Sea of Faith — Dunedin

Such is life! a close encounter with Ecclesiastes. Sea of Faith Meeting 23 September 2010. Introduction by Bruce Spittle.

In Such is life! a close encounter with Ecclesiastes, a 216-page book by Lloyd Geering published this year in Wellington by Steele Roberts, Lloyd gives his own new translation of The book of Ecclesiastes, engages in an imaginary conversation with Ecclesiastes, and places the contribution of Ecclesiastes in a wider context.

For his book Lloyd received one of two $10,000 prizes for literary excellence at the Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust Unpublished Manuscript and Book Awards. The awards recognise excellence in writing in the mind, body, spirit genre, and almost 100 entries were received. The book contains a series of eight dialogues between Ecclesiastes and Geering. The author explained that “The dialogues sketch the outlines of a simple philosophy of life for today’s enquiring person. Instead of writing a biblical commentary, I tried to let Ecclesiastes speak to us as a living person, asking the same questions as we do.” The judges noted that Geering’s work was “a fascinating view of the biblical writings through the modern eye and knowledge of today’s world.” Continue Reading »

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Thank God for Evolution

Part 1:  Religious believers  – or religious knowers ?

The Sea of Faith movement doesn’t have any statement of belief.   But we do perhaps come close to one in sharing the assumption that  “Religion is a human creation” which is in contradiction of the old orthodoxy – and it is still the current orthodoxy of a very large section of the churches  – is that religion, and religious faith,  are God-given.

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Reflections on Parliament of Religions – Melbourne Dec. 2009.

– Rod Mitchell

Background:

– Newington. Teaching religious studies – Came across Kung book on Ethics which had come out of the 1993 – 2nd – Parliament of World Religions called: “Yes to a Global Ethic”
– 10 Years in Sydney (Parramatta and diversity of cultures mixing and mingling)
– Two visits to Korea and the experiencing of totally different cultures.
– Wilber material putting emphasis on development – and a “Spirit in Action”

*****

In a sermon I gave at Knox Church on the Sunday before I left for Melbourne I presented three tests for assessing the value of the Parliament.

So how will I be evaluating this Parliament? Continue Reading »

Dunedin

Programme:

Who Needs Jesus? –

Life in the 21st Century

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The War on Terror in Ruatoki – Murray Rae

I want to speak with you this evening about an event of New Zealand’s recent past, that raises questions for us, I think, of a religious and theological nature. What I offer is an explicitly Christian response to that event, a response that considers the need sometimes for public apologies for public wrongs, and what such apologies might entail in terms of wronged partis forgiving the wrong-doers.

On the morning of 15 October 2007, you will be aware, the usual calm of Ruatoki in the Urewera was shattered by Continue Reading »

Dunedin Sea of Faith Group, 25 June 2009

The Trouble with Jesus

What is the trouble with Jesus? That’s a question that might make some wonder, what’s the trouble with me? Why should I be asking, “What’s the trouble with Jesus?”

Fair enough. Let me account for my own position briefly at the outset. I once believed that Jesus was and is definitive, even divine. I now believe that Jesus was and remains a defining moment in the human story. The difference is in degree, but the degree is significant.

So, to return to the question, “What is the trouble with Jesus?” I’m surprised how seldom I hear it or a similar question, inside or outside the church. Why might that be? Continue Reading »

Notes from “Lines that Etch”. Talk by Arthur Templeton.

Found in: Proverbs, Mottoes, Epigrams, Poems, Stanzas, Quotes.

June, 1835. Accepted as fully accredited local Preacher of Methodist Church – Belfast, Redcliffe, Sumner, Riccarton….

37/8/2009. Encouraged by parents, took elocution with Jean Struthers, a devoted Presbyterian to improve diction and articulation. In her tutelage learned by heart Rudyard Kipling’s:
A Smuggler’s Song,
The Ballad of East and West and
Francis Thompson’s The Hound of Heaven….

In Kipling’s Smuggler’s Song, a mother’s daughter is exhorted not to betray her Father – Watch the wall my darling while the gentlemen go by.

A Smuggler’s Song Continue Reading »

SOF TALK MARCH 26 09 – Graham Batts

OPENING
Most of us have been around the sun 60 -70 times, and we are probably here because we have not yet found a satisfactory answer to the mysteries of life etc.
The fundamental questions remain:

Why is there something rather than nothing?  – Einstein [?]
Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going!  – Gaugain
What’s it all about?  –  Michael Caine
What doth Lord  require of me? – My Father !

INTRODUCTION
Tonight it is my privilege to introduce you to The Lloyd Geering Reader.
– A collection of papers given by professor Lloyd Geering over a period of 50 years.
They have been compiled by Paul Morris and Mike Grimshaw of Victoria and Canterbury Universities.

ABOUT THE WRITER
Most of us here will be Continue Reading »

“Before the Dawn”

[A presentation by Donald Feist to the Dunedin Sea of Faith group, February 26, 2009.     It was made using quite a few Overhead Projector notes and illustrations  – most of which are  not included here.   Hence this version is in some places notes, rather than a full script.]

The trigger for this talk came from something Thelma said last year. She asked something about being able to believe in the Virgin birth, or the bodily resurrection.   What this started for me, was thinking that is it valuable to understand how far we’ve come in 500-600 years –  because once it was possible for people of intelligence and integrity to believe things like this,  whereas now it is not.

So, I want to help you travel back to before the revolution started –

back 500 years – before about 1500 BCE. Continue Reading »

“THE MORAL INSTINCT”