As we follow the long thread of hope through Advent, we arrive at the week when our Advent Wreath encourages us to think about joy. Like hope, joy is not something we get right out of the box. Here we explore how we get there and how Paul can possibly expect us to “rejoice always.”
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Hope is the theme of the First Sunday of Advent, but we’re going to stretch it across the entire season as we hope for peace, joy, and love. In a society where we expect our transactions and communications to be instantaneous, the more sublime virtues of faith require patience. How can we sustain hope in a world that wants hope’s fulfillment yesterday? Welcome to Advent.
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In this, the final sermon of Pastor Anne Robertson’s Monster series, she asks us to consider why we might actually need monsters. Pastor Anne reflects on an essay by philosopher, writer, activist, and professor of psychology, Bayo Akomolfe
. “I say, ‘Release the Kraken!’ Unleash the primal on the familiar, disturb the edges, dispute the layers, find a place of stillness, press your ears to the ground to feel the rumblings of things outside your philosophy, linger by the shrubbery, improvise new rituals, pay homage to the nonhuman, and acknowledge the wilds whence you came.” —Bayo Akomolafe
Be sure to watch all the way to the end to see and hear our choir perform the Finale from Les Miserables. Soloists include James Guiterrez and Jenny Zuk, as well as Bryan Hilliard on trumpet and flugelhorn.
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The subject of heroes is more complex than you might think. To better explore the nuance, I have invited Sal Caraviello to join me in conversation on the topic instead of a traditional sermon. While Sal and I have talked through some general questions, the conversation during worship will be unscripted in the hopes of helping us all find some better questions rather than definitive answers.
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Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a Mexican holiday that mirrors the Christian celebrations of All Saints and All Souls on Nov. 1 and 2. I use the word “mirror” intentionally, because Día de los Muertos encourages us to look at the same thing (remembering those who have died) from a different angle. While our remembrances are typically serious and somber, the Mexican tradition is joyful and fun. Death is the ultimate monster. What can we learn from this celebration by our southern neighbors? Speaking of neighbors, the music that precedes this sermon was written and performed by one of our neighbors, Randall Kromm. You can hear more of Randall’s music on his website,https://www.randallkromm.com
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