In the Exodus story, Yahweh makes four promises to the Israelites. Yet, when Moses ascends Mount Sinai, the Passover pilgrims falter and construct a golden calf (a forbidden idol), causing their leader to smash the 10 commandments against the rocks. These shards were placed in the ark of the covenant along with the second intact … Continue reading Shards in the Ark: A Sermon for Passover and Easter
Growing up, many of us were told to be good little boys and girls. Goodness, however, may not be the best spiritual goal. Perhaps we should aim for health in our spiritual lives, our bodies, our families, our communities, and our national democratic institutions. Rev. Katie Larsell preaching with Worship Leader Patty W. Music by … Continue reading Good or Healthy?
She’s an icon. A queen of country music, an author, entrepreneur, a voice for working class women, and a philanthropist. She’s Dolly Parton, seemingly beloved by folks of all stripes in our increasingly factionalized country. As we continue Women’s Herstory Month, we’ll explore how she does it and what can we learn from her “Dolitics” … Continue reading Dolly, Indivisible: Reaching Across the Cultural Divide in America
What does it mean to have a “heart of green?” In my view, it is a heart lush with love, grace and generosity of spirit. In the current climate of an epidemic of “every person for themselves,” what might radical generosity look like to you and how have you experienced it and offered it yourself? … Continue reading A Heart of Green – A Sermon Towards Radical Generosity
Five years into being a widow with no grandchildren, children in their 50’s who didn’t need me, I (Carol Knox) felt compelled to write my autobiography which may be found at Eastrose. In order to feel like I had a purpose–for a while–and maybe even discover who I am now. After having realized how valuable it is … Continue reading And Then There Was Laughter
Do women deserve rights and a voice in society? This quest has been a struggle for centuries. Two systems in our country shape an answer to this seemingly straightforward question. In one, we are fully entitled, and in the other, we’re not or we’re threatened to have whatever equality we currently have stripped away. Rabid … Continue reading Mainstreaming Misogyny
When Viktor Frankel wrote his landmark book, “Man’s Search for Meaning” in 1946, he couldn’t have envisioned a time when people would be consulting artificial intelligence for the answers to life’s most probing questions about being human. Are we on the cusp of a society that will engage with religion, philosophy, and community with a … Continue reading AI and “The Meaning of Life”
“This Little Light of Mine; I’m gonna let it shine.” We sing these words, but what is this light and what are we to do with it? Marjorie explores the light within each of us and how we might tend it so that we may use it with courage to light our way and shine … Continue reading This Little Light of Mine
As Valentine’s Day approaches with its mythic view of romance, we’ll explore why it can be so difficult to give and receive love and how we can soften into the comforting hug just outside of our resistance. What might it mean to “have without holding?” Is devotion possible in our Maybe-I-Do world? How can we … Continue reading Open Your Arms If You Want to Be Held: A Sermon Towards Devotion
In his acclaimed, Pulitzer Prize winning novel, “James,” Percival Everett offers us a compelling and provocative retelling of the Huck Finn story. Our title character, James, is the familiar “Jim” from the Twain tale, but he lives a double life here. As a slave, he speaks and behaves as “expected” by the culture around him. … Continue reading “James” and the Expectation of Blackness
