Faith & Life Inspirational Message

Sometimes I wonder if people give up on religion because they cannot figure out how to do it day by day?   This seems probable to me because I am not sure most of us common people are quite sure how to define religion.   By saying that, I do not mean those of us who went to church or to synagogue are complete idiots when it comes to religion and what it means.      When you know something, it is always difficult to remember when you did not know anything.   Now that I have a Ph.D. in religion, it likely is impossible to remember accurately those Indiana farm days when I did not know beans about religion.   But let me guess nevertheless! I suspect that most Christians, at least, would define religion along the lines of doctrine.   For example, I would assume if you ask the person on the street to define religion, he or she would begin by saying something about believing in God.   Doctrine has to do with believing.   If one is a Chri...

I am not sure Quakers are always prepared to talk about the sacred.   But I do think Quakers are taught fairly well to be prepared to engage the sacred.   Let me explain and elaborate the difference.   I suspect in the process of explaining and elaborating, some of you who grew up in other traditions or, perhaps, no tradition at all will find some resonance in my own experience.             First of all, I define the sacred as the Presence of God or the Holy One.   Sacred simply means the place or space of the Divinity.   In the history of religions the sacred might be a place, like a cathedral, a grove in the forest or some other shrine.   The sacred can be the object of pilgrimages.   Sometimes the sacred has been the place of healing, as well as revelation.   The sacred is opposite of the profane---which literally means “outside the temple.”        ...