moltmann-Wendel writes that "The women are the real transmitters of the tradition of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.” We can learn much from their example.
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While the early Church reverted back to the misogynism and patriarchal practices that were common before Jesus, our Lord's teachings continued to challenge those who would listen. May they continue to challenge us to be more inclusive and affirming of others today.
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It's not enough to say to those who are discriminated against that we welcome them. That assumes that we are in the superior position of host and that we are extending charity to others. Everyone is part of the family of God. Everyone has a place at Christ's table. Christ is our Host and he is the One who proclaims: All are welcome!
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Genesis 1 is not a catalogue of all creation but rather a testimony to God's power and love.
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Our knowledge of sexual orientation is a relatively recent discovery in human history. No one knew anything about a "heterosexual orientation" or a "homosexual orientation" or a "bi-sexual orientation" before the nineteenth century. But we did know Jesus' command to love one another as he has loved us.
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Jesus said as much about homosexuality as he did about wedding cakes -- absolutely nothing!
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This week we explore the very few Old Testament passages that touch on homosexuality to learn what they say -- or don't say -- about homosexuality.
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Jesus climbs Mount Tabor and is transfigured before his disciples Peter, James and John. He gives them a kind of memory card to hold on to when times are tough, which is what Dr. King did too when he told people how he had been to the mountaintop and then inspired us all to work for racial equality and justice. The real work starts when we climb down from the mountain.
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Jesus would never have engaged in the kind of extreme, right-wing polemic we have seen at the protests in Ottawa and across the country.
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Who was your mentor or coach? And who are you discipling or mentoring today? Resilience is something we attain by having good mentors -- and be being good mentors to others! Listen to the story of the Honourable Jean Augustine and learn more!
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Golfer Richard Bland played 477 tournaments on the European tour before his first breakthrough win last year at the age of 48. We can learn a lot about how to handle defeat and disappointment and how to build personal resilience from the world of sports and science as well as from our Lord Jesus.
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Jesus modeled a remarkably resilient life. How developing resilience can help you to face adversity.
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Jesus called people to open their eyes and look up and see what was right before them. Spiritual blindness was the sin that drew his greatest condemnation. The recent dramedy "Don't Look Up" reveals the dire consequences that follow when we don't.
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By heeding their stories we may just be able to end the pandemic for good!
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Is the pandemic an act of God? is it part of God's will? If not, is God simply allowing the pandemic to happen to teach us some valuable lessons? Is it all just a mystery that we need to accept? And how does this view of God square with the image of the loving, healing and compassionate God that Jesus reveals in the New Testament?
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We wrap up our story of Ebenezer Scrooge with a few important lessons that we can take into 2022. May the New Year bring you hope, peace, love, joy and good health!
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How Ebeneezer Scrooge can help you to plan for a happy, healthier Christmas and a New You!
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Let Dickens's Ebeneezer Scrooge suggest a cure!
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John the Baptist is the one who kicks off the Advent and Christmas seasons. He reminds us that we each must come to Christ on our own and that no one gets a special pass because of the faithfulness of their parents and grandparents. Plus everyone of us has a responsibility to give generously to those in need and to mentor those who are coming up behind us.
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The Season of Advent, the four weeks during which we prepare for the coming of the Christ Child, reminds us that time is precious and it is vital that we seize life fully NOW. "Tomorrow" is a dangerous word, not only with regard to the state of our planet, but it can also cause us to ignore important relationships or defer major decisions in our own individual lives.
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Spiritual reflection can be a great resource when dealing with the daily problems and challenges of life. Why not give it a try?
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We all need to reflect on our faith and, in fact, many of us do it far more often than we realise. Listen as I share some examples.
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The Book of Revelation Makes Me Nervous, Until I Remember that the Coded Language is Not to be a Blueprint for Our Own Time! It was meant to offer courage and hope to the saints of first-century Christianity who were plagued by persecution, doubt and faithlessness. It can bring us hope too!
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The best antidote for fear is to see how Mom and Dad -- or Grandma and Grandpa -- coped with hardship and suffering.
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How facing disappointment and loss through through the lens of gratitude can make all the difference to your happiness and well-being.
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This week we look at a number of very real health benefits that come to those who practise gratitude on a daily basis.
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How Marshall McLuhan's Thought Can Help Us to Celebrate Thanksgiving this Weekend AND The Apostle Paul helps us to re-frame our sufferings and develop a perspective of gratitude.
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Today we look at the Spirituality of Teilhard de Chardin, which provides “a consistent way of being a Christian today that satisfies the intellect as well as the spirit.”
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This week we observe how the disciples of Jesus did not always make good use of the strengths that were available to them and how we often neglect to use all our resources too. Psychologists tell us that there are essentially five reasons why we are often afraid to ask for help. But consider what can happen when we use ALL our resources and how our discipleship can grow and blossom!
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Please join me today as I consider how the scriptures help us to re-frame our worries so that they do not paralyze us, and learn how to live the life of joy that God in Jesus Christ wants us to live. Learn from the examples of Corrie and Betsie ten Boom, Viktor Frankl and even the world of advertising!
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Today, in light of the very difficult scripture where Jesus calls a desperate young Lebanese mother a dog, and because of her courageous response to Jesus, we are encouraged to consider beliefs and prejudices that we hold that need to be challenged and completely eradicated.
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As we "begin" to move past the pandemic, this episode marks the final in a series entitled Sense and Spirituality. I say a fond farewell and thank you for listening over the past year. I also invite you to consider how you can mark Canada Day this year in a way that is respectful of our Indigenous siblings and new Canadians. And finally, a word of thanks to Dave Buckley for his faithful, cheerful and caring service as our Interim Music Director during a difficult time. Dave will be leaving us at the end of August.
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Today we give thanks for the many ways Jen Prince has enriched our ministry at Siloam for the past several years and we wish her well on her continued journey. A true servant of God, she will be a blessing wherever she serves!
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Why is racism so hard to root out and what can we do about it? Please listen as we explore this challenging and crucial question together!
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The news out of Kamloops, B.C. on May 28th and , more recently, the tragic hate crime in London, Ontario, demand our prayerful response. But how do we begin to address such egregious wrongs? Today's message is just an attempt. Just a very small step. Just a start.
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The great African American poet, Maya Angelou, proclaims that the exquisiteness of love has the power to "set us free" and "to liberate us into life." Yet, while "love strikes away the chains of fear from our souls", it is not without pain. In Christ God too knew how costly and painful is "Love's Exquisite Freedom."
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At various points in our life God invites us to re-invent ourselves and re-purpose the gifts and talents God has given us. Today I pay tribute to a man who has done this all his life: Rev. Wib Dawson.
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Jesus was one of the most emotionally intelligent persons who ever lived. His example can help us to build greater emotional intelligence in our own lives, helping us to create happier lives and more stable communities where head and heart work together in harmony.
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If you are struggling in your family life this year as a result of COVID-19, or if you are facing other challenges that make this a very complicated holiday for you, know that there is help. Know also that even Jesus and his family faced challenges and that Mary too suffered profound hurt at the hands of her son.
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A recent viewing of the film "The Trial of the Chicago Seven" (initially the Chicago Eight) offers a farcical and frightening picture of American justice in the late 1960's, how far we have come, and how very far we still need to go!
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Having trouble believing? Don’t worry! Many great biblical characters and Christian leaders down through the ages have experienced severe doubt. Sometimes doubt can be a really good thing. Take a moment to listen to how doubt can be an important instrument in aiding faith.
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In his classic "Man's Search for Meaning", Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl recalled the story of a lonely, dying woman who found hope, peace and joy in the blossoms budding on a chestnut tree outside her window. As the tree gave her hope of new life, so also the tree on which Christ died brings us hope in our loneliness and pain. Happy Easter, friends!
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Yes, friends, if you want to follow Jesus, you need to know a little history! Or else you might get it all horribly wrong as did countless previous generations of Christians before us.
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Sex is one of God's most beautiful gifts, but tragedy happens when we abuse this sacred blessing.
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Too often John 14:6 has been far too narrowly interpreted, with the result that it has hurt many people in our world down through the ages, causing suffering and bloodshed. What would it mean for us to interpret this verse in light of The Beatitudes? What would it mean for us to really live "the way, the truth, and the life" of Jesus and to emulate his radical exclusivity and universal love?
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Studies show that it can be harmful to your health NOT to express feelings of anger and can even lead to a heart attack. Even Jesus expressed anger. Check out Jesus' Temple Tantrum in John 2:13-16 and consider what makes you angry. You can learn a lot about yourself by examining what causes you to get upset.
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You are not alone. The vast majority of people in the world crave "meaning", not "happiness". This is what Jesus promised his followers too: a life brimming with meaning. Want to build a life of meaning? Listen to today's podcast!
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Did you know that God's Spirit is all around you and even within you? God is in the rocks and trees and lakes, in the snow covered fields, and in the creatures that make their homes in the woods. This Lent look for God in the places of beauty all around you and give thanks.
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How do you discern the voices that have your best interests at heart from those who may simply want to take advantage of you?
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In his beautiful poem, the late Irish poet, philosopher, priest and Celtic teacher John O’Donohue invites us to waste no more time on being afraid, but instead to courageously claim the life we were meant to live. How can you begin to live with courage and grace, claiming the life that God calls you to live, a life characterized not by sin or fallenness but rather by God’s glory, light and love?
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This week marks the beginning of the Celtic Season of Awakening. Beneath the frozen earth that is covered in thick blankets of snow, new life is germinating. Are there places in your own life that seem frozen or even dead? How can you begin to reframe them so that you sense and see God's Spirit active beneath the soil of your life? Can you begin to see winter darkness and gestation as the place where new dreams are fed and nurtured and new life is longing to awaken and be born?
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Do You Have a Soul-Friend, someone with whom you can share the secrets and struggles of your heart? The idea of a "soul-friend" or "anam cara" is one of the great legacies of the Celtic saint, St. Brigid, who also lived a life of prodigal generosity.
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The ancient Celts thought of the "thin places" as a kind of threshold between one space and another or between one time in your life and another. It could be a time when an important chapter in your life is just beginning or when a significant relationship has just come to an end. It is a kind of "boundary" place where you may feel as though you are living on the edge. Either way something new is begging to be born in your life.
What are the thresholds in your life that you need to tend to in your life right now, that you absolutely cannot put off for another day? Where are you being called to give birth to something new?
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Have you ever heard someone talk about a “thin place”? Thin places are generally thought of as places where there is very little space between them and the sacred. For some they are great spiritual monuments. For others, they are natural places of breathtaking beauty. For many, they are as close as one's own backyard or the interior of one's own heart. Think of them as a doorway to the sacred where the membrane that exists between earth and eternity is incredibly thin.
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Lessons learned from Christmas, including: You Cannot Make Other People Happy!
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Do you find yourself on the hedonic treadmill? What can you do to minimize its negative effects and build resiliency and joy for the coming New Year -- and some insightful words from a wise old master that may help you to keep the magic and love of Christmas alive all year long!
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Dr. Brené Brown talks a lot about the power of vulnerability. She says many people make the mistake of seeing flaws and mistakes as enemies. But what if our faults and limitations could actually be opportunities for spiritual growth? What if we viewed vulnerability as the way love is born? This is how God's love came to us in the vulnerable little babe born in the Bethlehem manger. What if, instead of aiming for a "perfect" Christmas, we were to aim for a "good enough" Christmas? Let's stop being so hard on ourselves and open ourselves up to a Christmas that is simple, authentic and beautiful?
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Is it time to give up antiquated images of God? How can being open to the new expand your understanding of God and help you to cope with the more difficult challenges of waiting? What is this period of Advent waiting asking of you?
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How you walk toward something often determines how you see things. Perhaps our soul task for Advent this year is to approach life watchfully, carefully and with the alertness of a deer, open to the moving of God's Spirit among us.
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Often we think of waiting as something painful and unpleasant. But perhaps we can learn to think of waiting in a more positive light and as something which builds spiritual resiliency and muscle!
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Are you getting tired and frustrated with all the restrictions that COVID-19 has imposed on the way you live your life? What if you were to look at restrictions as opportunities to birth something new and beautiful in the holiday season?
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Have you ever had an experience where you did a great job and someone came up to you and congratulated you, saying, "You are a real credit to your race?" Or have you ever been followed around a store or harassed when you were shopping? Have you ever been stopped by a police officer for just walking down the street or driving your car at a normal speed? If not, then like me, you have white privilege!
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This week Sheila addresses one of the important questions raised by the survey: Is there a place for LGBTQ+ people in the United Church of Canada?
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We began this series by saying that there has to be something more to life than frantic busyness and so much striving. Today we wrap up our brief series on Jesus, reflecting on what we have learned, and how Jesus is the answer to our deepest longings.
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Jesus was the best thing that ever happened to women! Men in first-century Palestine used to begin their daily prayers with the words, "Praise be to you O God that you did not create me a woman!" Jesus treated women with respect and dignity. You could say that he broke the mold in the way he treated women, and thank God he did!
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Jesus not only challenged the political and religious leaders of his day. He practised the politics of love and compassion!
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Have you ever been touched by the Spirit or felt, in some mysterious but profound way, that the Spirit was moving you to follow a certain path? Not everyone recognises the movement of the Spirit; but Jesus did. As Marcus Borg, writes one of the most important characteristics about the earthly Jesus was his intense spirituality and his deep mystical connection with God. This week we look at Jesus, Spirit-Person and Mystic.
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Biblical scholars of all stripes agree that Jesus had developed a reputation as a great healer. He didn't just make people feel better about themselves. If that were the only thing he did, he would have gone down in history only as a footnote. In Jesus we see the power of God's healing Spirit at work in the world in first-century Palestine. In Jesus we also see the power of God's Spirit working in lives today.
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Do you believe in miracles? If not, I would like to invite you to think about miracles in a way that you may not have considered before. Miracles do not necessarily involve a suspension of the laws of nature. In fact, most often God works through nature and through ordinary people like you and me!
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The Bible tells us that Jesus taught as one who has authority. What this means is not that he was a graduate of the Faculty of Education, but rather that he taught as one who was caught up in the experience of God's Spirit, conveying the fullness of God's character. He taught his followers a new and different way of seeing the world. Today he invites us also into a new vision of life, one that is centered in the love, grace and mercy of God.
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No matter how dark and stormy the night may be, in Jesus God promises to love us and be with us always.
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Ever wonder if there is something more to life? Please join me as we explore this important topic.
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