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The Joe Shlabotnik of Spiritual Writing
Sep 06, 2023 by Larry Jordan
Joe Shlabotnik was Charlie Brown's favorite major league baseball player. Joe's unfortunate claim to fame was making spectacular catches of routine fly balls.
Less Than I Expected
Sep 05, 2023 by Larry Jordan
Recently, I posted about the joys of writing. The post was heartfelt and true, and it best reflects my feelings about writing, but it was not the whole story. There are some frustrations of writing, too.
More Than I Expected
Aug 29, 2023 by Larry Jordan
My adult children encouraged me to write The Way, and the book was modeled after an “ethical will” in the Jewish tradition. An ethical will is NOT an autobiography. Instead, it is an expression of one’s experiences, life lessons, and values.
Everyone is Agnostic
Jul 12, 2023 by Larry Jordan
Everyone is agnostic, but not everyone admits it. Sometimes, we confuse firmly-held beliefs with well-documented facts, but beliefs are not facts.
Practice is Underrated
Jun 24, 2023 by Larry Jordan
Many Christians assume that belief is the most important feature of religion and that belief influences community and practice. In fact, many people who abandon Christian beliefs (which may seem speculative or supernatural to them) also abandon community and practice.
Community is Misplaced
Jun 21, 2023 by Larry Jordan
Many Christians assume that belief is the most important feature of religion, since belief is such an important feature of Christianity. However, in most religions, orthopraxy or right action is more important than orthodoxy or right belief. Community and practice are two aspects of orthopraxy.
Belief is Overrated
Jun 15, 2023 by Larry Jordan
All theology is speculation, and when we realize that there are almost 50,000 Christian denominations and that all of them have changed a lot in 2,000 years, we see how absurd it is to claim that any denomination, no matter how large or how old, contains "Truth with a capital T."
Belief, Community, and Practice
Jun 02, 2023 by Larry Jordan
In a few weeks, I will be speaking on "Belief, Community, and Practice" at our local Unitarian Universalist church. Since 2000, there has been a precipitous decline in church attendance, aggravated by the pandemic. Today, 60% of American never or seldom attend a religious service.
A Kernel of Truth
May 24, 2023 by Larry Jordan
One of the unexpected joys of writing a book is participating in some interesting conversations surrounding the book -- at author talks, in book clubs, and online. Yesterday, I had an online chat about organized religion with a Facebook friend in Africa who is reading my book.
"Cut Your Life in Half"
May 16, 2023 by Larry Jordan
This week, I participated in a recorded Zoom call with Jim Palmer for members of the Center for Non-Religious Spirituality community. Both of us are talkers, so the conversation ranged far and wide. Somehow, we kept returning to the theme of minimalism, living a natural life in the real world.
Natural Life and True Self
Apr 30, 2023 by Larry Jordan
Many seekers believe that self is a construct, soul is a fiction, and free will is an illusion. As Thomas Merton says, "We all live lives of self-impersonation." For Hindus, True Self is Brahman or Oneness, lack of separation. For Buddhists, True Self is "no-self" or Void, lack of separation.
Crestone, Colorado
Apr 12, 2023 by Larry Jordan
In 2017, we walked the Camino de Crestone, an interspiritual pilgimage in Crestone, Colorado, where we visited many spiritual centers, representing several of the world's great traditions. While there, we engaged in discussions, listened to lectures, and participated in ceremonies.
Religion and Spirituality
Mar 23, 2023 by Larry Jordan
For purposes of this post, "religion" is a specific set of organized beliefs and practices, usually shared by a community or group, and "spirituality" is more of an individual practice, involving a search for connection, peace, and purpose. (Of course, these definitions are not mutually-exclusive.)
Soul Doubt
Mar 11, 2023 by Larry Jordan
Soul Doubt, an engaging, hoppy IPA, is my favorite beer at my favorite brewery. It might also be the label for some of the most engaging, hoppy conversations that I have had since I wrote a book about God and the Universe.
Love: Attraction, Impersonality, Unconditionality, and Witness
Feb 13, 2023 by Larry Jordan
A few years ago, I read a book that suggested that the Universe is governed by attraction. In the physical world, we call it "gravity," and in the metaphysical world, we call it "love."
Some Thoughts about Aging
Jan 31, 2023 by Larry Jordan
I will celebrate my 65th birthday in a few months, and my age is starting to show.
Assumptions
Jan 18, 2023 by Larry Jordan
Religion is cultural, and every culture develops a worldview that contains assumptions about the Universe and the individual. In the Western worldview, the focus is on the individual, so God is personal, individuals are persons, and persons have selves and souls and free will.
False Choices and Leading Questions
Jan 06, 2023 by Larry Jordan
Recently, I was on a call with Jim Palmer, an interfaith spiritual director who promotes a non-religious spirituality. When he was asked, "Do you believe in God," Jim gave a nuanced response, suggesting that simplistic questions can present false choices.
Winter Solstice
Dec 21, 2022 by Larry Jordan
Today is the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, the beginning of winter and the longest night of the year.
Zen Practice: Sesshin (silent retreat)
Dec 12, 2022 by Larry Jordan
We just returned from a week-long sesshin, consisting of six- to eight-hours a day of zazen (seated meditation) and kinhin (walking meditation) interspersed with chanting, chores, and tea ceremonies, as well as dokusan (private meetings) and teisho (public talks) with a Zen teacher.
