Gratitude ... and Chapter 8 from the Tao te Ching

I'm very grateful to Kate Beysselance, Billy Erler and Jason Sherlock for sharing their musical gifts during today's service on "Beginning Again", and to ministerial candidate Sue Browning for assisting with the many spoken parts. I'm grateful as always for the ushers, tech support on the sound board, cup-washers, bookstand-people, coffee servers, and indeed, each congregant that was present.

I somehow shuffled my notes this morning during the sermon and couldn't find the reading below from the Stephen Mitchell translation of the Tao te Ching. All 81 chapters can be found here.

Chapter 8

The supreme good is like water,
which nourishes all things without trying to.
It is content with the low places that people disdain.
Thus it is like the Tao.

In dwelling, live close to the ground.
In thinking, keep to the simple.
In conflict, be fair and generous.
In governing, don't try to control.
In work, do what you enjoy.
In family life, be completely present.

When you are content to be simply yourself
and don't compare or compete,
everybody will respect you.

... Enjoy the new week!

Aloha

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Comment by Bernie Hyde on July 16, 2012 at 10:58am: Always one of my favorites...Thank you.

Comment by Barbara Johnson on July 9, 2012 at 11:59am: Awesome message Carlton. I am going to send these words to my son. And the music was great. It was a pleasure to be led so freely and warmly in worship yesterday.

Comment by Cynthia Adcock on July 9, 2012 at 11:22am: Thanks, Carlton This is both so true, and so comforting. And really, you embody this in so many ways. Stay cool and be happy, Cynthia

Comment by Bill Fogarty on July 8, 2012 at 9:30pm: Thank you to Carlton, for putting together a great service, which resonates with me on many levels. If you missed it, check out the sermon when it becomes available. And I am hoping that perhaps there will be more re-enactments of stories from Greek mythology -- your Sisyphus was awesome.