Progressive Faith and Practice

https://youtu.be/T5J61MXuVvs?si=qzhlC5hXXvkYntbn
When we watch a movie like Star Wars, we immediately know that it is fiction. No one tries to hitch a ride on the Millennium Falcon or tries to order a working light saber from Amazon. Sadly, however, many modern religious people read biblical myths as if talking with a snake in the Garden of Eden or following Moses through a divided Red Sea is something that actually happened. This sermon attempts to help us all to interrogate the myths that help us to define morality in the modern world.

These progressive sermons are available as podcasts at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/progressive-faith-sermons/id419225485

Faith Without Certainty When we watch a movie like Star Wars, we immediately know that it is fiction. No one tries to hitch a ride on the Millennium Falcon or tries to order a worki...

https://youtu.be/4n5IG2mgwBQ?si=TsmJCzBx__oWoqoJ
Similar to the WWII generation, we are living in a time facing dramatic changes that may end up being good but which also have the potential of being catastrophically bad. As Eric Holder recently warned, there is no cavalry coming to save us. Storied institutions like the Supreme Court and the Congress have demonstrated their willingness to side with a fascist trend led by Donald Trump. We, persons of conscience and compassion, must be the cavalry the world is waiting for.

These progressive sermons are available as podcasts at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/progressive-faith-sermons/id419225485

USA at War with Russia and Iran Similar to the WWII generation, we are living in a time facing dramatic changes that may end up being good but which also have the potential of being catastr...

Come on people, examine your myths! Think!

https://youtu.be/3Fr5TbpI7yw?si=ZdL6MXLN-LrlQpe6
The claim that the coming election is "the most important election of our lifetime," has been sadly overused and possibly worn out to the point that people easily ignore those of us who are urgently crying "wolf" about the November 2024 election. This message attempts to state the stark reality of the risk to democracy and individual freedoms at stake in this election. Please, listen to it and share with every voter you know.

These progressive sermons are available as podcasts at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/progressive-faith-sermons/id419225485

Hyperbole, Hysteria, and Hypocrisy The claim that the coming election is "the most important election of our lifetime," has been sadly over used and possibly worn out to the point that people ...

https://youtu.be/uQAEUf8NDzI?si=z2-UcfSYCOvk_GGb
Two great periods of revivals saved the Christian religion from extinction in the United States. The Great Awakening, near the birth of our nation, and The Second Great Awakening that came along with the western expansion, the Civil War, and the end of slavery. Much of what modern American Christians think is a biblical faith is actually the echos of revivalist preaching based on a very poor reading of the writings of John Calvin.

It is the hope of this message that once people realize that the word "personal" is not even in the Bible and that salvation is about being restored to community and made whole, that talk about accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior will pass out of usage and those who wish to be Christians can again champion a life of radical compassion.

These progressive sermons are available as podcasts at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/progressive-faith-sermons/id419225485

Why No One in the Bible Accepted Jesus Christ as their Personal Lord and Savior Two great periods of revivals saved the Christian religion from extinction in the United States. The Great Awakening, near the birth of our nation, and The S...

I have created a page called the "Socrates Cafe of the Treasure Coast." I make a video of a "talk/lecture/sermon" every two weeks and I would love to form a discussion group both to have a small audience outside of my studio to make the recording, and then to be able to open a bottle of wine and have a discussion to the day's topic.

Here is a link to my next talk (my apologies if this link only works if you have Microsoft Word) https://1drv.ms/w/s!AsMTTISsrkpzgesCwx1LEURgDBdEBg

Let me know if you would be interested in this "humanist/Unitarian/post-theistic/current events) sort of discussion group.

1drv.ms

https://youtu.be/mcN0MHaIjqI?si=gTaOfbq_J-6t3pBR
Easter, as it has been taught to us through traditional modern sermons, is, as Bishop John Shelby Spong described it, simply "unbelievable." Stepping back from the "yippee, we're all gonna live forever" myth, this lecture tries to treat the first Easter in a historical context with a critical discussion of early Christian writing.

These progressive sermons are available as podcasts at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/progressive-faith-sermons/id419225485

The First Easter Easter, as it has been taught to us through traditional modern sermons, is, as Bishop John Shelby Spong described it, simply "unbelievable." Stepping back fr...

https://youtu.be/ZiAmtt7Vd4U?si=lJsMlhQuYF-Qj3Up
THIS IS NOT NORMAL! Cultural values we worked hard to correct over the past century are slipping back into what is being allowed to become normative language, thinking, and voting. North Carolina's GOP nominated candidate for governor, Mark Robinson, who enjoyed more than 60% of the vote in the primary, has publicly denied the holocaust, insisted that the N***s were "not that bad," is opposed to women's right to vote, to LGBT+ rights, and he even insists that the Sandy Hook School shootings were a hoax. This man is currently the lt. governor of NC and is tied for the governor's election in November. America, we have to push back on these ideas and make certain that it is clear that theses are not acceptable cultural values and that for the sane among us, this simply is not normal!

These progressive sermons are available as podcasts at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/progressive-faith-sermons/id419225485

This is Not Normal20240324 Sermon THIS IS NOT NORMAL! Cultural values we worked hard to correct over the past century are slipping back into what is being allowed to become normative language...

Two times in the past week, very educated, professional, people here in Florida have summed up the goal of religion as being coming to "know Jesus Christ as your personal lord and savior." They say this in order to dismiss any religious differences, at least among Christian denominations and sects.
I pointed out to both of them that the word "personal" does not appear anywhere in the Bible, not in the Hebrew Bible or the New Testament and the concept of "accepting Jesus Christ as your personal savior" was a creation of late 19th century revivalism in the 2nd Great Awakening based on a poor reading of John Calvin, they both just blinked and pretended that I had not said anything.
I pressed the point, saying, "No one in the Bible was described as having accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior." Again, these two very self confident "scientists" made it clear that they still believed that the essence of the faith journey is just what they had heard in these echoes of 19th century revival preachers.
In both instances, I tried to stress that the message of Jesus was about a kind of radical compassion and that to be "followers of the Way," as early Christians seem to have referenced themselves, was to embody that message of radical compassion (See Matthew 25:31-46). Again, this statement of the obvious had no effect.
When it comes to religion, people's critical thinking skills often just go on vacation. They will believe something that is clearly not true because, as existentialists sometimes say, "it pleases me to do so," but in a matter as important as one's faith, why would anyone reject reason and especially reject contrary evidence????

https://youtu.be/26tc9osy0Hw?si=yUWeqEisiRW_-4DH
The sad news of Alexey Navalny's death in prison brings to mind many who have chosen personal sacrifice as a way to raise awareness in the public's mind or to confront the evils of governments through the centuries. Navalny takes his place along side the likes of Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, Jr., Gandhi, and others whose names remain written on our hearts. There is a kind of suffering that can be redemptive. We might wish that such sacrifices were unnecessary but, alas, they almost always are.

These progressive sermons are available as podcasts at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/progressive-faith-sermons/id419225485

Redemptive Suffering The sad news of Alexey Navalny's death in prison brings to mind many who have chosen personal sacrifice as a way to raise awareness in the public's mind or t...

https://youtu.be/KOB2cvRB-ws?si=SXZ8RlgdiRptqKtu
32 of the 33 developed nations in the world have universal healthcare. Why is the United States the only outlier? We spend more on healthcare than any of the other nations, why can't we get the distribution system to be more fair? We also have between five and ten times as many of our citizens in prison, than any of those other developed nations. Why have we not managed to address the roots of poverty (which is what causes most crime) as those other nations have?

Obviously, it is some combination of heartlessness and greed of a very short sighted sort. Our country needs to wake up to some very obvious economic and social facts. And while we are at it, let's also consider supporting the news and educational sources that help us to see the world with new eyes.

These progressive sermons are available as podcasts at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/progressive-faith-sermons/id419225485

How Much Does it Cost Me? 32 of the 33 developed nations in the world have universal healthcare. Why is the United States the only outlier? We spend more on healthcare than any of the...

https://youtu.be/Vkw56BPJJUs?si=zj9L5lXOfrcqwQCN
Men and sometimes women confuse anger with a show of strength, or of being courageous when, in most cases, anger is simply a product of being afraid. As we try to understand the dangerous divisions within our American population, I think that we need to give careful consideration to the role of grievance, of irrational anger fueled by a paranoid level of fear. Fear of immigrants, loss of white privilege, and Evangelical influence in society is largely ephemeral but the consequences but a move towards the fascist right has dire implications that should be alarming to all of us. Fear leads voters to make bad decisions. In 2024 we need to vote intelligently and not irrationally.

These progressive sermons are available as podcasts at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/progressive-faith-sermons/id419225485

Fear is the Root of Anger Men and sometimes women confuse anger with a show of strength, or of being courageous when, in most cases, anger is simply a product of being afraid. As we t...

https://youtu.be/goR1PUdz02E?si=D2bV5nzUWi8Uc7AJ
For many congregations, the Bible is still the church's book but not many progressives find scripture to be either authoritative or even relevant in their lives. We have lost an anchor in our lives when we give up on sacred texts but the church of the 21st century has to find its truth to less clearly identified but indisputably more reliable sources.

These progressive sermons are available as podcasts at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/progressive-faith-sermons/id419225485

God Doesn’t Write Books20240128 Sermon For many congregations, the Bible is still the church's book but not many progressives find scripture to be either authoritative or even relevant in their li...

https://youtu.be/n1Xr1Mx-osw?si=r_-sKhJTnaK1UEfn
The prophetic church has always advocated for human rights, civil rights, LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, and has opposed the forces that create poverty, war, illness, and racism. As fascist language keeps rising in our current political environment, the prophetic church must find its voice again; before it is too late.

These progressive sermons are available as podcasts at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/progressive-faith-sermons/id419225485

What Your Teacher Didn’t Tell You (and probably didn’t know) The prophetic church has always advocated for human rights, civil rights, LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, and has opposed the forces that create poverty, war,...

Make this life count. It’s the only one you get.

https://youtu.be/jpF2hpcYJcA?si=G5uMgJyHoClUzPuD
Time is not a material thing. Our units of time actually measure movement, i.e. if there was no movement the concept of time would be meaningless. Talk about going back in time is not merely science fiction, it is, in fact, more a matter of fantasy, of imagination disengaged from reality. Understanding science is increasingly important but to move forward intellectually we have to accept that simply saying "it pleases me to believe in delusions" is not helpful.

These progressive sermons are available as podcasts at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/progressive-faith-sermons/id419225485

Time Does Not Exist Time is not a material thing. Our units of time actually measure movement, i.e. if there was no movement the concept of time would be meaningless. Talk about...

https://youtu.be/Xyh9He27OTs?si=DxqghWagmfQBZXTH
Americans have fewer annual vacation days than any other western government and more than that, we tend to tie retirement and healthcare to our employment. So, out of fear and anxiety, we work more than almost any other nation and yet have millions without healthcare, income, or housing. Our world obviously needs our involvement and action but it also needs for us to step back from the fire and gain perspective, insight, wisdom, and peace. Take a break. Enjoy the holiday. Then come back smarter and stronger to save democracy!

These progressive sermons are available as podcasts at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/progressive-faith-sermons/id419225485

Finding Balance in a World that Demands Action Americans have fewer annual vacation days than any other western government and more than that, we tend to tie retirement and healthcare to our employment. S...

https://youtu.be/OqHuQHcpIPk?si=0x2Kk_tPdi92qmTg
The war in Ukraine shows no signs of coming to an end and now the war in Gaza is escalating to an unthinkable death toll and seems only to get worse daily. What are we to make of these tragic wars that remind us so much of the way that WWII started? And as Americans, since our tax dollars and military hardware are deeply involved in both wars, what are we to say within this democracy that is supposed to care what we think?

These progressive sermons are available as podcasts at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/progressive-faith-sermons/id419225485

“When the Darkness Stares Back”​ (the world on the brink of war)​ ​ The war in Ukraine shows no signs of coming to an end and now the war in Gaza is escalating to an unthinkable death toll and seems only to get worse daily. W...

We saw this big fella while kayaking today but it reminded me of a recurring nightmare that woke me up repeatedly last night. I don’t have nightmares. This was the first in 35 years. I dreamed that former church friends could turn themselves into alligators and they kept trying to eat me. In human form, they kept challenge me to stop trying to get away from them, as if eating the pastor alive was normal and reasonable and I had no right to object. I don’t think we need Freud for this one.

Maybe I should have retired sooner?

https://youtu.be/GJEhCZBcSrU?si=NB47n1Fh_8Dp3Sl7
The United States has perpetuated compromises in our constitution which were originally written to give slave holding states assurances that the institution of slavery would not be immediately wiped out by larger and more populous industrial states. What gave some citizens a larger voice in managing our government at the end of the 18th century has become a choke collar in the 21st century, taking away the voice of the poor, minorities, and immigrant communities who tend to live in major cities in more populated states. It is a bit complicated but it deserves our attention as we prepare for what may be the most important presidential election in our lifetimes.

These progressive sermons are available as podcasts at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/progressive-faith-sermons/id419225485

No One Hears the Sound of a Wooden Bell​ The United States has perpetuated compromises in our constitution which were originally written to give slave holding states assurances that the institution ...

https://youtu.be/ArHbKCyHGgE?si=YHuZNVVqy_PR0OG9
The familiar image of Lady Justice, blindfolded, holding up balanced scales in one hand and a sword in the other (a little frightening if she can’t see) suggests our desire that we will be a nation of laws and that there is only one standard of justice in the nation. We hope that the rich and the poor, people of all races, nations of origin, and public status will be treated the same in our courts. However, we know that is not how it really works. We have a goal of equal justice in mind but our ex*****on of it seems to come and go in unreliable ways. The way the children of our two most recent presidents are being treated is a case in point.

These progressive sermons are available as podcasts at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/progressive-faith-sermons/id419225485

Is Justice Blind Or Just Crazy? The familiar image of Lady Justice, blindfolded, holding up balanced scales in one hand and a sword in the other (a little frightening if she can’t see) sugg...

My essay in the LA Progressive

Peace in Israel is Tethered to Justice in Palestine To gain a deeper understanding, you have to go back further than the Holocaust and the modern creation of the State of Israel in 1947.

https://youtu.be/3pVo3WILFWo?si=YddKh4K-VJuzjy27
Most of us have given an uncommon amount of time and energy to the news in the past weeks as Israel mounts a military response to the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks launched by Hamas. Just as the USA did after 9-11, it is only human to want to strike back against such a horrible act of war with an overpowering military response. But Hamas is like Isis, they are more of an ideology of hate than they are an army or even a political party. Trying to fight an abhorrent idea always ends up killing more innocent people than prophets of terror. However the world moves on past Oct. 7, it must involve both political changes in Israel, and human rights changes in Palestine.

These progressive sermons are available as podcasts at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/progressive-faith-sermons/id419225485

Israel and Palestine (Migration, Immigration, Colonizing, Occupation) Most of us have given an uncommon amount of time and energy to the news in the past weeks as Israel mounts a military response to the Oct. 7 terrorist attack...

https://youtu.be/zK4ommq2lOI?si=OZzcLY3YLPFS3rFh
Does our support for Ukraine in their defensive war against Russia’s invasion qualify as a “just war?” Thomas Aquinas insisted that for a war to be just it must be conducted by a sovereign government, and the war must be for a just cause, and it must be fought by soldiers who fight to accomplish something that is good. Of course, innocent people die in all wars and no army is comprised of entirely noble soldiers, so war crimes will be committed by all nation’s armies in some instances. When is the cost of supporting Ukraine too much for the stated goals in defeating Russia?

These progressive sermons are available as podcasts at: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/progressive-faith-sermons/id419225485

Why Support Ukraine’s War with Russia? Does our support for Ukraine in their defensive war against Russia’s invasion qualify as a “just war?” Thomas Aquinas insisted that for a war to be just it m...

Creating Spiritual Community in a Post-Pandemic World Church attendance, especially among progressives is in decline, and financial support of these struggling congregations is going down even faster. Do we have...

I am making my last blood donation at the Community Blood Center today. I have donated more than 8 gallons over the past decade. I will find a place to donate in Florida after I move. It only takes about 30 minutes to help a stranger in crisis, and maybe save their life. If you can give, please do. It is a gift of compassion to the universe.

A faith based in fear is not faith, it is just a CYA religion.