In the words of a Thai Buddhist monk, Ahahn Brahm, “who ordered this truckload of dung?” However it got here, it's here. In my previous sermon, I marshalled institutional memory and the sense of “that's who we are” (at our best). This Sunday, I will invite us to consider how we can care for ourselves and each other as we shovel our way out of the situation we're in.
Why? Because that’s who we are.
What can a father give his children besides his DNA? A nurturing and guiding father can help children create meaning from their lives and experience a degree of peace. A father can help his children find strength and direction for their future. To receive good fathering is a blessing. (And, fathering can come from all kinds of people.)
This Sunday we will be exploring the art of Queer Poetry. Come join us in celebration of the LGBTQ+ community and this beautiful art form. You’ll hear five voices from our congregation sharing these poems, as well as some other voices sharing songs written by LGBTQ+ artists.
All of our lineages have experienced moments of trauma that altered the lives of our ancestors and scorched our family tree. What might we find among those ashes that could be meaningful for us today? Together we’ll have a celebration of Lithuanian culture (Šventė Lietuvos kultūros) to illustrate one such journey of ancestral rediscovery.
Due to technical difficulties, the audio of this sermon was not captured. See below to read the text of the sermon.
Join us for a belated celebration of Earth Day. We’ll explore biodiversity loss as a dimension of environmental justice, including what we can do to prevent further extinctions. Get in the Earth Day spirit by wearing greens and blues.
April brings with it a focus on both child abuse and sexual assault awareness and prevention. Today’s sermon will look specifically at the spiritual harm these kinds of violence do to their survivors, and what can facilitate spiritual healing. I will tell some survivor stories, although not graphically. Be aware, however, that some things in this sermon may trigger you. Be aware of how you’re feeling and do what you need to do to stay safe. I’m always available to talk, as are our Pastoral Associates and our Sabbatical Minister, Joel Tishken.
What if intra-Christian conflicts in early Christian history had led to a different set of victors and vanquished? What would Easter have looked like among some of the types of Christianity that were exterminated or lost? And what might this mean for us today?
Each of us, and life itself, is paradoxically both broken and whole. Come explore what key Buddhist teachings may mean for how we understand and live out this paradox. What does this mean for each of us, and what does it mean for how we approach guiding beloved community and our world toward greater wholeness?
Each of our lives are composed of many overlapping and sequential life goals. Together we’ll explore pitfalls and practices in how we journey toward them.
