They have no wine

This week I am doing part two of a series of talks on Human Reactions, grounded in the gospel of John. It’s the wedding in Cana this week. An amazing story really. Maria, of Catholic fame, admonishes her son with the words, “They have no wine.” As if that was his fault. Or maybe she [...]

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Physical actions

Wondering about Palm Sunday… Why did Jesus enter Jerusalem as a king, with all the symbolism, the trappings, the pomp of a king? He knew he was not going to be the new king. Reminds me of a story I once heard. This happens in a cowboy film, title unknown (if anyone knows which film [...]

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The rich man

I know that following rules alone is not it. That’s not why we are here, on earth. Rules or commandments are more like ropes that prevent us from falling off the bridge. But they are not the bridge. Jesus says that in the encounter with the rich young man, who followed all the rules, in [...]

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I am here

Slowly coming into that realization, that reality, that blinding light that is so hard to believe in. What is there to worry about, if I feel deeply that I am connected to God, and that God is deeply connected to me? I heard that quote on a radio interview with Drunvalo Melchizedek. But it is [...]

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Feeling better

A fountain of living water that rises up in us and that never runs out. The water of the spirit. “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). Heart, belly, guts. All are apparent synonyms in the old languages. It is all about feeling better. First I need to raise myself [...]

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Master Sha

A friend of mine put a 23 minute documentary on YouTube about Master Sha. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIbeE2Hp9c8 It’s a hoot to watch. It is also moving and bewildering. The guy heals the blind and the lame and does this with a child’s delight. I love it that he shouts at people during the healings. Boy, I would [...]

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Off the Hook

(Sermon “Off the Hook”, January 2012) Bible text: Numbers 15:27-29; Matthew 9:1-8 (Jesus forgives and heals a paralytic) I was in Denmark a little while ago and was planning to do the Holy Supper at the Sunday service. One person in the group there asked me the day before if I could talk about sin. [...]

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Bread

This is the reasoning. A ritual is a representative action. Representative means that it looks like one thing but is actually another. A representative of a company represents the company. An ambassador represents a country. The person is not equal to the thing he or she represents. There may be a chaining of representative levels. [...]

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Christmas on other planets

There is life on other planets. On all other planets. The teachings in the Writings of Swedenborg leave no doubt about this. This is how it started. This is the story of Swedenborg communicating with aliens. And this is also the story of how that communication affirmed the most basic belief of the New Church: [...]

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Eating the bread: part three

Part three: leading in worship. A series of postings on the challenge of preaching. Series based on the preaching metaphor: one beggar showing another beggar where to get some bread. I asked Roslyn Taylor about the exhaustion thing, see part two. Ros is a female minister from a church environment that only ordains men to [...]

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Eating the bread: part two

Part two: exhaustion. A series of postings on the challenge of preaching. In part one we looked at this preaching metaphor: one beggar showing another beggar where to get some bread. Here’s another side to this: a minister that attempts to provide the bread for a small or large group of people will feel exhausted [...]

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Eating the bread: part one

Part one: hunger. A series of postings on the challenge of preaching. Preaching metaphor: one beggar showing another beggar where to get some bread. That’s a funny image. Not the dispenser of bread for the hungry, but just another beggar who happens to have found some bread him or herself and now tells others about [...]

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Forgiveness of sins

When I went to the Lutheran Swedish church the other day the priest, in his priestly function, gave a blessing in which he said: “Your sins are forgiven.” Very simple, no further emphasis added, no explanations needed. My reaction went something like this: oh yeah, that’s good, that is very nice. I feel good about [...]

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Boundaries: part five – Day of crossing

Part one. – overview Part two. – freedom and regeneration Part three. – young people Part four. – format young people The boundary theme for adults, focusing on regeneration, the necessary crossing of boundaries that must take place. Adults have gained experience. Lots of good and lots of less good experience. They have established personal [...]

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Boundaries: part four – day of freedom

Part one. Part two. Part three. The freedom theme, for young people. Group questions and format guidelines. What boundaries do you find people crossing with you, in your experience? What boundaries do you have? What do you do when someone, a friend, a parent, crosses a boundary with you? And how does this make you [...]

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Boundaries: part three – Eagles and turtles

Part one is here. Part two is here. The freedom theme, for young people. I listened to a webcast about vision quests, modern culture and ancient traditions, by a Native American speaker called Sequoia Trueblood. He said, about children growing up, that parents are always already planning for their children to be eagles, when they [...]

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Boundaries: part two – A two part theme

Part one is here. So there’s a theme in this. Something that can be applied for both adults and young people, with a different emphasis. Main theological teaching that lies underneath “boundaries”: freedom. We are created free. We have choice. We are unique individuals. Our relationship with the Divine depends on this. Our freedom is [...]

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Boundaries: part one – To cross or not

In counseling classes I learned about boundaries. People cross each other’s boundaries, unwittingly.This causes subtle hurt and feelings of unsafety. There’s a talk in this subject somewhere. In the Bible are stories of boundaries that get crossed and some that don’t get crossed. Off-hand, boundaries that do not get crossed: – Adam and Eve cannot [...]

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No quick way

I want to be a heavenly person, moved by a love for the whole of humanity, powered by infinite source energy, steady, constant, infallible, forever. Inspired by infinite intelligence. And I want this instantly, tomorrow. No, today. Right. Regeneration, as the process of spiritual growth, rebirth, enlightenment, is described in the teachings of Swedenborg as [...]

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Ask the silence

At one public speaking event Eckhart Tolle was asked a question about abortion. I listened to this recording years ago and it still surfaces in my mind. It is saying to me, Yes, this is what I need to do. The question was addressed to Eckhart as a now-famous spiritual teacher, one who has wisdom [...]

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