Today I focus on the importance of rituals in our lives and the need for retirement rituals.

Today We Look at Differences in the Way that Various Generations Communicate or Understand the Spirit. How Does the Australian Lyrebird Help Us to Communicate Better with the Younger Generations and thereby Grow Our Faith Communities?

Extensive research has been done to show that attending church one or more times a week actually contributes to greater mental, emotional and physical well-being, especially in the elderly. So why not give Church another try!

In this chapter Diana talks about the messiness of the body and challenges dualistic understandings of Christianity which depict the Spirit as good and the Body as evil or sinful. She also reminds us that Jesus was a flesh and blood human being who served God in and through his body and who healed by touching others. He never said: "Think about this OR fight about that." Moreover, his Healings Were Nearly Always Preceded by Physical Touch. Theology is not a head trip. It is done best in and through our bodies. In fact, that is the only way we do theology!

In chapter 5 of Diana Butler Bass's book, Freeing Jesus, we explore the meaning of John 14:6, where Jesus says: "I am the way, the truth nad the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

Jesus did not teach a conventional rules-based wisdom. He was not interested in correct beliefs or proper morals. Rather he embodied a way of love, a way which called people to to center in God, and in the path of sacrifice, a way that would lead to a new heart. As Diana talks about her memories of her best teachers, she recalls people who taught from the heart. Do you have memories of a special teacher who taught with compassion and embodied love?

This week we explore the introduction and chapter one of Diana Butler Bass's most recent book, "Freeing Jesus." What are your earliest impressions of Jesus? How has your understanding of Jesus changed over the years? How might we begin to remove the barriers and fences that the Church has erected around Jesus over the centuries and truly free him -- and also free ourselves -- to share his message of love and justice and compassion for all?

This coming Sunday, we celebrate Jesus the Good Shepherd. What does it mean to describe Jesus as our Good Shepherd? You may find it helpful to hear this psalm from the perspective of an avid baseball player.

Telling funny stories at Easter is a way to symbolize that God got the last laugh over Satan when God raised Jesus to new life.

The human body is a miracle, which contains 20 million kilometer of DNA and ten thousand trillion cells. These cells are being replaced many times during the average adult's life. So why would we think that God who has created us will not continue to grace us with existence in a marvelously new, resurrected body? The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is God's promise that we too will live eternally with God. This is why we celebrate Easter for seven weeks -- and on EVERY Sunday of the year!