The Foundation has, for twenty-two years, been providing speakers on liberal (non-literal, non-dogmatic and non-exclusive) theology. The impact on individuals has often been dramatic. However, these individuals have continued to find in their churches’ liturgy and teaching the same traditional language unchanged from their childhood. Ministers express their frustration in not having an accessible source for worship materials and ideas. Taking the time necessary to create one’s own materials is often difficult to do. This is a place where ideas and materials can be posted, and to which ideas and materials that have been generated can be posted for others. Material does need to exhibit, as much as possible, fresh images, striking metaphors, contemporary understandings and common sense. The material posted is not copyrighted and can be adopted as one sees fit for one’s particular setting.

After the reading of the scripture, instead of saying, “This is the Word of God,” the worship leader could say, “These are our sacred stories.” The congregation could still reply, “Thanks be to God.” Over time, that phrase will shape a non-literal view of the Bible among the members of that congregation.

If you use, or come up with, a different idea, write and share it.

Rarely is Bible scholarship shown in in the pulpit and so people are left with simple and literal readings. A straightforward introduction to the reading the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness went this way: The story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness is today’s scripture reading. This story does not appear the Gospel of John, appears in an abbreviated form in the Gospel of Mark and is fully told only in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. However, the three temptations are not in the same order. Now, that raises questions of the serious readers of the Bible. Today, I am reading from the Gospel of Matthew.

If you use, or come up with, a different idea, write and share it.