Last week Carolyn asked a very thought-provoking question, one that resonates deeply with many Seventh-Day Adventists. I wrestled with this question myself for years. She asked, “How do the 10 Commandments fit into the life of grace? If grace is freely given, why does God repeatedly emphasize the importance of keeping the commandments?” This question…

I have always searched for answers, for the truth. Socrates said “The unexamined life is not worth living”. If I knew what is important from what isn’t, I reasoned, then I can live a better life, a life worth living. It annoyed me but also amused me that most people didn’t seem to contemplate or…

I would like to both acknowledge and dedicate this class to my friend Debora who has been instrumental in bringing this to life.   Last week I received a message from Alice. It was quite obvious from her message that she had experienced a moment of awe. When Moses asked God for His name, God…

Divinity refers to the quality or state of being divine or godlike. It can encompass broader concepts, not just the nature, powers, or essence of gods, but also abstract universal principles such as a “divine energy”. So a divinity may be a specific, personal being or just something that is beyond human or material, such…

Last week the question was: “Do you see this world, this life, as essentially good or as essentially evil?” Perhaps what we were missing from this discussion is that the designation of what is good and what is evil is relative. It is based on the observer. It comes from a human centric vision. When…

We often say, among ourselves, that this is a wicked world (except, of course, for the perfectly pious bit we occupy and have control over!) But is it true? I am going to assume a debating stance, arguing both for and against the motion that this is a wicked world, and then invite you all…