wonderful thoughts from the Pope, intellectually coherent and practically relevant and doable IMO
Weekly lessons in theology and public life • Since 2011
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Lesson 4: Funeral Practices
Read MORE: Lesson 4: Funeral PracticesOne of the wonderful functions the traditional Church plays is to mark life’s passages. In a society in which many people have nobody to share their celebrations and griefs, the Christian community blesses birth with baptism, the transition into adulthood…
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Lesson 3: Resurrection of the Body
Read MORE: Lesson 3: Resurrection of the BodyEach Sunday many of us profess we believe in the resurrection of the body. We assert Jesus was resurrected in body as well as spirit. He ate with his friends, allowed them to touch him, and showed them the marks…
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Lesson 2: Natural Death
Read MORE: Lesson 2: Natural DeathAnother practical concern related to the resurrection of the body is what modern technology has done to our concept of natural death. Most of our customs about the end of life were based on accepting God’s will for our natural…
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Lesson 1: Cremation
Read MORE: Lesson 1: CremationOne of the most frequent questions asked throughout my ministry was whether cremation was acceptable. So when one of our participants suggested we look at it and other end- of- life issues, I welcomed the chance. The issue centers on…
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Lesson 18: So Where is the Basis for Ethics Found?
Read MORE: Lesson 18: So Where is the Basis for Ethics Found?I began suggesting people often claim they go to Church to find a basis for ethics. Public figures on television often try to show their morality by reporting, “I grew up in Church.” I then suggested these people are often…
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Lesson 17: Does Jesus Base Ethics on Laws of Creation?
Read MORE: Lesson 17: Does Jesus Base Ethics on Laws of Creation?Last week, I suggested that people who are going to church to find a basis for ethics are often disappointed when they find churches do not agree on fundamental laws. In fact, the seekers often believe some of the laws…
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Lesson 16: Law – The Basis for Ethics
Read MORE: Lesson 16: Law – The Basis for EthicsAnother practical reason people give for going to Church is the desire to find moral guidance. They believe religion provides a basis for ethics and send their children to learn right and wrong as they did. For most this means…
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Lesson 15: Forgiveness – A Way to Healthy Relationships
Read MORE: Lesson 15: Forgiveness – A Way to Healthy RelationshipsThere are two ways to understand forgiveness. The first focuses on it as a law that calls on us to repress our natural human instincts in order to do what God wants. It usually ends up either dividing people between…
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Lesson 14: Gratitude– Finding Time to Give Thanks
Read MORE: Lesson 14: Gratitude– Finding Time to Give ThanksIf you read much about thanksgiving, you constantly come across statements, such as “Ninety-nine percent of the time, we have an opportunity to be grateful for something. We just don’t notice it. We go through our days in a daze……
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Lesson 13: Creating and Finding Sabbath –
Finding God in All the NoiseRead MORE: Lesson 13: Creating and Finding Sabbath –One of the best talks I ever heard was at Muhlenburg College and was given by an Episcopalian bishop. It was entitled something like, “The Future Health of Our Society Will Be Dependent on Observing the Sabbath.” His point was…
Finding God in All the Noise
Recent Comments
I absolutely love these ideas, especially paying attention to beauty and reducing your needs.
Fritz a wonderful lesson – and esp. reading has a flow I found encompassing. If only …….. yes we can…