Listen to Past Sermons

Despair is so tempting these days, isn’t it? The grief, the rage, the fear, the unrelenting monotony of our everyday lives—they have the potential to sap us of energy and hope. It can feel, to use the language of the 23^rd psalm, like we’re walking “in the valley of the shadow of death,” and there’s no clear place to turn. Join us this Sunday as we reflect together on this psalm, the poetry of Linda Pastan, and the mercy that lies waiting for us in “the valley.”

Our summer theme of “threshold” can be understood as a transition point, like a doorway. But a threshold can also be a breaking point where something gives way. The coronavirus is pushing many of us towards various breaking points. Another breaking point is finally compelling a name change of the Washington football team. How can we encourage the helpful breaking points and withstand the challenging ones?

We live in challenging times of high passion and division, where sharp differences abound. Co-existing with a range of peoples, in diverse communities, always has the potential to unite and divide. What practices of compassion might we consciously cultivate, in order to increase well-being and thrive?  

On June 28, our worship service considered the role of silence in the process of transformation, whether we aim to transform society or self. This week we will reflect on poet Gwendolyn Brooks’ invitation to consider the fear, the dread, and the resistance we experience at the moment of clarity, when truth comes to the threshold of our lives and demands we open up to change. Join us to consider how compassion and shared vulnerability can serve as our next stepping stones on the journey toward new life.

Our Vespers worship service is modeled after the traditional Taizé worship service, which uses silence, scripture, prayer, and repetitive singing of short chants and rounds to quiet the mind and promote deep meditation. The Taizé Community promotes peace and justice through prayer and meditation. Our Vespers service mirrors Taizé-style attention to silence, holy words, prayer, and singing, but has also evolved to include other meditative traditions such as yogic singing and Buddhist chanting. Followed by a time for community gathering. Every second Wednesday of the month (now virtual, through Zoom).

Login online

Login for following coffee hour

DuBois wrote that “the prayer of our hearts is a petition for persistence.” In an era when tweets pass for policy, and even sound-bites test our patience, what resources can we call on to stay the course when commitments of decades are necessary? What can ground us when faithfulness is the only reasonable response to our challenges?

In his final sermon, Rev. Hardies will share reflections on the way forward through the “wilderness time” we find ourselves in.

The poet and activist, Audre Lorde, calls the erotic “our most profoundly creative source.” The relationship therapist and author, Esther Perel, suggests that eroticism is “a pathway to freedom.” Drawing on various religious traditions, Black feminist theory, and the psychological sciences, this Sunday we explore how the erotic can serve as a source of sacred and life-giving power for us all.

Like any good drama, our lives play out in acts, or chapters. A new act can begin with a career change, or a new relationship, or a major life transition. Sometimes we experience ourselves “between acts.” One chapter has ended, but the next is yet to begin. What are the gifts, challenges, and tasks for us when we find ourselves between acts?

We’ll consider the relationship between crisis and revelation, reflecting on the voices that find a clear indication of “end times” in our present circumstances—whether through religious analogies or elaborate conspiracy theories. Might not the word “apocalypse” actually invite us into something deeper and more transformative than despair?

During this pandemic I’m finding deep resonance in the Jewish story of liberation told in the Book of Exodus. I believe the Exodus story has much to teach us about how, together, we can overcome great obstacles: whether it’s this pandemic, or the even greater threat of global climate change. With Passover beginning next week, tune in on Sunday for insight and inspiration gleaned from this age-old story.