How do you know when you’ve “arrived?” What I’m asking is, How do you know when you’ve accomplished what you set out to accomplish, or that you have the life you want? With some things, like taking a plane from one city to another, you know exactly when you’ve arrived. The aircraft stops, you get off the plane and you go about your business. But life is not always that cut and dry. I suggest to you that too often... Read more
One of the best-loved fairy tales, and the first feature-length film Walt Disney ever did, was Snow White. It’s a typical tale of a girl who finds her Prince Charming, but as with all good fairy tales that have stood the test of time, there are truths embedded in the story. Snow White has an “evil stepmother” who queen of the realm and obsessed with being the fairest in the land. It’s a mirror that keeps her informed of her... Read more
Recently, I was walking down a city street when I saw a 60-something woman outside a coffee shop with her two grandchildren. The children were under age five, and chatting away with each other. What struck me about this little tableau was how 2014 it was. The grandmother was checking her smartphone. How times have changed. From age six to sixty and beyond, everyone seems to have embraced technology, and with it arrives yet another layer of disconnection from the... Read more
Are you thinking about the death of Robin Williams today? With all the news channels reporting it, Twitter feeds going wild and the many photos on Facebook it’s pretty hard not to think about it. I’m publishing this week’s message early, unedited, unproofed and in completely raw form. Why? Because that’s what many of us are feeling right now: raw emotions. We’re feeling sadness at how much we’ll miss his humor and crazy antics. We’re experiencing rage or anger that... Read more
HOT FOR GOD By Nirvana Reginald Gayle We’re in the month of August, the hottest month of the year in the northern hemisphere. So I wanted a theme for my sermons of the month, that dealt with the heat, something hot. So I came up with the theme of “Hot for God.” I almost made it “The Hot’s for God,” but decided that might be a bit to risqué for some folks taste. Hot for God is not unfounded. Christian... Read more
Do you sometimes feel like no one is listening to you? And, if you find someone who will, do you then wonder if you are being understood? If so, I hope it’s not an experience you have often. Speaking from experience I know it can be a very lonely feeling. No matter how much faith we have in a God above or within, no matter how much trust we give scientific principles, or how many friends we have to support... Read more
Do you remember what it was like being a teenager? Boys and girls going through the cycle of adolescence find themselves with a paradox. Their bodies and minds are developing a sense of separation and independence from their parents. At the same time, middle school and high school are places where fitting in, not sticking out, is preferred by most. How can they establish an individual identity where social groups can mean popularity and acceptance? How can they be perceived... Read more
Yes indeed, we are living in extraordinary times. In spite of the negativity, wars & rumors of wars, religious infighting, the decline of the church, and the proliferation of violence, mall killings, mass murders, and ethnic crimes, ecological challenges. There is actually, an unmistakable trend towards a world of greater peace, harmony, tolerance and compassion. There’s the old adage that it’s always it’s darkest just before the storm. Or the truth that there is a great deal of pain that... Read more
For centuries around the world and in every religion there are storytellers. The Jewish faith relies on its Hasidic stories, the Christians on the stories of Bible, and then there are the Sufi stories told by Nasreddin. One could almost argue that religion requires the storyteller. It is through the lens of the story that we can see ourselves, laugh at our human foibles and gently correct our actions. Storytelling is a gift. A good storyteller weaves a tale with... Read more
Have you ever felt out-of-place in social situations? I have. A friend once said she often felt “like a house dress in an evening gown world.” Talk about feeling out of place! Imagine showing up for a party in very casual, knock-around-the-house clothes, only to discover it was a black-tie affair. NOT pretty! First let me make something perfectly clear here about the title of this article. I’m not giving preference to Raggedy Ann or to Barbie. Most of us... Read more
The Principles of Spiritual Living
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In