King David. Prince Jonathan. Bathsheba. LGBTQ biblical personalities. Song of the Bow. David's funeral lament over Jonathan and Saul. Pride. Happy Pride Month. Journalist: Straight Jacob "Take" Zapper. Episode Art: Gottfried Bernard Goez, "Jonathan Greeting David after David Killed Goliath"
Going and Not Knowing. Abram/Abraham. Sarai/Sarah. The lure of God. Divine GPS: God, Pragmatics, Self. Rosalia de Castro. Martin Luther King Jr. Episode Art: Rosalía de Castro, Urban Art, Metropolitano Gallery
What have you wanted so badly, however out of reach it seemed, so badly you could taste it? Reaching forward toward, straining for, what really matters and leaving behind anything else, what the Apostle Paul called skubala (dung). Jack London. The powerful image one of the psalmists envisioned of a deer panting for water; that's how thirsty we are without God who alone can quench our spiritual thirst. The energy of that deer metaphor applies to other spiritual endeavors that get us to God, one of which is keeping spirituality community healthy. Episode Art: "Woman Runner Running, Jumping," Pablo Romero captures, though not the artist's intent, the energy of the Apostle Paul's image of straining forward with one's all toward life's ultimate goal.
Pride. Spirituality and Pride. The Bible properly interpreted in not an enemy of LGBTQIA+ folks. Loving oneself is a part of Pride; being able to love oneself fully is built on God's love for each of us.
No place for closed minds. Liberals by definition are always open to new ideas and new ways of doing things. Leonard Bernstein. Henry David Thoreau. Father Richard Rohr. Jesus was a liberal. Episode Art: Leonard Bernstein photo and quote.
Spiritual freedom. Galatians 5:1. For freedom the Jesus who overcame death sets us free; therefore, do not submit to the yoke of any slavery. Beware spiritual slaveries. Peter Santos. Institutional anxiety when confronted by free spirits. Churches that must control people with their rules versus free spiritual communities. Episode Art: Artist and title unknown, discovered at Sentinel Digital Desk.
Be rid of boredom. How to show your enthusiasm as a community naturally. How to be engaged in repetitive activities without getting bored. "The Little Prince": the fox's confession, "I am a little bored." Ecclesiastes 1: All is vanity, and all is a repeat of something that has happened before: BOR-ing! Episode Art: Still from the 2016 animated film version of the "The Little Prince"
What keeps us excited as a spirituality community, and what causes others not presently a part of our community to become enthralled with us and what we're about? If we are not enthralled with what we're about, no one else will be. Patanjali. Benjamin Franklin. Natural versus artificial enthrallment. Episode Art: Patanjali statue
"When mothers weep out of concern for their children and the children of the world, their tears are prayers" David Albert Farmer. Hebrew Matriarch Rachel. Rachel's uncontrollable weeping for her children who are "no more." Jeremiah 31:15. Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester. Mothers and Fathers being reunited with their children at the US borders after their children were detained--many kept in cages. Episode Art: “Rachel weeping at Ramah,” contemporary byzantine-style icon, eggtempera on canvas, Angelica/Byzantine
There are times in life when we must pull away from all and spin ourselves a cocoon. Inside our cocoons we heal and experience transformation from the pain of grief, the upheavals of relationship loss, and the assaults to self-esteem. Without cocoons there wouldn't be butterflies. When we re-emerge from a cocoon we are ready to for the next unhindered flights of life. Kelseyleigh Reber. Episode Art: "Cocoon" by Awnen from deviantart dot com
What should we finish in life, and what can we leave undone? How can we know the difference? Some attempts need to be halted; others need to be completed regardless of the demands placed on us to do so. Maya Angelou. Amelia Earhart. Chi-Ning Chu. Louis Pasteur. (Episode Art: Quote by Amelia Earhart)
Jesus' plowing metaphor isn't just about spirituality; it can apply to all of life. Plowing is a metaphor for readying all of life's gardens in preparation for bountiful harvests. And it is required that plowing be done again and again, throughout one's life, ahead of every upcoming growing season. Life lessons on getting life's grounds ready for the planting of healthy seeds. Episode Art: Maya Angelou quote.
Jesus' plowing metaphor; he said that anyone who puts a hand to the plow and looks back isn't suited for the empire of God. Plowing is an activity of intensity that requires utter focus. Many people who rush to become followers of Jesus in a stir of what they take to inspiration have given no thought whatsoever to the demands being a follower of Jesus places on anyone who joins in. Excuses and false piety and tale tell signs of those who will fail at it. There are plenty of people, however, who don't fail, who put their hands to the plow and never look back; who become followers of Jesus and regardless of the costs and consequences never fail to keep moving forward in living as best they can the way he lived. Episode Art: photo--plowing as Jesus would have plowed.
Where justice prevails, there is no violence. Police brutality. White violence especially police violence against Black citizens. Violence against Asians and Asian Americans. Police teen killers. Police baby killers. The good police persons MUST speak out against the violent and racist police people. It is possible to invest heavily in this madness and still retain your sanity. DE Congressperson Lisa Blunt Rochester. Ms. June Eisley. Attorney General Merrick Garland. Rev Bernice King. Rep Ted Lieu. Federal Judge Walter King Stapleton.
Earth Care. Earth Justice. Global warming. Spirituality communities MUST take the lead in ecological practices. Psalm 24: "The land is the Lord's and all its fullness, the biosphere and all who dwell therein." "Modern technology owes ecology an apology." Havelock Ellis. Marya Mannes. George Carlin. Art Buchwald. Hazrat Inayat Khan.
Unpredictability is part of life. Some surprises are wonderful; others are devastating. Not thinking about the devastating variety for now, anticipating unpredictability in other areas of our lives, and this applies to healthy organizations as well, is the mature approach to living. In ways it can be a gift. Avoid the dreaded routine/rut/rigor-mortis syndrome! (Episode art: "Under The Great Wave off Kanagawa," Hokusai Katsushika, public domain)
Beauty is all around us. We see it. We hear it. We feel it. We stand in awe of natural beauty and those who can create beauty. We can create objects and experiences of beauty too. Helen Keller. Kahlil Gibran. Melissa Heieie--organ. Evan Roberts--trumpets. (Episode Art: "The Color of Joy," Michael Durst)
Maundy Thursday calls followers of Jesus and others interested in details about his life and death to recall the events the night before the Romans (not the Jews) executed him. "Maundy" is from a Latin word for command referring to Jesus' conversation with his closest followers that night during which he said, "I am giving you a new commandment: that you love others the way I have loved you." Evil is a reality in the world, and even when defeated it will show up again. Those who fight it commit themselves to a lifetime of such battles. (Episode Art: Artist and title unknown)