“An intelligent guilt can be a stimulus and a guide.” January 17, 1965 As 1965 began, Rabbi Olan contemplated the meaning and relevance of New Year resolutions. Are they useless exercises or helpful aspirations? In …
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Let Us Resolve
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What the New Year Holds in Store
“ If there is a moral law in the universe, then if we choose the right we shall achieve the good.” In his sermon of January 23, 1966, Rabbi Olan begins by making it clear …
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To Affirm a Faith
“The beliving person lives with the faith that upon him rests the destiny of the world.” At exactly four minutes, “To Affirm a Faith” is the shortest sermon in the SMU online database… and perhaps …
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Religion’s New Look
“Religion is trying to get along without God. It is somewhat like producing a new style in an automobile and removing the engine at the same time.” In Rabbi Olan’s day, many Americans were attracted …
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The Unleavened Life
“It is time that we cleaned out all of the fermenting leaven of our lives and got rid of it. It is time to eat unleavened bread, symbol of the new, the hopeful, the fresh, …
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The Bible Without God
“Hope is the central theme of the Prophetic faith.” Delivered 3 days short of a month after Bloody Sunday, and 3 years to the day prior to Rev. Dr. Martln Luther King, Jr’s murder, Rabbi …
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Psychology and Religion
“Religion is not a science, and psychology is not religion.” On March 28, 1965, Rabbi Olan preached a sermon designed to differentiate therapeutic psychology from the religious thought and practice. This seems to have been …
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A New Look at Good Will
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Right Will Prevail
“It is solemnly and piously announced that God, justice, and truth will always prevail.” Sometimes it’s difficult to believe in God or a higher power, especially when it seems that everything is going wrong. In …
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Slander – An Unforgivable Sin (Second introduction)
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” (Proverbs) In his sermon “Slander—An Unforgivable Sin”, of February 7, 1965, Rabbi Olan justifies the inclusion in the Ten Commandments of the Ninth Commandment: the …
