New keynotes 2001

Discover below the keynotes and talks of Bruce

Vocations-God’s Calling	Angels- You are Messengers of Hope	Jesus and Peter’s Most Excellent Adventure	The Stonecutter
Jesus and Mary Magdalene	Colors of Life	Voices that Challenge	Seeds of Change
40 Developmental Assests	Woman at the Well	Loved, Accepted and Connected	Other Popular Topics

Vocations-God's Calling...
A vocation is a loving, generous, and compassionate response to our baptismal call to serve and give testimony to Jesus Christ in the world as a single, married, ordained, or consecrated person.

Angels- You are Messengers of Hope
Just as God called Gabriel to be a messenger of hope, God calls us to be angels and messengers of hope in this world. When we let the quiet take over, we can hear the voice of God shouting.

Loved, Accepted, and Connected
Three things we want most in life, to love and be loved; to accept and feel accepted; and to connect and feel connected. God loves us just the way we are, unconditionally. Christ asks us to love ourselves. God accepts us and asks us to accept ourselves, and those around us. We connect with God through prayer and the turning of our lives over to God’s will. We connect with each other as the living Body of Christ with, and for, one another.

Jesus and Peter’s Most Excellent Adventure
This keynote uses a story by writer John Shea called "Goin' Fishin'". It details the adventures of Saint Peter taking Jesus on a fishing trip. Peter reminds Jesus that he (Peter) was once known as “the Greatest Fisherman in all of Galilee.” In trying to convince Jesus and the other fisherman of his worth, Peter comes up short. In the end when he gives up, his boat is filled with fish.
Bruce reflects several different ways about this Scriptural Drama. He can address self-image, and how God loves us all. He also uses this story to reflect on the call of God and Christ to vocations as single, married, religious and ordained life.

The Stonecutter
Using a Japanese fable as the background, Bruce brings 5 youth up on the stage to help him tell this story. It follows the tale of a Stonecutter who always wants to be someone or something other than he is presently. The drama is hilarious, and gives the youth an opportunity to really ham it up!

The keynote focuses on the challenge in contemporary society to always be like everybody else. It challenges the myth that we all need to have the "right" kind of clothes, house, car, shoes, listen to the "right" kind of music, etc.

Jesus and Mary Magdalene
Bruce wrote this drama that shares the ministry of Mary Magdalene with Jesus. Using the song "Lean on Me", Mary follows the journeys of Jesus from Galilee, to the healing of Lazarus, to Golgotha.
The keynote asks the question, "Who is there for you?" and "Who are you there for?

Colors of Life
This keynote uses a story and music that celebrates the multicultural richness of our culture. While we are diverse as a nation or region and treasure our particular heritage, the story that we are writing as a people together, is that of the Body of Christ.
Through Christ, on our journey together, we become one with each other and with God. We are many parts, yet the sum is greater than the parts, and we each have our own story to contribute.

Voices that Challenge
This story is Jephthah's Daughter from Judges. It tells about a young woman who was sacrificed by her father because of his vow to God. She pleads for a favor of two months to travel with her companions before he fulfills his vow, which he grants. The story and reflection, concentrate on the journey and what her friends said to her.
We are all on a journey, together with Christ. The issue at hand is what do we say to one another, to our families, to our Church, to our God, and to Christ.

Seeds of Change
This is one of Bruce’s favorite keynotes. He uses a story from Ed Hays’ book, “In Pursuit of the Great White Rabbit”.
The story is about a Russian merchant, Nikita the Mean, who, even when confronted with death, won’t change. It is a funny, yet often poignant fable of a man’s desire to keep everything he owns, and maybe things he doesn’t…
Bruce reflects on change, and uses other sources as examples, including “Who Moved my Cheese?”

Woman at the Well
A lovely drama from the Gospels, Bruce works with an actress from the local community to relate this story of “Spirit.” Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at a well at midday. Their ensuing dialogue rings loudly in reminding us of our own thirst for “Living Water”.
Bruce reflects on the symbols of light and water in this Gospel story. He speaks about inner feelings we all share, and the desire to be cleansed and freed.