Christmas rituals have evolved over the centuries, interacting with local cultures and stories to produce distinctive traditions in different parts of the world.
Humans are relentless in their efforts to understand God. We can change the language (some say “God” is an over-used word), we can find new metaphors (poets are especially good at this),
It’s fair to say the world changed for most of us on September 11, 2001. So each year, as that date rolls around again, we are given an opportunity to remember and reflect and recommit ourselves to a world where the children of Abraham can live side by side in peace.
Many progressive Christian communities have stopped saying the traditional creeds together, because they no longer represent what the congregants believe to be true.
One common response to the question “What religion are you?” is to simply say: ”I don’t follow any religion. I’m a seeker.”
Healing prayers and rituals are among the oldest traditions of humankind. Even today, many congregations offer special healing services, often reclaiming the ancient
Saying grace before a meal offers us all a chance to pause for a moment of gratitude in our busy days. Grace can
In finding the version of the Lord’s Prayer that works for you or your church, there are many possibilities. You
Perhaps no prayer is more beloved of Christians everywhere than the Lord’s Prayer, sometimes called the Prayer of Jesus. While many of us still use the words as found in Matthew 6:9-13, it is an irresistible urge to recreate this most fundamental of prayers in modern language.
“In the beginning was the Word…” Words are both our means of communication and the source of most of our misunderstandings. Whether you are a rational scholar or a metaphorical poet, words are the common currency.
Compassion is the cornerstone of every faith tradition. The movement out of yourself, to the point of being concerned with the sufferings of
We celebrate the Fourth of July and we say God Bless America and we struggle to guide our nation to act responsibly towards
"Every religion gives its prescription for bringing sacred into daily life. The Native Americans have as one of their most noble ideals that
We take time each year to honor and appreciate the fathers in our lives. Just as we have expanded our metaphors for God
Midsummer... summer solstice... longest day of the year... our celebration of the earth, abundance and light at this time of year has ancient
"In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness." Gandhi
In this season of graduations, we celebrate the learning that continues on past school...
Once something we took for granted, created in our towns or schools or churches, community is becoming increasingly precious. Social media give us
If you ask your mother for one fried egg for breakfast and she gives you two fried eggs and you eat both of them, who is better at arithmetic, you or your mother?
“Diversity is inevitable. Pluralism is an achievement.” We sometimes use these words -- diversity and pluralism -- as if they meant the same thing.
How strange and wonderful is our home, our earth, with its swirling vaporous atmosphere, its flowing and frozen liquids, its trembling plants, its creeping, crawling, climbing creatures
There are places in the world that hold a special energy. You can feel it when you go there.
Some of the best advice I ever got from my spiritual director was to read Yogananda’s Autobiography of a Yogi. “This will change how you think about Jesus,” she said.
Poetry and religion seem to go together: two approaches to the challenge of trying to capture the ineffable in words.
We’ve heard the story of Holy Week so many times that we’ve come to think there couldn’t possibly be another way to tell it.
Whatever your own stance is on interpreting the Bible, there’s no denying its place as a foundational source of literary references in our culture.
“God is a verb” -- one of those phrases that occurs independently to different people and then keeps showing up.