In my summer reading of the Tao te Ching, I was surprised that many chapters of this sacred text spoke to the secular matters of government and leadership. It occurred to me that it might be fitting to explore Lao-tzu’s views on these topics during the presidential election season. As we bridge the Soul Matters themes of Deep Listening (October) and Repair…

“How can ancient concepts of Taoism help us with our spiritual life in today’s world?” This was the question posed by Julia, the top bidder for the worship associate version of the coveted Auction Sermon. The Tao te Ching was written by the philosopher Lao-tzu in the sixth century BCE. To answer Julia’s question about its applicability in modern times, I decided…

In this season of Transformation, we explore the critical role of letting go. We will explore why letting go is essential, what makes it so difficult, and how to release our grip through a variety of spiritual practices.

And yet, sometimes, listening to others can be a conduit to listening within. In fact, isn’t that a
big part of why we come to church on Sunday morning? Why would we sit for an hour through a
worship service listening to a sermon if we didn’t find some benefit in it? And I believe that there
can also be value in listening to other people. Come to think of it, the potential value of listening
to others shouldn’t come as a big surprise: interdependent web and all!
I think it comes down to what we are listening to:
● Universal truths versus petty criticisms.
● Personal stories versus external advice.
● A shared human experience versus an individual personality preference.