Bill Ellis

Anybody Want to Dance?

Bill Ellis — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:09:00 GMT

This one is for Michelle Meech , whose graduation from seminary and impending ordination as a deacon has been on my mind recently. I am a person who loves to think about the great large sweep of things, historic trends, where humanity is headed, that...(read more)

Fire and Light

Bill Ellis — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:06:00 GMT

With Beth having fun in Mexico, I have volunteered to lower the standards of the VTH by publishing an extra post or two. Here is a poem I just ran across that got me to considering what it takes to express our spiritual perspective. Woulds't thou know...(read more)

Read Any Good Books Lately?

Bill Ellis — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:05:00 GMT

I have made myself way too busy in the last month, and have neglected more important things. My need to check in with the VTH finally overcame the intertia of administrative stuff and has led me to write about a book I just finished. I realize this isn't...(read more)

Another Thought on Music

Bill Ellis — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:49:00 GMT

John Cage was a 20 th Century American composer whose work exhilarated, enraged and even befuddled audiences for more than half a century. His definition of music as “the organization of sound” led him to experimental constructs of all kinds, and his...(read more)

Play It Again, or Don't Think Twice, It's Alright

Bill Ellis — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:43:00 GMT

A long time ago in the midst of strife and warfare and strife caused by warfare part of a generation dared to imagine a new world of peace and harmony, and dared to believe that it could be realized not only in some supernal realm where burdened souls...(read more)

Knockin' on Heaven's Door

Bill Ellis — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 17:59:00 GMT

I have this vague memory that we have discussed this on the VTH before, so stop me if you have heard this (no wait, you can't, I am blogging) but recent events here at the Cathedral in Spokane have led me to think once again about my funeral. I enjoy...(read more)

The Big Boo Boo (It really was a big one)

Bill Ellis — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:56:00 GMT

I just got back from the General Convention of the Episcopal Church, which is doubtless of little interest to lots of visitors to the VTH. But, as is my wont, I began to ponder things as I was returning home. Even in the Episcopal Church it turns out...(read more)

It was the Ribbons, Ribbons, Ribbons

Bill Ellis — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 16:14:00 GMT

I just got back from Haiti, and I have decided to go with more of a "stream of conciousness" post than my usual style. Aristide's expressed hope that Haiti could rise to the level of "Poverty with dignity" has not yet been realized. Everywhere you look...(read more)

I Don't Know, Maybe it was the Roses

Bill Ellis — Mon, 11 May 2009 17:21:00 GMT

Well, I am off to Haiti next Tuesday. I don't know quite I why am going except that I am part of a cathedral that is seeking to develop an international outreach, and a couple of members have been in Haiti and really, really wanted us to get started there....(read more)

resurrection

Bill Ellis — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:16:00 GMT

Well, it is getting on toward that time of the year when the folks in the spiritual tradition I share begin to concentrate on death and new life. Here are a few observations for those who might be interested. For a long time the Church in its various...(read more)

My Latest GST (Grand Sweeping Theory)

Bill Ellis — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:24:00 GMT

I am not much for grand theories of everything. Marx had one, Hegel had one, Freud had one, and sooner or later all of them more or less went by the boards. I am not quite up to the standards of those three, and so any grand sweeping theory I have is...(read more)

What Was the Question Again?

Bill Ellis — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 19:04:00 GMT

In a recent exchange of comments about another blog Beth wondered if perhaps I might compose something on the work of Douglas Adams, author of "The Complete Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy," an English radio program that became a series of books, unless...(read more)

Choose Ye This Day

Bill Ellis — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:32:00 GMT

Beth's Advent blog stimulated a really good discussion that I could not resist joining, and it inspired me to expand on my thoughts. The question that arose was how can we know what is true or absolute, and how can we separate the truly sacred texts from...(read more)

Spiritual Leadership and the Re-humanizing of our World

Bill Ellis — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:08:00 GMT

This post is part of a synchroblog of Christian writers on the topic of leadership. When I think about spiritual leadership from the perspective of the Christian tradition I find myself in an odd place. I begin with the conviction that it is not possible...(read more)

The Spirituality of Politics and the Politics of Spirituality

Bill Ellis — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 23:25:00 GMT

Beth's recent blog inspired me to offer a few thoughts of my own on the connection between spirituality and politics. Here they are. These days most of us can see the difference between religion and spirituality. Some of us, like me, believe the two can...(read more)