|
Welcome from 
Thanks for stopping in. Pour yourself a cup o' jo, take a load off your feet, and check out what's here. You are looking at my ramblings about issues of faith, life and culture—they are my own and are not necessarily shared by those with whom I work, live or otherwise engage. My journey has led my family and me across the country where I have been introduced to a lot of people and a lot of different ways of doing things. One passion, though, runs through all these experiences: building beloved and sustainable community. "Sustainable" community is kind of a strange notion, as communities (people) change constantly, and things are always in motion. So, the latest chapter of my life has led me to the notion of "impermanence"—not an idea that comes naturally in a culture that likes to build monuments to our greatness for future generations to view and admire. But, I'm trying to practice my awareness of impermanence—the idea that nothing is permanent, nothing is forever, and things are always in flux. Feel free to share your comments and engage in any conversation that may be happening here, but just know that I do reserve the right to delete any spam or anything I deem inappropriate or offensive. I look forward to dialoguing with anyone who cares to dialogue! Peace and blessings, |
 |
For the past several weeks I have been in deep thought and reflection. I am disappointed and saddened by events in our country. I am saddened by the divides and the hate that so many of our leaders seem to have encouraged and spawned. It is one thing to have an opinion and share it. It is another when those who have a different opinion are demonized. I have been accused of deepening the divide, […] 
I haven’t posted anything the past couple of weeks, since the election. I have been listening to people’s reactions and trying to process what happened and what it might mean for our nation and world. Each year our local Tempe Interfaith Fellowship hosts an Interfaith Thanksgiving Service. It is an amazing service, and a highlight of the season for many. This year I was asked to offer the Prayer of Thanksgiving, which also served as […] 
In the Presbyterian Church we wrap our vision around three ideas discerned over hundreds and thousands of years of the Christian Church: Confessional, Constitutional, and Connectional. We are confessional because we confess our faith and are guided by historical confessions written over thousands of years in response to particular situations and contexts. We are constitutional because we shape our communal life together around a constitution, which includes the Book of Confessions (Part I) […] 
If you don’t subscribe to the daily meditations of Fr. Richard Rohr, a Franciscan priest and founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation in New Mexico, I encourage you to do so. His depth and insights are both challenging and encouraging at the same time—I like that kinda thing. Most of his meditations are drawn from his own extensive work on spirituality. This week he started a series on “The Cosmic Christ.” […] 
My friend, the Rev. Rocky Supinger, writes a daily blog at YoRocko! Recently he wrote a post called “Christendom is Over.” He shares about a wedding rehearsal at the moment when the couple climbs the steps of the chancel and are instructed to make sure they look at each other and not my friend Rocky. The bride quips, I’m sure in her excitement about what will soon be happening for real, […] I meet weekly with most of the staff at the church I serve. On Tuesdays I meet with my Administrative Assistant, and then my Director of Christian Education. On Wednesdays I meet with my Director of Music. We plan, talk about tasks, discuss goals, and layout our future plans. We try to stay connected so we can all be on the same page. It takes time, but it has paid off in helping us communicate […] 
Why is it so hard to talk about politics and religion? I asked some folks about it, and here’s what they said. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to my YouTube channel, or subscribe to this blog in the column to the left. 
There is a game that is as old as humanity, maybe older. It’s called: “The Blame Game.” It goes in and out of popularity, but seems to come back as anxiety increases (whether or not it is factually justified). Leaders often respond to The Blame Game either by joining in and trying to thrust as much blame on other leaders as possible, or by trying to justify or defend their positions against the onslaught of […] |
|
Copyright © 2017 Eric O. Ledermann - All Rights Reserved Powered by WordPress & Atahualpa |
||
