From the first prayers And dreams of my journey, A silent voice Has stood sentinel Within my soul.

I grew up loving this country.  It is not because of our vibrant economy or large and powerful military.  It also is not because of our spacious skies, amber waves of grain, majestic mountains, or fruited plains. I have had love and pride in this country for its values. What are these American values? They are values of our Declaration of Independence with the assertion that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

As Christmas comes, tradition reminds us of the cycles of seasons and history and the timeless nature of some stories. Advent is the perfect time to reflect on our 2020 podcast discussion with John Dominic Crossan about his book with the late Marcus Borg, “The First Christmas.” 

Ready to leave toxic religion behind but scared of where the journey will take you?  Find reassurance and direction from someone who walked the same path and shares how to break free from indoctrination without losing yourself.

There is a grief ritual that I can heartily recommend at this time of profound distress and dread and even doom. But also potential grace. 

Not only do I think that much can and has been learned about God by physics, but I would suggest the provocative idea to many that more can be learned about God from physics and other scientific disciplines than from scripture!

Anyone who has even a small measure of gratitude for the extraordinary gift of life, and awe for the magnificent beauty, complexity and wonder of our cosmos, cannot help but sense an overwhelming feeling of spirituality and the presence of a Creative Force beyond human comprehension. A Force of Love, in my mind.

You have probably given some thought about what it means to be a Christian, and the concept of conscious evolution probably never occurred to you.  Allow me to explain, and in explaining you might be surprised that I am going to first talk briefly about geology.

In Roger's book Discovering Fire, he doesn't advocate for thoughtless religious syncretism, but he does recognize that our lived experiences often transcend the neat boxes of religious or spiritual categories.

When I was young, had anyone suggested that I spend most of my life being “a minister,” I’d have smirked, thought about it, and then laughed right out loud.

Drinking Pure Light is an invitation to love and be loved more deeply. The inspirational poems are a waterfall of grace, a cascade of revelation, a ray of intimacy breaking through the cloud of fatigue with the good news: you are not alone.

Decades ago, I wrote a blessing prayer for this season that began with a reference to nothing but a flicker of hope in “the fading glory of these autumn days, when night creeps early on to darkness; and leaves us, bound in shadows, longing for the light.” And yet, it remains that flicker of hope that I want to write about.

    It has been so hard to watch the events unfolding in Gaza and not fall into the ease of a hardline

You get no racism, no sexism, no homophobia, no classism…no negative stuff at all from Progressive Christians. You get positive people doing positive things.

I’m currently sitting in the 10+-year-old chair, listening to the sounds of rain on the top of the tent, and writing the words that will turn into this very article you are currently reading. It is my tradition to spend the evening and the day of Yom Kippur in a tent.

This book will help you examine your beliefs--where they came from, whether they are still applicable today, how they have changed over the years--and decide what new directions you might want to pursue.

Moss takes the words from our ancient Scriptures and prophetically applies them to our most urgent moral battles and choices; in ways that makes the Bible come alive again.

We are living in a world divided. Race and ethnicity, caste and color, gender and sexuality, class and education, religion and political party have all become demographic labels that reduce our differences to simplistic categories in which “we” are vehemently against “them.”

“God does not exist,” says James Finley, the renowned Catholic mystic who has dedicated most of his existence to studying, writing and talking about God. Wait…what? Oh, there’s more.

I want to share some reflections on process thought, known as process theology when applied to God and religion.

I am writing this because I have an uncommon employment history that has provided me with a very unique skill-set and perspective when it comes to making difficult and challenging hospital, hospice or nursing facility visits.

Stories of clergy losing faith don’t just exist in the realm of fiction. They also exist in real life. I know because I talk to such clergy all the time. Many have retired. Some have found new careers. Others remain in ministry, struggling to navigate strained faith with Christian vocation.

May blessings abound for you where they are not expected.

What does a Modern Christianity look like to you? Will you help build it?

This illustrated children’s book is for all those who love creatures that glow, with multiple ones encountered along the journey. Inclusive for both religious and nonreligious audiences, readers will be reinspired to let your light shine!

Climate change is likely the most pressing issue of our time and religion is not silent on the issue! Join scholars Matthew Fox and Thomas G. Hermans-Webster for this month's "Things that Matter" discussion on eco-spirituality

Since the birth of self-consciousness (some 250,000 years ago), human beings have been part of an ongoing process of imagining and creating new conceptions of God.  In a very real sense, it is natural to our human situation. 

Do you long for a healthy and abundant spiritual life, yet feel disillusioned by how Christianity has become about politics, money, and control?

In A Joyful Path, Year Two, we focus on some of the main tenets of Progressive Christianity and Spirituality, giving our children the foundation they need to walk the path of Jesus in today's world. It has stories and affirmations written to help children clarify their own personal beliefs while staying open to the wisdom of other traditions.

Maybe everything hurts, Our hearts shadowed & strange. But only when everything hurts May everything change.