Beyond The Grave

by Floyd Vernon Chandler

Overview

What really happens to human consciousness at death?

How might love and immortality be related?

What is purgatory and do most religions teach the concept of purgatory?

What is spirituality?

Is the essence of the mystery we call "God" the same for the Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jew, and Muslim?

Is it more important what my religion teaches me to believe, or is it more important that my religion enables me to become more loving and compassionate?

How might one practice a reverence for life by our food choices?

How do we balance work and spirituality?

How do we balance spirituality and social-justice work?

In this collection of sermons and reflections, Floyd Vernon Chandler suggests that there are many valid spiritual paths to Enlightenment and Holiness. Understanding the mystery we call "God" is akin to the story of five blind men touching different parts of a huge elephant. Each man's description and understanding of the elephant will vary based upon the location of his touch. The importance of any religion is determined by how much our respective spiritual paths lead us to grow in love and compassion for one another and for all other forms of life on this planet.

The sermon and reflections found in Beyond the Grave: Love and Immortality express a Universalist theology that all souls will eventually be reunited with the mystery we call "God." Inherent in this collection of writings is the belief that there is truth in all religions and that there are many valid spiritual paths. No religious dogma or ideology has a monopoly on truth.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781606089385
Publisher:	Resource Publications (OR)
Publication date:	10/01/2009
Pages:	185
Product dimensions:	0.44(w) x 9.00(h) x 6.00(d)

About the Author

Floyd Vernon Chandler is an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister and has provided ministry in a variety of settings over the past thirty-three years, including parish ministy, correctional chaplaincy, and military chaplaincy.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Introduction xi

Part 1 Sermons

1 Beyond the Grave: Love and Immortality 3

2 Light and Darkness 13

3 What Is Universalism? 20

4 Universalism: A Remedy for Homesick Religious Liberals 29

5 In Praise of Doubt 40

6 Rediscovering the Meaning of Spirituality 45

7 Faith, Hope, and Love, But the Second Greatest of These Is Hope! 53

8 Celebrating a Universalist Universal Easter 58

9 Finding Meaning in the Easter Cross 63

10 What Does Prison Life Have in Common with the First Christmas? 67

11 A Grateful Heart 72

12 The Judas Principle 76

13 Lao Tzu, Buddha, Jesus, and a Ride Down Memory Lane 80

14 The Brevity of Life 88

15 Living with Our Wounds: An Easter Sermon 93

16 Silence and Worship 98

17 More Bricks, But No Straw: Reflections on Work in the United States

18 Universalism and Purgatory 119

19 Lessons from a Pair of Crutches 128

20 Finding Calm in the Midst of the Storm 134

21 Healthy Skepticism 137

22 God's Abundance 143

Part 2 Reflections

23 Lessons from an Oak Leaf 147

24 Coincidence or a Father's Final Gift? 151

25 Gardening as Sacramental Theology 154

26 Honoring Our Unitarian Universalist Veterans 156

27 On Desert Storm Celebrations 158

28 A Visit to Dachau 160

29 Everyday Fear Factors of a Meat-Based Diet 165

30 On the Eve of a Father's Birthday 168

31 Visit to a Kosovo Monastery 171

32 The Spirit of the First Christmas 173

33 Thanksgiving and Pilgrim Winters 177

34 A Memorial Day Tribute 180

Bibliography 183