PlainSpeech Messages | Find YOUR way to GRACE.
I recently read a message I’d given in 1984 and felt a mixture of embarrassment and surprise. Embarrassed because it seems inadequate now, and surprised by how much my worldview has changed. Twenty-five years from now, I might read these messages and have a similar reaction. I offer no guarantee that my work or words will endure the eroding effects of time. I can only assure you these thoughts have been helpful to me, and perhaps a few others, today. With that qualification, I offer them to you.
~ Philip
NEW!
What Does It Mean to Be Spiritual? (11)
VIEW VIDEO On August 17, 2021, the Taliban in Afghanistan, hoping to project an image of moderation, pledged to honor the rights of women, vowing to form an “inclusive Islamic government.” On May 8, 2022, a scant eight months later, the Taliban passed a law requiring...
Let’s Graduate
VIEW VIDEO It is an honor to have our graduates with us today. How proud your family must be of you, and how delighted we are of your accomplishments. For the past twelve years, some days when you didn’t feel like it, you woke up, got cleaned up, got dressed, ate...
What Does It Mean to Be Spiritual? (10)
VIEW VIDEO When I was a kid, I loved going to the movies at the Royal Theater in Danville, especially matinees, sitting in the dark on a Saturday afternoon, then staggering outside disoriented by the sunlight, like a second morning to the day. Mr. Ahart owned the...
What Does It Mean to Be Spiritual? (9)
VIEW VIDEO I was talking with a man not long ago who learned during our conversation that I was a Quaker minister. He said, “I used to be a pastor.” I asked him how long he had served as a pastor and he said, “Well, it was a long time ago, and I only lasted three...
What Does It Mean to Be Spiritual? (8) Easter 2022
Well, Easter Sunday has arrived in its entire splendor. Early Friends didn’t celebrate Easter, and still don’t with the same enthusiasm of other Christians. We believe no one day is more sacred than another, that each day is a fitting day to celebrate the principle of...
Palm Sunday 2022 (John 12:12-26)
Well, it’s a pleasure to be here. If my records are correct, this is my fifth time to speak from this pulpit, which means I’ve spoken here one more time than I did the first church I pastored, where I lasted only four Sundays before letting it slip I didn’t believe in...
What Does It Mean to Be Spiritual? (7)
When I was a kid, my dad worked for Johnson Wax, selling Raid bug spray, Pledge furniture wax, and Glade air freshener, driving from one small town to another, all over the state of Indiana. It was the perfect job for an extrovert, seeing old friends and making new...
What Does It Mean to Be Spiritual? (6)
When I was in my late teens, I began dating a nice, young lady and was growing fond of her. I think she was feeling the same way, because one day she invited me to dinner so I could meet her family. I saw this as a positive development since most of the other girls I...
What Does It Mean to Be Spiritual? (5)
VIEW VIDEO I have a friend I’ve known about 10 years. I only see him once a year when he returns to the area. I met him at a talk I was giving, but then he moved shortly afterwards, and we’ve managed to stay in touch through email and the occasional phone call. Once...
What Does It Mean to Be Spiritual? (4)
VIEW VIDEO It is good to be back with you. I was in North Carolina last Sunday, speaking to Baptists at a Methodist retreat center. I drove down, but Joan stayed in Danville, hoping to avoid my habit of listening to radio preachers on long car trips. I listen not so...