Speaker: Worship Committee

Ambiguity/Paradox

“Uncertainty is the only certainty there is,” wrote mathematician John Allen Paulos. “Knowing how to live with insecurity is the only security.”  Though evolution might have rigged our brains to resist uncertainty, we can never really know what the future will bring. In improbable situations … read more.

Joy and Regeneration

Joy is a life-line to hope, to the conviction that tomorrow can be better than today, and to the belief that the struggle is worth it. The rebirth of joy is a process that often begins where evidence of possibility is not obvious. Yet the … read more.

Circle of Life

As Chief Black Elk said, “Everything the Power of the World does is done in a circle.” Yin and yang, these complementary opposites are expressed in a circle. We live in circles within circles. The rotation of the Milky Way, the solar year, the seasons, … read more.

Power

 In 1857, Frederick Douglass said, “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will.” Thus, a struggle will be required by each generation to renew, repair, and/or reclaim things like democracy, equality, liberty, freedom, and other rights that can be denied … read more.

Courage

The root of courage is corage, the Old French word for heart (as the seat of emotions). In middle English, uses included bold corage meaning “brave heart.” As Aristotle said, “Courage is the first of human virtues because it makes all others possible.” Courage is … read more.

Faith

Most of the founding fathers were Deists, Unitarians, or similar faiths that believed that God does not directly influence the world or order its events. They believed in rational thought, in personal responsibility for actions, and the need to protect the innocent.  On the anniversary eve … read more.

Celebrate Summer Solstice

Midsummer, when the sun is at its highest point in the northern hemisphere, has been the occasion of celebration since ancient times. Members of the worship committee welcome the sun and the cycle of seasons on our earth. 

Memorial Day

from the Touchstones Project , presented by Worship Committee Members

After the Civil War, both Northerners and Southerners flocked to Memorial Day celebrations that urged peace, forgiveness, and honoring the heroism of all soldiers. Memorial Day in its earliest forms met the psychological and social need … read more.

Theological Reflection – from Touchstones

Theological reflection is a life-long endeavor, an essential process to identify principles, clarify values, take seriously that which we do not believe, explore those ideas that make us uncomfortable and/or challenge us, and ensure that our beliefs are life-enhancing. Please join us for theological reflection.

Balance

Life depends on balance. It is the principle of yin and yang. Dark and light, hot and cold, wet and dry. Sometimes balance is easy, like being on a seesaw. At other times, it is a high-wire act with all the risk that entails when … read more.