How can we recognize a spiritual person? What might we look for in ourselves as a sign of spiritual growth or maturity? In what way should religious beliefs influence the quality of a person’s life? As I reflect on these questions, I look to my own spiritual and religious heritage… Read More »Spiritual Growth: Where Do Love and Hate Fit In?
For some time, there has been significant debate about whether or not the facts in the Bible are true. This debate has been framed in a variety of ways. In the early twentieth century, biblical scholars searched for evidence of the historical Jesus. School boards consider the merits of biblically… Read More »What Good Is Religion if the Facts Aren’t True?
Dear Mom: It’s been three years since I last spoke to you or was able to see you. That’s a bit difficult for me to comprehend. From my perspective, a day doesn’t pass without me thinking about you or talking to you in my mind. I know that’s just how… Read More »On Mother’s Day: A Letter to the Other Side
It’s often said that religion and spirituality are fundamentally different. The arguments for this position go something like this. Religion is about dogma, fixed beliefs, and rituals to which people must adhere. Spirituality is individualized, focused on experience, and free flowing. At face value, there’s something to be said for… Read More »Religion and Spirituality: How Different Are They?
Each year, since 1970, people around the globe have marked Earth Day. While seen by some as a fringe movement, Earth Day awareness and modern environmentalism have led to the environmental protection laws, the use of unleaded fuel in automobiles, and local initiatives to plant trees, clean-up trash spills, and… Read More »Earth Day 2015
I found her to be nothing less than amazing: bright, engaged, open to new ideas, and about seventy years of age. I wasn’t sure from her gray hair, but I bet she was probably a red head in her youth. She had a fiery spirit as well as a deep… Read More »The Younger Generation: A Perspective on Changing Spiritual Values
Often times, when people talk about spirituality, it sounds like spirituality is something “out there” or something one needs to get. Other times, people will refer to activities or events as being “spiritual” or “not spiritual.” For example, meditation is spiritual but hanging out at a corner bar is not… Read More »Exploring the Spiritual Dimension of Self
Growing up during the Cold War Era in a family proud of its Eastern European heritage and belonging to an ethnic Eastern European church, there was a story I heard periodically around Easter time. The story made its way into sermons and was sometimes repeated in family gatherings. As there… Read More »Christ Is Risen! What Does It Mean to Me Today?
