11am – “A Child is Born” 5pm – ‘Candlelight  Service”

…and it’s not your baby. This is the odd and unexpected beginning of Joseph and Mary’s story. When we are faced with surprise, do we go forward doggedly with our well thought out plans or do we yield, and offer our consent to the unexpected? Come this Sunday, to experience the potential birth of hope … Continue reading “I’m Pregnant…”

This is the famous title of Barack Obama’s book which informed his successful presidential race.. Obama’s initial inspiration for the book was a sermon he heard by Rev. Jeremiah Wright who offered a thorough and impassioned interpretation of the painting done by G.F. Watts called “Hope” – a harp player clothed in rags, with only … Continue reading “The Audacity of Hope”

I’ve had  people who are 1 or 2 generations older than me, tell me: “I can’t believe we’re still dealing with the same things I was fighting against 20 years ago, 60 years ago. It’s been a long time we’ve been involved in these issues and they’re still not resolved.” In this season of gratitude … Continue reading “It’s Been a Long Time”

As we bring canned foods to this service to donate to Richard Brown, let’s talk about hunger. There are many different kinds of hunger. Besides physical hunger, one of the most debilitating and painful hungers is the inability to take in what life offers us. In the Buddhist tradition, they refer to those with this … Continue reading “Feeding the Hungry”

As I was driving down Elm street, I saw a sign outside one of the homes. It read: “We don’t have copper wire.” I knew that copper wire could be sold for profit, and I understood the point of their message – don’t gut this house. It was a sign for those willing to gut … Continue reading Do We Have Enough?

In the famous hymn “Wade in the Water,” there is a promise of trouble. There is an even greater challenge in that hymn – in the middle of that trouble is the source of our deepest longing. This is a time with an open invitation to wade into trouble. Some athletes are taking a knee … Continue reading “Wade In”

The Rev. William Barber II, who ignited the Moral Mondays movement in North Carolina, divides America into 3 distinct chapters – Reconstruction after the Civil War, Reconstruction during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s, and our present day described as the Third Reconstruction. When i thought about this perspective, I couldn’t help but think … Continue reading “Reconstruction”

The blinds are drawn – our phones are turned off, we’ve disabled Facebook, we’re careful to avoid news that were certain will be tragic. We never know what will happen on a given day. Even the topic of weather is no longer a polite topic – it is loaded with the possibility of yet again … Continue reading “Facing the Day”

This will be our first full service back in our beautiful sanctuary – celebrating Homecoming Sunday. It will be a multi-generational service that will include water communion. You’re invited to bring a vial of water from a place that has meaning for you – your home, a favorite restaurant, a place from your travels. The … Continue reading “Setting Our Hearts” – Celebrating Our 125th Anniversary