Rev. Axel Gehrmann and W.A. Micah Forstein Is creativity a skill or a talent? Is it innate or carefully acquired? Are creative people a small group of artists and inventors – or is creativity a gift we each have been given? This morning we will explore the experience of creativity and how we might nurture … Continue reading “The Creative Process”

Rev. Dennis Hamilton and W.As. Bjorn Nilson & Christina ZaroWhen rafting through a rapids, if you get sideways to a big rock your raft will wrap around it and dump everyone in the drink. If you work with the current it will slip you past the rock and send you safely on. Everything flows, even … Continue reading “Going With the Flow”

Rev. Axel Gehrmann and W.A. Kathleen CraigApril 22 is Earth Day. The motto of this year’s observances is “Invest in Our Planet.” Environmental activists encourage us to: Get Inspired. Take Actions. Be part of the green revolution. It is a call for us to resist practices and policies – both locally and globally – that … Continue reading “Overcoming Our Resistance”

Rev. Elaine Gehrmann and W.A. Shannon MorrisonIn her book Rest is Resistance: A Manifesto, Tricia Hersey says, “Treating each other and ourselves with care isn’t a luxury, but an absolute necessity if we’re going to thrive. Resting isn’t an afterthought, but a basic part of being human.” This morning we will explore the precious power … Continue reading “Rest as Resistance ”

Rev. Axel Gehrmann and W. A. Corey BrunsonOn Easter Sunday we remember the life and teachings of a prophet, who, in a memorable sermon on the mount, encouraged us to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us. Jesus, it seems, was a powerful preacher. For centuries his call to love even … Continue reading “Turning the Other Cheek”

Rev. Elaine Gehrmann and Worship Associate Ann Jacobson In the Star Trek universe, the tagline of the invading species “the Borg” is “Resistance is Futile.” Perhaps this is a psychological ploy, perhaps a time-saving attempt, perhaps a fact, stating the inevitable. We have all had times when we have felt powerless in the face of opposition … Continue reading “Resistance Is Futile, Or Is It?”

Kathleen Craig, Maren Martin, & Bjorn NilsonVulnerability is a quality that we all grapple with. We’ll talk about the various types of vulnerability (there are at leas five!), how our level of vulnerability can impact our relationships, and how people react to us. Vulnerability is being discussed in our culture now more than ever before; … Continue reading “Sharing Our Vulnerability”

Rev. Dr. Jay Atkinson and W.A. Lauren KeenanYear by year, ever more dramatically, we see how the spiritual health and physical vulnerability of humanity is intertwined with Earth’s vulnerability. Human and planetary salvation are existentially linked. If we cannot learn to live together, we will surely die together. Rev. Dr. Atkinson is Minister Emeritus of … Continue reading “Salvation for Ourselves and the Earth”

Rev. Elaine Gehrmann & W.A. Simona Bartl“We’re built to live simultaneously in love and loss, bitter and sweet,” says author Susan Cain. In our society it seems that we are continuously pressured to seek happiness, and to avoid depression and sadness. This morning we will explore the importance of our human experiences of sorrow and … Continue reading “This Bittersweet Life”

Rev. Axel Gehrmann and W.A. Page Galloway  The psychiatrist M. Scott Peck writes, “There can be no vulnerability without risk; there can be no community without vulnerability; there can be no peace, and ultimately no life, without community.” This raises several questions: When is it worthwhile to risk making ourselves vulnerable? In which ways are … Continue reading “Risking Vulnerability”