Another Rigby Podcast: As Great As We Are America…God Likes Other People Too!

Take The Lowest Place or What Does It Really Mean to “Surrender”?

Dr. James Rigby

The last in Dr. Rigby’s series of coupling the writings of Eastern Taoism together with the texts of Western Christianity, in which he manages to unravel the mysteries of life in under twenty minutes.

It’s important to me that my readers know this man, this pastor, who has been faithful to one path called Truth for his enitre life, dedicated to one congregation called St. Andrew’s for more than twenty-five years, and committed fully to equipping humanity to live out their lives fully, in ways that press us towards our highest compassion, our deepest love, and our most authentic selves.  Unlike any theologian, pastor, minister, evangelist, televangelist I’ve ever known, he’s not selling anything.  He’s not after our pocketbooks.  He’s not after fame and wealth.  He doesn’t dress in expensive suits or drive expensive cars or even own a home–he’s more like the “Columbo” of ministers, living a modest and unassuming life.  He’s on this planet to do the work of justice; Dr. Rigby does so, every day of his life, with utter humility and grace.  He’s real, he’s funny, he’s deep and everytime he speaks, he articulates what most of us can’t even begin to put into words.  I am so grateful for this teacher, his life, his gifts that has surrendered on behalf of the greater good of and for us all.  {More on Dr. Rigby and his podcasts can be found on http://ashtoraspeaks.wordpress.com]

Master of storytelling, using metaphors and images from life in addition the symbols of the ages, Rigby attempts to help each of us to understand the concept of ‘Surrender’ in its deepest, most valuable context.  With the intimacy he shares with those who listen, self-evident, whether you actually “get this” or not, you’ll find this teacher’s insights easy to listen to, thought provoking and entertaining.  You can write him, Dr. Jim Rigby with your questions and comments:  jrigby0000@aol.com  He always takes the time to write back.

The spoon never tastes the soup; because it is not porous [the spoon] misses out on tasting the soup…so can we, if we don’t open every pore to the gift of this day and the next day….Rigby, 2008

[for Carol Creel's blog on Surrender, refer to www.lifeworks-marketing.com]

 

Red, Green and Brown, The Earth is Where Truth Is or What is It You’ve Traded Your Real Worth For?

The Humility of Christ Podcast, Dr. Jim Rigby for Small Things podcast, see http://ashtoraspeaks.wordpress.com

Gifted and beloved, Reverend Dr. James Rigby has pastored the Wells Branch Community’s congregation of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Austin, TX for more than twenty-five years.

 

The Humility of Christ Podcast–unlike lessons heard from any other pulpit, let alone those of Rick Warren, Joel Olsteen or from any other “mega church” pulpit; and quite frankly, unlike any mainstream theologian, Dr. Rigby works to establish the truth that Real Love is Being Your Authentic Self!

These are my notes from the Reverend Dr. James Rigby’s most recent podcast.~~Ashtora

Confessing that our own Christian texts can be hard to hear~~we’ve heard them in such bad ways, they may sound like Jesus is “King” and we can never find worth, Dr. Rigby refutes this interpretation, saying instead that Christ in his humility revealed our own humanity to us…that by being willing not to be a King; that by being willing to be naked, and to be abused and not having his own worth effected by that, that he took us to our own worth as human beings…this sacred message has been heard all over the world.  Listen to the sacred text from Taoism.

From Taoism, a Nature Religion, the Sage speaks:

Joyful are the masses as though feasting after a great sacrifice of oxen…motionless am I…how dejected as though having nowhere to return…I alone am bereft…I alone seem confused…I alone am vague and uncertain…how nebulous as the ocean…the masses all have a purpose, I alone am stubborn and uncouth.  I desire to be uniquely different from others by honoring the Parent who nourishes.

What is the biggest problem you now face in life?  Mystics through the ages tell us the biggest problem we all share is our ego which is somehow related to a wound that’s hard to deal with.  Dr. Rigby defines ego as a problem we all have… a constricted notion of ourself that clutches on to our own being…we’re so afraid of losing ourselves that essentially we choke ourselves into numbness. 

When you began this journey, he says, there was a tenderness in your heart….Much of the religious journey is getting back to your heart, simply making it where you can feel again.  This may not sound religious, but what else has meaning in the world, if your own heart is numb? he asks.

Reverend Rigby speaks of disowned humanity.  Human beings will sometimes appear muddled, stupid and confused in the eyes of other people and we have to be willing to suffer being scoffed, if we’re going to be authentic.

Though nobody wants to be an orphan, and nobody wants to be rejected, the loving person risking authenticity is willing to be rejected…can’t quench your thirst with a mirage…can’t find self-esteem in the eyes of another person.  Every little afront will rip your heart out when you don’t know your own value.  When we try to live in images, it’s incredibly easy to be upstaged.

Red symbolizes the one human blood.  We may not know anything else in the world, but we know we’re all human.

We know that we’re all human…humility brings us to a basic sanity.

Secondly, We can Lose our true self when we think our worth increases when we pile up stuff.

Jim reveals his own ego lies in accumulating books.  He’s a literary addict.  Nothing jazzes him like books.  Cannot leave a bookstore without buying a book.

Piling up stuff can trick us into not realizing our real worth…into thinking if we have “that”, then people will know how valuable we are.

We can counter that trickery with this mantra:  I have nothing.  I am nothing.

Quote from Johnny Cash, right before he died,  “You can have it all, my empire of dirt”…talking about how worthless everything is if you don’t realize what your heart is worth.

The Life in You is the Most Valuable Thing You Have!  What would you trade it for?

Green- symbolizes Life.  Value your life over any object.

Scripture doesn’t really give us miracle stories but rather stories celebrating the basic irresistability of life itself~~i.e., stories of miracles~~Water into Wine.

Trade away our true selves by wanting to be higher up in the hierarchy…happens in families, churches, jobs…we think we’re worth more by obtaining elevated status.  Whoever wins the rat race is still the biggest rat.  Can we have the self-love to get off that track?

Brown symbolizes we’re made out of clay.  We come from the soil.  If that makes you feel worthless or worth less, you’re suffering from an essential disorientation.  Your link into the earth is where the gravity comes from.

Buddah bent over and touched the earth when asked where his authority came from–that’s where truth is.

Have you ever been so enraptured by someone that when asked who you were, you couldn’t answer for just a second?  I hope you’ve been that close to somebody before.  When you have, you’ve been in touch with a much more important place.

Whatever we identify as our “biggest problem” is really just a symbol for what we’ve replaced our true worth for.  Leave the foam of all our problems and settle into the broth of reality.  I have nothing.  I am nothing.  I’m everything.

Red, the one common blood of our humanity; Green, the Life; Brown of the Earth.

The Humility of Christ Podcast, Dr. Jim Rigby

It’s a Wonderful Life! Dr. Rigby and you are loved for your authentic self, your authentic love…not for your books.~~Ash

THAT’S NOT LOVE, “Pastor Rick Warren”–GO DEEPER

While Joan Walsh concerned herself with the merits of our nation’s current Presidential Candidates, I was more stunned by Rick Warren’s–who, by the way, is not MY pastor–obvious participation in a Republican setup, and his apparent lack of credentials, character, integrity, and authenticity, in stark comparison to the Reverend Dr. Jim Rigby, who stands out in any convention of religious leaders, regardless of how “mega” their churches are–including Joel Olsteen, the pastor of what I believe to be the nation’s largest “mega” church–The Woodlands, in Houston, Texas. 

For a nation searching for answers, who might be turning towards religion and religious leaders for guidance in finding their answers, I just hope we don’t give up, dismayed by the belief that “Pastor Rick” is the best there is because he’s written a best seller and has built a “mega church;” and I would challenge “Pastor Rick Warren” to GO DEEPER.  Love doesn’t give or impose upon others your own answers, but rather equips them with the tools they’ll require for digging and discovering their own revelations–and challenges them to do so.

Before you give up, feeling there is no authenticity, integrity, genuine love and leadership left in this world, try listening to the mentor I found over twenty years ago.  His genuine humility, compassion for all of humanity, instinctive rudder for navigating through the darkest, most troubling waters, and integrity, even when facing the most daunting of circumstances, stand out and loom large over the televangalists of this world.  I speak of the Reverend Dr. Jim Rigby, pastor for more than 25 years, of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Austin, Texas.  He’s no televangelist.  He never gives answers.  He teaches map making and navigational skills; he helps equip you with the shovel and pick you need to ferret it out for yourself.

Reverend Rigby has devoted his entire life to answering the question, “What is truth?”  Beacause one cannot discover truth without first knowing the right questions, his pursuit of truth led him to a life of studying everything that purported to be truth.  He’s shared his studies with those who attend this small neighborhood church of St. Andrew’s, also in search of truth.  Dr. Rigby knows more about what he’s talking about, than anyone I’ve ever met or heard.  His words and opinions are based on thorough research, not ignorance or vain opinion.  Though small, this church’s membership has continuously been comprised of genuine, authentic people with open hearts, open minds and open arms; for me, it is the most MEGA of all churches.

The Reverend Dr. Jim Rigby has left his indelible footprint on my life and I believe his messages and teachings leave their mark on all who are privileged enough to hear them.  Listen to this one, and see if you agree.  http://www.staopen.com/podcast/Rigby_0810.mp3

If you would like to hear more, visit the podcast index of his recent messages.  http://www.staopen.com/podcast/index.php

St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church’s website is located here:  www.staopen.com

Warning:  If you want to be told WHAT TO THINK, don’t go here.  If you can’t hold up to having your ideas challenged; if you’re not willing to go deep into your questions and issues, don’t go here.  You will not be placated here.  These teachings will challenge you and your beliefs beyond what anything else has ever accomplished.  Proceed with caution.

[Note:  This blog, by far, represents the boldest, most opinionated I've written.  The recent televised religious interviews prompted this.  I suspect that as a result, there will be more.  I welcome your comments and conversations.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finding the Eternal in the Temporal or The Empty Vessel Never Filled

\”The Empty Vessel Never Filled,\” by Dr. Jim Rigby

I promised you pages on the people, places, things, and experiences that have made my life wonderful; so, may I start at the TOP?   Here’s Dr. Jim Rigby of Austin, Texas, teaching on what he calls, “The Empty Vessel Never Filled,”  but I call it, “Finding the Eternal in the Temporal.” 

[Look for the word "Comments" below, at the end of the tag word list.  Click on this in order to post your comment on this podcast or blog.]

In this, his most recent scholarly teaching, Rigby addresses a distinguished audience of Christians, Atheists, Agnostics, Pantheists, Buddhists, Taoists, and people of just about any race, creed, political, religious or anti-religious perspective.  Worth bearing in mind, perhaps, is the fact that this audience gathered and assembled themselves in a small building on the corner property of Wells Branch and Wells Port, called St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, located in the Wells Branch suburb of Austin, TX,  where the oft controversial justice advocate, Dr. Rigby has taught for more than twenty years, specifically to hear the Reverend Dr. Jim Rigby eloquently expound on his topic of choice.

Though brilliant, his teachings have brought him oftentimes, harsh criticism from theologians, traditional religious figures, the Presbyterian Synod, Mission Presbytery, legal zealots, anti-gay activists and even members and former members of the church itself. 

In this particular podcast, Jim dares to illumine Christian text with Taoist teachings, merging texts into one message that has the power to continuously inform and transform our lives, providing the richness and presentness one might not hear elsewhere, from more conventional theologians.  The podcast begins with a reader citing text from Christian scripture, then Dr. Rigby, with the skill of an Artisan, weaves in Tao text, stories, humor, Science, history, metaphors and rich poetry.  The result may provide just what you need to hear in order to heal that certain hurting aspect of your life that has kept you from getting past the losses and changes you’ve experienced:

http://www.staopen.com/podcast/index.php  or http://www.staopen.com/podcast/Rigby_0810.mp3

To hear Jim’s unique perspective and perhaps find the answers to such questions as, “What is Eternity?” and “Why should we not worry?” click and play the above podcast link or choose from the index of topics, “The Empty Vessel Never Filled.”  Especially listen for sandcastles, bubbles, and Edgar Allan Poe’s, “Dream Within A Dream.”  Your comments are invited.  I look forward to hearing from you.–It’s a Wonder-ful Life!  Ash

Finding the Eternal in the Temporal or The Empty Vessel Never Filled

\”The Empty Vessel Never Filled,\” by Dr. Jim Rigby

I promised you pages on the people, places, things, and experiences that have made my life wonderful; so, may I start at the TOP?   Here’s Dr. Jim Rigby of Austin, Texas, teaching on what he calls, “The Empty Vessel Never Filled,”  but I call it, “Finding the Eternal in the Temporal.” 

This podcast is his most recent scholarly presentation, given live before a mixed audience of Christians, Atheists, Agnostics, Pantheists, Buddhists, Taoists, and persons of just about any religious or anti-religious perspective.  Worth bearing in mind, perhaps, is the fact that his audience assembled themselves in a small building, located in Austin’s northern Wells Branch suburb, called St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, where justice advocate and often controversial Dr. Rigby has taught for more than twenty years, for the specific purpose of hearing him [Reverend Dr. Jim Rigby] speak his mind on his topic of choice.

His teachings have oftentimes ignited harsh criticism from theologians, traditional religious figures, the Presbyterian Synod, Mission Presbytery, legal zealots, anti-gay activists and even members and former members of the church itself. 

In this particular podcast, Jim dares to merge Taoist teachings with Christian teachings into one that has the power to continuously inform and transform our lives, providing richness and presentness:

http://www.staopen.com/podcast/index.php

To hear Dr. Rigby’s views on Taoism and Christianity, click on the above podcast link and choose from the index of topics, “The Empty Vessel Never Filled.”  Your comments are invited.  I look forward to hearing from you.–It’s a Wonder-ful Life!  Ash

Finding the Eternal in the Temporal or The Empty Vessel Never Filled

\”The Empty Vessel Never Filled,\” by Dr. Jim Rigby

I promised you pages on the people, places, things, and experiences that have made my life wonderful; so, may I start at the TOP?   Here’s Dr. Jim Rigby of Austin, Texas, teaching on what he calls, “The Empty Vessel Never Filled,”  but I call it, “Finding the Eternal in the Temporal.” 

In order to post your comments on this blog or Dr. Rigby’s podcast, scroll down to the end of this blog, find the word “Comment” at the end.  Clicking on the word “Comment” will allow you to post your thoughts.

In this, his most recent scholarly presentation, given live before a distinguished audience of Christians, Atheists, Agnostics, Pantheists, Buddhists, Taoists, and persons of just about any religious or anti-religious perspective, Dr. Rigby strives to illumine Christian text with Taoist teaching.  Worth bearing in mind, perhaps, is the fact that his audience assembled themselves in a small building, called St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church,located in Austin’s northern Wells Branch suburb,  where justice advocate and often controversial Dr. Rigby has taught for more than twenty years, for the specific purpose of hearing him [Reverend Dr. Jim Rigby] speak his mind on his topic of choice.

Though brilliant, his views and teachings have oftentimes ignited harsh criticism from theologians, traditional religious figures, the Presbyterian Synod, Mission Presbytery, legal zealots, anti-gay activists and even members and former members of the church itself. 

In this particular podcast, Jim dares to merge Taoist teachings with Christian teachings into one message that has the power to continuously inform and transform our lives, providing richness and presentness.  The podcast begins with a reader citing text from Christian scripture.  When Dr. Rigby addresses his listeners, he brings in Tao text, stories, metaphors and poetry–taking us deeper into the original text than perhaps we’ve ever ventured.  The result may provide just what you need to hear in order to heal that certain hurting aspect of your life that has kept you from getting past the losses and changes you’ve experienced:

http://www.staopen.com/podcast/index.php  or http://www.staopen.com/podcast/Rigby_0810.mp3

To hear Dr. Rigby’s views on Taoism and Christianity, click on the above podcast link and choose from the index of topics, “The Empty Vessel Never Filled.”  Especially listen for sandcastles, bubbles, and Edgar Allan Poe’s, “Dream Within A Dream.”  Your comments are invited.  I look forward to hearing from you.–It’s a Wonder-ful Life!  Ash