Volume 2 Issue 18

“Not everyone has a harsh judge, but many of us have some inner voice that has the power to undercut, to make us doubt ourselves, and to leave us wondering why we aren’t more content. I realized it was important to find a different and kinder relationship with my judge because of its power to drain my positive energy. Learning to be more generous with ourselves is not selfishness. It is just the opposite: Trusting our own inner voice and needs helps us to be more truly generous with others.” --Sue Bender
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Once again, thank you for allowing me to come into your home, place of work, or wherever else you may have accessed this site. I am deeply grateful to those of you who are taking the time to share this ministry with your friends and relatives. Slowly but surely ‘Growing in Christ’ is extending its reach to all those who feel moved to explore their spiritual identity and its relationship to their theological worldview. Please take some time to visit the Bulletin Board, read what others have shared, and contribute your own thoughts.
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It was brought to my attention this week that my use of the term “deism” in last week’s sermon (10/05/03 “At-one-ment”) was not entirely correct. Writes the Rev. Dr. David Conner of Wheat Ridge, Colorado: “Deism is an intellectual movement which was popular especially in the 18th century. Essentially it was/is an attempt to avoid supernaturalism for the sake of Newtonian science. Deism affirms natural law as a universal explanatory principle, which obviates the need to refer to a God who intervenes via miracles or Divine Providence. Deism's God is therefore certainly not the God of the Bible nor of antiquity generally.” This is the kind of exchange that this site aspires to, and I hope that Dr. Conner’s lead will prompt others to become a part of the dialogue.
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Until next week…….Shalom!