From the Heart of the Minister:
Texts That Shaped My Soul
Sunday, May 3rd I led a service entitled “Texts That Shaped My Soul” This was the culmination of my sermon series on Sacred Texts of World Religions. After going through all the different texts of World Religions, I wanted to point out that each person finds meaning in different texts, some traditional and some very nontraditional. Of course, people are shaped by ways other than texts. However, texts were the focus of this series. In the sermon I defined Sacred Texts as texts that ask hard questions of us, invite us to see ourselves, and the world, differently, and help us navigate meaning-making in our lives.
I invite you to think about what the top 10 texts that helped shape your life?
Please join me for my final class on Sacred Texts on Thursday, May 21st at 6:30pm in the Lexow Wing and Sunday, May 23rd via Zoom at 3pm. Most of the classes this year have been more instructional in format. This class will involve participants sharing what their sacred texts are. Throughout the year we have had 60 people attend at least one of the classes, a wonderful testament to our congregant’s curiosity. Whether you have attended a class or not, you are welcome to attend this class to share and hear from others.
Here is a list of the books I mentioned in the service in no particular order.
1) The Dhammapada
2) Otherwise by Jane Kenyon
3) Holocaust Books
Exodus by Leon Uris
Night Trilogy by Elie Wiesel
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
4) Comic Books
Spider Man
Dr. Strange (The Ancient One)
Ghost Rider – Son of Satan
X Men (Wolverine)
5) Book of Job – Hebrew Scriptures
6) One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest by Ken Kesey
7) Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman
8) Peace Is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh
9) The Iceman Cometh by Eugene O’Neill
10) The Tao – by Laozi (not mentioned in service as I had to cut for time)
Many many more books are considered sacred to me. As I look at my list, I notice almost all of these were read earlier in my life. My reading and my genres have expanded over the years, and reshaped me. These were the ones that originally shaped me.
With a grateful heart
Rev. Jay
Sunday, May 3rd I led a service entitled “Texts That Shaped My Soul” This was the culmination of my sermon series on Sacred Texts of World Religions. After going through all the different texts of World Religions, I wanted to point out that each person finds meaning in different texts, some traditional and some very nontraditional. Of course, people are shaped by ways other than texts. However, texts were the focus of this series. In the sermon I defined Sacred Texts as texts that ask hard questions of us, invite us to see ourselves, and the world, differently, and help us navigate meaning-making in our lives.
I invite you to think about what the top 10 texts that helped shape your life?
Please join me for my final class on Sacred Texts on Thursday, May 21st at 6:30pm in the Lexow Wing and Sunday, May 23rd via Zoom at 3pm. Most of the classes this year have been more instructional in format. This class will involve participants sharing what their sacred texts are. Throughout the year we have had 60 people attend at least one of the classes, a wonderful testament to our congregant’s curiosity. Whether you have attended a class or not, you are welcome to attend this class to share and hear from others.
Here is a list of the books I mentioned in the service in no particular order.
1) The Dhammapada
2) Otherwise by Jane Kenyon
3) Holocaust Books
Exodus by Leon Uris
Night Trilogy by Elie Wiesel
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
4) Comic Books
Spider Man
Dr. Strange (The Ancient One)
Ghost Rider – Son of Satan
X Men (Wolverine)
5) Book of Job – Hebrew Scriptures
6) One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest by Ken Kesey
7) Way of the Peaceful Warrior by Dan Millman
8) Peace Is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh
9) The Iceman Cometh by Eugene O’Neill
10) The Tao – by Laozi (not mentioned in service as I had to cut for time)
Many many more books are considered sacred to me. As I look at my list, I notice almost all of these were read earlier in my life. My reading and my genres have expanded over the years, and reshaped me. These were the ones that originally shaped me.
With a grateful heart
Rev. Jay
