SUNDAY, May 20th, 5:00 PM
2311 Walnut Blvd, Walnut Creek
Topic:
“The Temple Within”
“And with that he breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’” (Jn 20.22)
The divine spark that dwells in each of us cannot be domesticated — let alone indoctrinated — within the confines of any religious tradition, if it is not first infused with the breath of the Spirit.
The Christian church, in the form in which many have known it for a long time, has gone the way of all human institutions. Its last few dying days are obvious to many. But whether you want to call it renewal or outright replacement, there is also the emergence of what some call the “subversive way of Jesus” that — from its inception – has had little to do with so-called organized religion; and instead brings a breath of fresh air with the kind of message the Galilean spirit/sage might still recognize.
Newcomers welcome. Questions or for more information? Contact Pathways here.
2012 CALENDAR
PATHWAYS gatherings normally meet on the fourth Sunday evening each month throughout the year, unless a weekly series is underway. Our Calendar of gatherings for 2012 can be found here.
Read more
The Capacity and Compunction of COMPASSION
“Whether a person is a religious believer does not matter much.
Far more important is that they be a good human being.”
The Dalai Lama
Central to the teachings of every great religious tradition is the call to compassionate living above all else. It is the empathic response to the need of another; where we seek to treat others as we would ourselves would like to be treated. More than a magnanimous gesture where the primacy of our own raging egos gets displaced, sages teach us it is the path to greater self-fulfillment; as well as the only practical way to save us from personal impoverishment and mutual self-destruction. It is also the way we might most clearly see the very face of God, or catch a glimpse of what Jesus repeatedly envisions as the reign of God.
But what is compassion? Is it innate or learned? What is it that sometimes moves us to act against our so-called “better instincts” for the sake of another; even sometimes at great cost to our own self-interest?
You can read this latest Words & Ways commentary HERE.
Read more
John Bennison
In the last thirty-five years, John Bennison has been a teacher, preacher, lecturer, trainer, carpenter, coffin builder, counselor, spiritual advisor, ethicist, entertainer, assembly-line union worker, small business entrepreneur, residential real estate specialist, corporate cog and executive director of a faith-based non-profit organization.
Throughout his career he has helped groups, as well as individuals, discover how to both express and embrace those values they hold most deeply in their own lives (see www.wordsnwayscommunications.com).
He’s authored eight publications on faith and values, and as an ordained minister served as a parish pastor over 25 years. He earned his Doctorate from Claremont School of Theology, as well as his BA degree in philosophy and religion from Lake Forest College.
Read more
