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Book List
The Universal Christ
Richard Rohr
Convergent Books, 2019Sapiens
Yuval Noah Harari
Penguin Random House, 2014Living the Examined Life
James Hollis
Sounds True Publishers, 2018The Exquisite Risk: Daring to Live an Authentic Life
Mark Nepo,
Harmony, 2006
Amusing Ourselves to Death
Neil Postman,
Penguin Books, 2005Prayers of the Cosmos: Reflections on the Original Meaning of Jesus’s Words
Neil Douglas-Klotz,
HarperOne Paperback Reprint Edition 2009Guerrillas of Grace: Prayers for the Battle
Rev. Ted Loder,
Augsburg Press, 2016Queer Virtue: What LGBTQ Know About Life and Love and How It can Revitalize Christianity
Rev. Elizabeth M. Edman,
Beacon Press, 2016Love: A History
Simon May,
Yale University Press, 2011The Great Spiritual Migration
Brian McLaren,
Convergent Books, 2016Original Thinking
Glenn Aparicio,
North Atlantic Books, 2015On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity and Getting Old
Parker Palmer,
Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2018Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World–and Why Things Are Better Than You Think
Hans Rosling, Anna Rosling Rönnlund, Ola Rosling,
Flatiron Books, New York, 2018Finding Purpose in a Godless World: Why We Care Even If the Universe Doesn’t Hardcover
Ralph Lewis,
Prometheus Books, Amhurst, NY, 2018Convergence: The Idea at the Heart of Science
Peter Watson,
Simon and Schuster, UK, 2016The Jazz of Physics: The Secret Link between Music and the Structure of the Universe
Stephon Alexander, Basic Books, 2016Integral Christianity: The Spirit’s Call to Evolve
Paul Smith, Paragon House, 2011Evolutionary Faith
Diarmuid O’Murchu,
Orbis Books, 2002The Holy Trinity and the Power of Three
Cynthia Bourgeoult,
Shambhala Publications, 2013I’m Right and You’re an Idiot: The Toxic State of Public Discourse and How to Clean It UP
James Hoggan with Grania Litwin,
New Society Publishers, 2016The Road to Unfreedom: Russia, Europe, America
Timothy Snyder,
Tim Duggan Books, 2018Darwin, Divinity, and the Dance of the Cosmos
Bruce Sanguin,
Copper House, 2007The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief
Francis Collins,
Simon and Schuster, 2007Other Resources
The Cross and the Lynching Tree,
Rev. Otis Moss. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6985UG0Z3k&feature=youtu.bePentecost sermon
Bishop Michael Curry at the Washington National Cathedral. (https://episcopalchurch.org/posts/publicaffairs/presiding-bishop-michael-currys-pentecost-sermon-live-streamed-service)10 Positive Psychology Studies to Change Your View of Happiness
Joshua Becker, 2014
https://www.becomingminimalist.com/happierCanticle to the Cosmos
Brian Swimme, Center for the Story of the Universe DVD Series, 1996Willie Nelson, April 2017 God’s Problem Child https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMT4nJwbjAU
Richard Rohr, Center for Action and Contemplation daily blog, https://cac.org/sign-up/
Author Archives: John Griffith
My Final Blog: Post Pandemic Musings
Here we are, three years later, and we can finally acknowledge we are in a post-COVID (pandemic) world. What was I thinking when I thought I could just pick up where I left off. Get back to “normal”. Liminal space … Continue reading
Advent Blog 2022 – Hope
I have been following a podcast and blog called the Mystic Cave by Brian Pearson, a retired Anglican priest. Last week I was interviewed by Brian on my spiritual journey and the place that religion plays in my life. You … Continue reading
Spiritual But Not Religious? I Don’t Think So
The saying,” I’m spiritual, but not religious” has been around for many decades now and has become a mantra for people leaving established religions but wanting the world to know they are still believers — in something. And that is … Continue reading
Know When to Hold ’em, Know When to Fold ’em, Know When to Walk Away, Know When to Run
Music has always been an inspiration to me. At a Stampede breakfast on Saturday, I heard Don Schlitz’s song, The Gambler, that was made popular by Kenny Rogers. (1) It is about an old man giving a young man who’s … Continue reading
Evolutionary Christian Thinking
It has been over a year since my last blog post. The pandemic has taken its toll on me, but it has also given me an opportunity to sit and reflect and make connections between my inner and outer life. … Continue reading
Living with a Story
For most people, the church year consists of Advent/Christmas and Lent/Easter. However, for me, being a minister for over 50 years, the church year became a frame for my life and work, although my congregation was probably unaware of the significance … Continue reading
Hanging onto Hope
It’s now been a year living with COVID 19. Every month there is a new perspective, new information, adjustments to my thinking, new questions about life as we have been living it, variants, looking forward to vaccine, and wondering what’s … Continue reading
A Thought on Telling the Truth
My wife, Sylvia, and I usually sit and talk while we have our morning coffee. Of course, we have been talking about the events of the last two days with the counting of the electoral college votes and the invasion … Continue reading
Who Doesn’t Dream of This Year Being Different?
Trying to write a blog for the new year, my thoughts have been all over the place. We’ve just been through a pandemic Christmas – a Christmas with restrictions about how we can gather with other people. As I was … Continue reading
Entering Advent With Hope
Every Advent I return to my ritual of asking the question, “What does Christmas mean to me this year?” Richard Rohr’s book, The Universal Christ, helped me put words to the celebration of the coming of Jesus. In Rohr’s view, … Continue reading
Poems and Prayers and Promises
I haven’t stopped thinking but I have not been able to share it lately. Beginning with COVID and Black Lives Matter and the U.S. election I have been oppressed by negative thinking. However, today I realize that I have been … Continue reading
Synchronicity, Fantasy or the Spirit of God?
It seems like I am in a movie, or life really is stranger than fiction. It is now October and I am back inside, mostly self-isolating, wondering who I am in the midst of a pandemic, U.S. election, Black Lives … Continue reading
I Am Tired ….
Poem: I Am Tired, July 2020 I am tired of searching for meaning And reading about letting go I am tired of preaching the meaning Of proclaiming Yes and getting No I am tired of reaching for meaning In the … Continue reading
I Don’t Know How the Angel’s Woke Me Up This Morning Soon
Here I am again at 5:15 am, an hour later than I first woke up. This has become a regular wake up call and I can’t get back to sleep. What am I thinking? Why can’t I stop thinking? These … Continue reading
The Way to Emmaus and Back Again: Reflections on 41 Days After Easter:
I am wondering how you are as we move into the third month of self-isolating. Sylvia and I look out the windows of our sun room and say to each other, “It doesn’t look dangerous out there.” And then we … Continue reading
A Template of a Spiritual Journey
Using Lent as a time of contemplation has been a long tradition for me, in which I commit to a daily time of reflection and prayer. My current question is, “What does this season mean to me this year?” Usually … Continue reading
What Was I Thinking! Mostly About COVID-19
It seems I have become obsessed with numbers, movement, self-isolation, symptoms, etc. etc. Watching the pandemic spread around the world and now to Alberta with 70 cases in Calgary. We have done well here in preparing for the arrival of … Continue reading
A New Time and Place: Transformation
Lent has always been a special time for me because I use it to reflect on my time and place in this world and prepare for the experience of Easter. When I was putting together a two-minute talk to advertise … Continue reading
A Crisis Made In Canada: Here’s What I Was Thinking
We are experiencing an Indigenous blockade of our rail lines. The Conservatives want to use force to open up the line and the Liberals are taking another path – negotiation. What do the indigenous groups want? Do they want Canada … Continue reading
Awe and Wonder
I was preparing to write my first blog for the new year on “2020, the Year of Perfect Vision”. I have been saying this as we approached 2020 because it seems to me that faith gives us a different perspective … Continue reading
After graduating from seminary I was in pastoral ministry for 30 years then moved into community ministry as the Founder and Director of Spiritual Directions, a not-for-profit personal and spiritual development centre in Calgary, Alberta. During this time I was also involved in offering spiritual direction and training spiritual directors at the FCJ Catholic retreat centre in Calgary. After retiring from 50 years of professional life the ground is still shifting, and my mind is still processing all the change in light of the gospel. I have decided to write this blog about what I am thinking and I hope you readers will respond with your own thoughts. I believe Truth comes to Light in dialogue as well as in the shadows and pathways of my mind.
What Was I Thinking! 