.
In addition to bookstore readings, David has spoken before congregations, on conference panels, and in college classrooms, as well as in small, living room readings.

Find out about bringing him to your venue; pick among the topics below, or talk with him about customizing a program for your classroom, group, or congregation. Click below to inquire about booking David.

“David, thank you—as usual, an excellent job! There were big kudos to you in the Worship Committee meeting and from the congregation for the wonderful stories, the engagement with the audience, the very thoughtful way you put it all together. They were especially blown away by your outstanding recitations of the creation story from your book. You are an excellent speaker. Bravo!”

—Stacey Meinzen, Worship Associate, Unitarian Universalists of Petaluma

Invite David to speak

T.T

Sample Topics

From Alienation to Deep Connection: Stories from The Holy Universe

The central theme is “we belong here.” David explores some of the causes of our pervasive sense of alienation, and how we can reconnect to the cosmos that created us. Topics include:

• Where our collective and individual sense of alienation comes from.
• What the “new story” says about our place in the Universe.
• What a new story of belonging and connection means to us personally and collectively.

.
How Our Stories Have Led Us Astray—and Rediscovering a Sacred Path

The central theme is “we are the stories we tell ourselves.” David talks about how our unexamined collective worldviews have led modern humanity down a technologically brilliant but catastrophically destructive path.  Topics include:

• What our stories are: what we tell ourselves individually and collectively, and how these stories interact with one another—both to our detriment and to our well-being.
• How we can make sense of what we have wrought, both on the planet and on each other.
• Nasty, Brutish . . . and Wrong: What we can do to change our stories and our actions, and how we can help ourselves discover a sacred path that is authentic to our being..

“David, after attending two of your readings, including the one at Unity Church of Palo Alto, I am impressed by the excellent way in which you have married the spiritual and scientific narratives into such an inspiring and fascinating story. I enjoyed how your engaging readings provoked questions and interactions from the groups, and the sessions showed me how relatable and significantly you have woven nuances on several levels into your book. For me, the time allowed for your readings could have been longer. Thank you.”

—Candy Preston, Retired Spiritual Leader, Unity of Fresno

.
Finding the Sacred When It All Seems Profane

The central theme is “creating sanity in a world gone crazy.” David will lead dialogues about…

• Dealing with the difficulty of living in the Western world.
• Is the world really crazy—or is the Universe up to something?
• Aligning ourselves with practices that help us connect with the cosmos, as well as exploring the connection between spirituality, social justice, and ecological issues—and making peace with the craziness in the world while also making a difference.

.
Uniting Science and Spirit into a New Story of Creation

Many of us have left the faiths of our forebears, unable to reconcile the stories and myths of the ages with the Age of Reason. Yet our souls need more than the facts of science alone—we lost much when we abandoned our stories, and our culture’s emphasis on a mechanistic worldview, while bringing us much, has also brought us ecological, social, and spiritual crises.

David brings life to the scientific study of the Universe, transforming it into a lyrical narrative of the story of Creation. In this talk, he will present highlights of this “new story” from his book, The Holy Universe, and will explore how this new story of Creation might help us through the crises of our age.

“My students really appreciated your coming to our class to explore your book more deeply. As you saw, many of them really engaged with the materials on several levels. Even the skeptics found the conversations rewarding and thought-provoking. Just a few weeks ago I bumped into one of the students again in the library, and she told me that she keeps thinking about all we covered in The Holy Universe. This one stays on the reading list.”

—Dr. Richard J. Senghas, Professor, Sonoma State University

The Poetry of The Holy Universe

In this talk, David introduces the core themes of his book, reading highlights illuminating these themes as well as discussing the process of creating the book. Ideal for bookstore readings, and author signings/Q&A sessions. Highlights include:

• The power of story, and how a new creation mythology can be united with the best of modern science, serving to give us deeper meaning in the modern, secular world.
• From the Seven Creations to Planetary Mind: the frameworks that help us make sense of the creative force of the Infinite.
• What it all means—how these frameworks can guide us through the ecological, social, and spiritual crises of our times.

“…you could hear a pin drop, the group was so captivated with what you were saying.”

—R. B. Hines, Environmental Business Council

.
Workshops and Webinars

Live workshops and online webinars are longer events (1-3 hours to 1-2 days). They range from “drop in” book groups to workshops that focus on participant interaction, relating the content of the book to each individual’s life, with an emphasis on practical applications and actions participants can take in their lives. Sample topics include:
Online Book Group with the Author
Exploring the Four Ways of Working in the World
Diving Deeper: Discussions and Dialogues about Selected Book Topics

.
Custom Events

David can also customize a program for your group’s specific needs.

Invite David to speak