14 brave souls gather to grieve a band of brothers daring to admit and touch the essential pain we each carry wounded warriors coming to council to lick our wounds in the private lair of men we smudge each other with sage to purify and set our resolve followed by a whiffing of sweet grass to invite in some softness – the gentleness needed we may be destroyed but we don’t have to destroy. our stories shared, we hold… Read more
May 5, 2017
The Eyes Persist – a spoken word poetry sermon.
May 5, 2017 By Roger Wolsey
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Tidal tsunami of torrid twitted tirades Blitzkrieg of belligerent bombastic blow-harded baffoonery Putrid plethora of pompous political pronouncements and pathetic public policy puke! Like a river of wasps my eyes sting when I see hundreds of families being ripped apart by forced deportations My pupils fix when they witness the Apprentice president bullying sanctuary cities into getting with the “ICE” cold program My eyes dilate when they see funding to vital social programs held hostage to repealing Obamacare My eyes… Read more
February 13, 2017
O We of Little Faith.
February 13, 2017 By Roger Wolsey
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Christians in America are no longer people of faith, we’re people of fear. Instead of truly putting our trust, faith, and reliance upon the Way, teachings, and example of Jesus, we put our actual faith in guns, our obscenely over-funded military, and in strong-man & authoritarian leaders. …You’re saying, that doesn’t apply to me! Okay, I’ll switch pronouns… Not only are they not Christians, they aren’t Americans. They wish we still lived under the rule of a sovereign king. They’re… Read more
February 6, 2017
Not Nero, not Caligula – Commodus.
February 6, 2017 By Roger Wolsey
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Over the past few weeks several people have posited notions that the individual currently serving as President of the United States is similar to one of two ancient Roman emperors – Nero or Caligula. While there is some merit to these notions, I think there is a closer match who is far more compelling as being analogous – Emperor Commodus (ruled from 177-197 A.D.). **Be sure to click on the hyperlinks embedded in this piece to see correlations to current… Read more
January 27, 2017
Making Friends with Silence.
January 27, 2017 By Roger Wolsey
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Most of my attempts to connect and relate to God – involve silence. And most frequently, not much more than that. I sometimes wonder if there’s really much difference between seeking to connect to God – and not seeking to. Similar experience and results. That said, while similar, they’re not exactly the same. They’re very close, almost too close. So close that atheists (and agnostics, and struggling believers like myself) don’t tend to see meaningful difference. But, at times, I… Read more
October 17, 2016
Grounded in Earth-Breath.
October 17, 2016 By Roger Wolsey
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While things political are currently out of whack and in a state of alarm and distressing tantrum, we live in a beautiful, beautiful world. I’m on a 4 1/2 hour drive and the rugged autumnal scenery is reminding me that the personal and social storms of our lives are transitory and so very fleeting. No matter what happens with our elections, no matter how things play out at work, no matter the state of our love lives, and regardless… Read more
August 9, 2016
Got Hope?
August 9, 2016 By Roger Wolsey
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Hope Givers by Daisy Rain Martin is not a book you should read – unless you’re a human being seeking to find meaning in life – unless you’re seeking to scrap together some sense of a healthy perspective on the many travails and ups and downs of life – unless you follow Jesus in some rather unorthodox, non-conventional, humble, really down-to-earth, and utterly outrageous ways – unless you’re the sort of person who finds that reading anecdotes and slices of… Read more
April 26, 2016
The Golden Rule is Bad for Business?
April 26, 2016 By Roger Wolsey
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Most all of the world religions share a common teaching to not harm others – “the Silver Rule.” “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow: this is the whole Torah; the rest is the explanation; go and learn.” – Rabbi Hillel That’s one of the many teachings among the world religions that state this in “the negative.” Two religions, Christianity and Jainism, state it in the positive teaching to pro-actively do good to others. As Jesus… Read more
April 25, 2016
Eutychus – the first young victim of organized religion.
April 25, 2016 By Roger Wolsey
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When asked “who is your favorite person in the Bible?” I don’t say Moses – even though at times I’ve felt adrift in life and like I’m floating down a river into the unknown I don’t say Peter – even though I relate to his epic adventures in missing the point I don’t say Paul – even though I relate to his ego, and the unnamed thorn in his side I don’t say Mary – even though my heart sings… Read more
March 11, 2016
We’re not “Just Passing Through.”
March 11, 2016 By Roger Wolsey
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I recently overheard the following observation about various students at a certain liberal arts college: “What white feminists say: “I am a spiritual entity first and a human body second.” (privilege) What women of color experience: “I cannot identify as a spiritual being first, no matter how badly I want to, because society puts limits on my identity based on my skin color and ethnicity.” (oppression) I’ve seen these very insights named and called out several times over the years… Read more
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