February 15, 2015, The Rev. Doyt L. Conn, Jr. preaching
Richard Rohr, in his book Immortal Diamond, says, ‘The agenda of the soul is to have no agenda whatsoever EXCEPT to see what is, as it is.’ That is what I want to talk about, seeing what is, as it is.”
April 19, 2014, The Rev. Doyt Conn preaching
Prayers, fire, thanksgiving, stories, birth, water, a small meal, death, they all come together on this most holy night and are given meaning by the Resurrection. It is the next step in the process, in the evolution. Resurrection is the new thing. It is not resuscitation; it is transformation into an eternal form. The Great Vigil of Easter gathers up all that is old; all that is foundational and fundamental and rolls it together and marks it as God’s own forever. Tonight we celebrate the new fire, the new light, the new insight that Jesus gives us. We are drawn into Resurrection. It makes everything else make sense.
March 30, 2014, The Rev. Kate Wesch preaching
We had a day of true Sabbath on this campus yesterday as nearly 20 people gathered for a Lenten Quiet Day. From 10 till 5, we prayed together, ate together, meditated, daydreamed, studied, and rested….all in silence. It was a lovely experience and offered a taste of what Sabbath rest was like in Jesus’ day.
March 9, 2014, The Rev. Kate Wesch preaching
From now until Easter, we are invited into the holy season of Lent. That means turning inward and intentionally working on being the person God wants you to be.
March 5, 2014, The Rev. Doyt Conn preaching
Has it ever happened that someone has had the wrong impression about you? Have you ever been misinterpreted, misunderstood or seen by someone as a person you believe yourself not to be? The prophet Joel whom we hear today portrays a people who feel misunderstood.
February 17, 2013, The Rev Kate Wesch preaching
Last Wednesday was Ash Wednesday. About 100 of us gathered here in this place to meditate on how God sees us, what it means to enter a season of penitence and fasting, and to spend some moments embracing our mortality. The ashes smeared on our foreheads in the sign of the cross are such a visceral, earthy and outward sign of that mortality.
April 7th, 2012, Rev. Kate Wesch preaching
In the name of God: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
On this most holy night, we gather in vigil and prayer, in darkness and with light, for this is a pivotal moment. Right now, we stand in a liminal space – on a precipice between death and resurrection. It isn’t Easter yet, but Lent has drawn to a close.
March 18, 2012, The Rev. Kate Wesch preaching
The other day Doyt and I were talking about the people in our lives. We were commenting on the increase of late in overall crabbiness, arguments, and general irritability – ourselves included. “What is this about?” Doyt asked me.
I had been thinking about this for a few weeks and had my answer ready. “It’s March in Seattle” I replied. “That’s what’s going on.” We are tired of the clouds, tired of the rain, vitamin D deficient, and ready for some sunshine. Road rage is always worse this time of year. People are cranky in the grocery store and patience is at an all time low. Add to that the recent time change and you have already grumpy people who are now sleep deprived as well.
It’s no coincidence that the liturgical cycle follows the weather pattern each year. As we make our way along the Lenten journey, we transition from winter’s cold/dark nights and days, to a promise of spring and new birth at Eastertide. Each passing day brings a little more daylight and the hint of better things to come.