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Things That Matter: Confronting White Christian Nationalism

Dr. Sharon Jacob will facilitate a conversation on White Christian Nationalism with scholars Dr. Greg Carey and Dr. Traci West

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Learning Kindness

With a hand jive.

Dear reader, let me ask you, where are you on a scale of one to five in accepting other people’s love?

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Do we have to return evil for evil?

Jesus was, however, not the first person to challenge the lex talionis (law of retaliation) – the belief that if you are harmed it is OK to follow your gut and harm the person who harmed you.

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Fifty Years Later – Part 5

What is God Like?

Almost 50 years ago I wrote a book entitled What to Believe?, subtitled The Questions of Christian Faith. Fortress Press had been looking for such a book, and so published it in 1974. Fifty years later, I thought it might be interesting to see how my thinking today has changed. Hence the title.

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Book Review: The New Matrix: How the World We Live In Impacts Our Thinking About Self and God

In The New Matrix, he describes the modern world just like it is, and then he reflects on how a religion that is 2,000 years old fits into the matrix of the twenty-first century.

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#Moonshine Jesus Show – August 8, 2022

Join Mark and Caleb as they enjoy a themed drink (or two) and bring their high-octane progressive Christian perspectives as they look at the fun ‘80s time-traveling, feminist, adventure show “Paper Girls!”

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Things That Matter: Part 3 – The Spirituality of Reproductive Freedom

Recorded live on Wednesday, August 10, 2022, at 2:00 EST, we concluded our 3-Part Series of “The Spirituality of Reproductive Freedom.” 

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Do I Stay a Christian?

A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned

Do I Stay Christian? addresses in public the powerful question that surprising numbers of people—including pastors, priests, and other religious leaders—are asking in private.

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The Cloud of Unknowing, Distilled

God is not an idea to be grasped but a presence to be enjoyed. This is the central message of the 14th-century mystical text The Cloud of Unknowing, which many readers today find less-than-accessible due to the medieval milieu in which it was written.

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The Rat Reverend Clancy & the Seven Sacraments

Baptizing buzzards! Preaching to pigeons! Clancy is a rat on a mission from God… to bring the Gospel to the various non-human animals that roam the churchyard of St. Aloysius

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Toxic Jesus

A Journey from Holy Shit to Spiritual Healing

Uncover the dark power of toxic spirituality and its lingering influence on your life… and learn how to access a new intimacy with yourself and a renewed, free, and life-sustaining spirituality.

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The Etiology of Religious Belief

My favorite story about belief comes from Russia. It takes place in the tenth century. It’s about how Russians adopted the Orthodox faith. It is particularly relevant at this time because it helps to explain the current disaster of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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What to Do about Church?

I recently queried readers of my Doubter’s Parish website concerning their relationship with institutional religion. I specifically asked if they were (1) staying in church, (2) leaving, or (3) undecided.

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#Moonshine Jesus Show – August 1, 2022

Now that the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series is finished (is it?), join Mark and Caleb as they revisit the show and enjoy a themed drink (or two) while sharing their high-octane progressive Christian perspectives on the show.

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The Dying Church

Socially Liberal-Theologically Conservative

In a recent article, Gretta Vosper, of the United Church of Canada, was asked, How can you be an atheist and still be a member of the UCC?. In answering that question, she described how that church has become liberal on social issues, but also remained very conservative theologically.

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Irish Goodbye?

Rev. Dawn's Retirement: Goodbye Sermon

But as I leave you, I want you to know that you have taught me well, you’ve LOVED off some of my rough edges, and even though I may be worn, I am also excited and hopeful.

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A blessing for a pastor’s heart

But not in that passive-aggressive "well, bless their heart" kind of way.

We had our Synod Assembly yearly meeting with the bishop of all clergy and lay leaders and I am aware of how exhausted the clergy are right now. (And I am sure… all other helping professions.) So here is a blessing for my colleagues.

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Amending the Christian Story

he Natural Sciences as a Window into Grounded Faith and Sustainable Living

Why has Christianity been around for a mere 2,000 years when Earth life has abounded for 3.8 billion years and even humans for nearly 300,000 years? What was God doing all this time? And what if humans are not the center of God’s universe?

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Love Your Enemies Within

Let us celebrate this wondrous thing called love.  The kind of love Jesus was talking about in his Sermon on the Mount was agape – unconditional love. 

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The Cross in the Midst of Creation

Following Jesus, Engaging the Powers, Transforming the World

The Cross in the Midst of Creation: Following Jesus, Engaging the Powers, Transforming the World links Christian understandings of creation, atonement, and the biblical principalities and powers.

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#Moonshine Jesus Show – July 11, 2022

Join Mark and Caleb as they enjoy a themed drink (or two) and bring their high-octane progressive Christian perspectives as they look at the recently wrapped season 4 of “Stranger Things.”

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What to Believe?: The Questions of Christian Faith

This book seeks  primarily  to  deal  with  the  questions  which any thinking person  must  raise  about  Christian  faith.

The faith of Christians,  all too often, is approached  on the basis of “Here it is, take it or leave it.” Frequently, it seems that the mind of the church has been eternally established,  that Chris­tians have all the answers and thus need face no more questions.

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Fifty Years Later – Part 4

How does God Make Himself Known?

Speaking of God as a “he” is pretty much in your face, but there are other distinctions to be made between the past and the present when speaking of how God makes God known.

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The New Matrix – Digital

How the World We Live In Impacts Our Thinking About Self and God

The word matrix can bring to mind science fiction images of living in a web of illusion, but my intent here is quite the opposite, not fiction, but reality.

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The New Matrix

How the World We Live In Impacts Our Thinking About Self and God

The word matrix can bring to mind science fiction images of living in a web of illusion, but my intent here is quite the opposite, not fiction, but reality.

read more

A Joyful Path Children’s Curriculum, Year Three – Book Version

For Classroom and/or Home Schooling

This is the third and final year of A Joyful Path Children’s Curriculum. Year 3 is designed for ages nine through twelve. The Year 3 theme is All Life is Sacred. 

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A Joyful Path Children’s Curriculum, Year Three – Book + DVD

For Classroom and/or Home Schooling

This is the third and final year of A Joyful Path Children’s Curriculum. Year 3 is designed for ages nine through twelve. The Year 3 theme is All Life is Sacred. 

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A Joyful Path Children’s Curriculum, Year Two – Book + DVD

For Classroom and/or Home Schooling

In A Joyful Path, Year Two, we focused on some of the main tenets of Progressive Christianity and Spirituality, giving our children the foundation they need to understand the basics of this path, to clarify their own personal beliefs and be able to discuss those with others, while at the same time showing what it means to walk the path of Jesus in today’s world.

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A Joyful Path Children’s Curriculum, Year Three – Book + PDF

For Classroom and/or Home Schooling

This is the third and final year of A Joyful Path Children’s Curriculum. Year 3 is designed for ages nine through twelve. The Year 3 theme is All Life is Sacred. 

read more

A Joyful Path Children’s Curriculum, Year Two – Book + PDF

For Classroom and/or Home Schooling

Year Two focuses on some of the main tenets of Progressive Christianity and Spirituality, giving our children the foundation they need to understand the basics of this path, to clarify their own personal beliefs and be able to discuss those with others, while at the same time showing what it means to walk the path of Jesus in today’s world.

read more

A Joyful Path Children’s Curriculum, Year Three – PDF Version

For Classroom and/or Home Schooling

Spiritual Curriculum for Young Hearts and Minds

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A Joyful Path, Year Three – Week 1: Thanksgiving Address — Story: Wambleeska And His Gratitude

For Classroom or Home School

I give my thanks to Creation and Creation showers me with goodness.

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A Joyful Path, Children’s Curriculum Year Two – DVD Version

Are you searching for a way to connect children with an authentic spiritual experience that is inter-spiritual, creative and multi-layered?  “A Joyful Path” is truly progressive Christian curriculum that is inclusive, joy-full, compassionate, and intelligent.

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A Joyful Path Children’s Curriculum, Year Three – DVD Version

For Classroom and/or Home Schooling

Spiritual Curriculum for Young Hearts and Minds

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A Joyful Path, Year Three – Week 2: Autumn Nature Crafting And Ritual Preparation

For Classroom or Home School

Nature Craft and Ritual Preparation 1: Autumnal Equinox

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A Joyful Path, Year Three – Week 3: Autumn Ritual Celebration

For Classroom or Home School

Giving Thanks for What Is and What Has Been; Celebrating Earth (land, trees, plants) and Autumn’s Abundance; Welcoming the Coming Darkness.

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