Posts belonging to Category Inspiration
Posted by David on March 6, 2010
If there is anything that makes some of my fellow Unitarian Universalists more uncomfortable than my military past and probably future, it is my willingness to call myself, both in public and from the pulpit, a Christian. I remember one day in particular that a parishioner in my internship congregation came up to me after [...]
Categories: God, Inspiration, Ministry, theology
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Tags: Chrisitan theology, Christ, Christian, Christian faith, David Pyle theology, Jesus, Jesus of Nazareth, theology, Unitarian Christian, Unitarian Universalist Christian, Universalist Christian, UU Christ, UU Christian, UU's for Jesus
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8 comments
Posted by David on December 23, 2009
It was Christmas, so I called home. That may not sound like much, but after the day I had just had, it was everything in the world to me.
I had woken up that morning in my bunkbed made of plywood and 2×4’s, in a bombed out hotel room in Sarajevo, Bosnia. There was no running [...]
Categories: Inspiration, Military, Prophetic Voice, Turnings
| Tags: Bosnia, Christmas, Christmas Eve service, Christmas Peace, hope, peace, Prevlaka, soldier call home, Soldier's Christmas, UCE, Unitarian Church of Evanston, war
| 1 comment
Posted by David on November 8, 2009
I have intentionally not written anything about the recent mass shooting at Ft. Hood, committed by an Army Psychiatrist, because I did not want to jump to any conclusions. We still do not know enough to draw any conclusions save one… soldiers saved other soldier’s lives that day.
I am humbled by the reports that soldiers [...]
Categories: Inspiration, Military, Prophetic Voice
| Tags: Ft. Hood, Ft. Hood shooting, hope, Inspiration, Major Hasan, secondary traumatic stress disorder, STSD, tragedy
| 10 comments
Posted by David on October 9, 2009
In a surprising announcement (that perhaps should not have been so surprising) the Nobel Committee announced this morning that the 2009 Nobel Peace Price has been awarded to President Barrack Obama. They cited his efforts to reach out to the Islamic world, and his use of diplomacy rather than unilateralism in the United States’ foreign [...]
Categories: Inspiration, Patriotism, Prophetic Voice, Social Engagement, politics
| Tags: 2009 Nobel Prize, Bush imperialism, Bush Nobel Prize, Nobel, Nobel committee, Nobel Peace Prize, Obama diplomacy, Obama Nobel Prize, peace, President Obama, Prize
| 11 comments
Posted by David on September 30, 2009
My wife and I were looking at the photos and video in the media of the devastation in American Samoa, following the tsunami. My wife lived in American Samoa in a tent for months at a time, on archaeological digs. Just as I did after hurricane Ike hit our former home in Galveston, TX… we [...]
Categories: Inspiration, Turnings
| Tags: American Samoa, pictures, Samoa, tsunami
| No comments
Posted by David on September 5, 2009
Since I was 9 years old, Science Fiction has played an amazingly important role in my life. I am secure enough in my identity that I do not mind admitting my personal geekdom. In truth, I credit a decent amount of who I have become to my encounter with science fiction over the years. The reason? [...]
Categories: Inspiration, Turnings, theology
| Tags: fantasy, religious fiction, religous science fiction, sci fi, sci fi religion, science fiction, scifi, theological fiction, theology
| 7 comments
Posted by David on August 25, 2009
During the months of July and August I have been on “Staycation”, and I have decided that I love it! Unlike the many vacations I have taken in my life, I actually feel refreshed and recharged at the end of these 8 weeks. Usually after a vacation, I feel tired and worn down, even though [...]
Categories: Care of the Soul, Inspiration, Ministry
| Tags: David Pyle, ministerial sabbatical, sabbatical, spiritual rest, stay-cation, staycation, vacation at home
| 2 comments
Posted by David on January 31, 2009
January Intensives are over… and I’m both happy and sad. I am happy that I have survived, I am sad that some of my favorite people in the world are headed home to parts across North America. January is a special time at Meadville Lombard, but it is also a difficult time.
It was especially hard [...]
Categories: Inspiration, Turnings
| Tags: Lombard, Meadville, Meadville Lombard, Meadville Lombard Theological School, MRP, school, seminary, Unitarian, Unitarian Universalism, Universalism
| No comments
Posted by David on December 31, 2008
A year ago today I debuted a new design for the Celestial Lands website, one that allowed me to add to the long standing online journal/archive that has served me well over the years something I did not know if I would actually use… a blog.
It is hard to believe that it has just been [...]
Categories: Blogging, Inspiration, Turnings
| 7 comments
Posted by David on September 4, 2008
It is always in these times of transition in my physical life that I seem to think the most about the continuing transformations in my spiritual life. My life is, has been, and probably always will be a bit nomadic. At first, it was following my father around from assignment to assignment. Then, I joined [...]
Categories: Inspiration, Reflection on Quotes, Turnings
| Tags: bible, faith, Jesus, rock, shifting sands, transformation, transitions
| No comments
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