In his masterwork, “Walden,” Henry David Thoreau explained that he “went to the woods to live deliberately.” In this sermon, we’ll explore what it might mean to live in a deliberate and conscious relationship with the sacred natural world. How do we and can we help Nature thrive and protect it through our activism and … Continue reading The Heartbeat of Trees: A Sermon for Earth Day
In his masterwork, “Walden,” Henry David Thoreau explained that he “went to the woods to live deliberately.” In this sermon, we’ll explore what it might mean to live in a deliberate and conscious relationship with the sacred natural world. How do we and can we help Nature thrive and protect it through our activism and … Continue reading Questions from the Abyss: Mental Health Awareness
In the Parable of the Widow’s Mite, an impoverished woman tosses two copper coins into the Treasury. Is this meager or substantial? Can we applaud her contribution or do we view it as insufficient? Is it enough to create a feeling of abundance and gratitude? This morning, as we launch our annual Stewardship campaign “Be … Continue reading Stewardship Sunday – Two Copper Coins: The Effort is The Standard
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
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
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”
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
