Fall 2009 Services (Tentative)

This is a draft. Note that December is open and that many of the months have dates that may be switched around, depending on what the worship team wants to do and when... But this is a start. December is open for two reasons: i want to hear from you the Religious Education staff about Christmas pagaent and i will know more about themes that will be especially relevant.

The dates can easily be switched around.

August 2: Blessed are the peacemakers

A sermon about three favorite peacemakers…Dorothy Day; Theodore Parker; and Thomas Merton. After a five minute introduction to each, we sing a song.

August 9: The Emperor of the US with Scott Richard

Scott introduced me to some character who just sort of decided that he’d be the emperor of the US. So I thought we could do a reflection together: if you could be any kind of superhero or …, what would you be??? A reflection on identity and desire and self-awareness and self-acceptance. Light-hearted but with a message that might endure.

August 16:

SERMON TITLE: Marginalia

Based on a poem by Billy Collins, those little moments that come out of nowhere and lead to epiphanies, new awareness, new ways of being in the world.

August 23: Lay led service.

August 30: U and I

The importance of small group ministries at HPC, with testimonials.

September 6: perhaps lay led.

If not lay-led, I’ll probably do something on

The Meaning of Work or the Tao of Work or something like that.

September 13: Water Service.

September 20: The Tangled Bank. The tangled bank is an image that Darwin uses in his Origins of Species. This is a service on nature and contemplation and so on.

September 27: What Baby Suggs Taught

Here is the origin for me of the image of the walking stick. I use the story from Beloved by Toni Morrison of Baby Suggs preaching out in the clearing.

October 4: A service on paganism

October 11: Perhaps: A Happy Atheist Walks Into a Church...

October 18: The Power of Forgiveness (Yom Kippur)

Using clips from award-winning PBS documentary, The Power of Forgiveness, we’ll talk about reconciliation—personal, political, and communal. And draw on a wide range of interfaith voices—Thich Nhat Hanh, Elie Wiesel, Marianne Williamson, etc, etc—to bring up this crucially important idea.

October 25: Perhaps Autumn Reflections or perhaps Day of the Dead.

Either way, I anticipate using lots of voices from the congregation at this time. Participatory service for sure.

November 1: The Power of Generosity

Why is generosity and stewardship so important in every religious tradition? At a bank the other day, I saw a sign that said: It’s not what you make, it is what you save. I wondered if we could say: it’s not what you make, it’s not what you save, it’s what you value and build and support.

November 8: To humanism!

November 15?

November 22: The Power of Gratitude

Why is gratitude such an important part of the journey towards wholeness? What is it about gratitude that is so compelling? What does gratitude stand for?

November 29: Bread Communion

I’m leaving all of December open, wanting to hear from the Religious Education staff about when the children’s pageant might be and what other traditions might occur during this time. Plus, I will have become a bit more aware of some of the themes that really need to be addressed, so even though I have ideas, I’ll keep this open.

December 6:

December 13

December 20:

December 27: Champagne and Chocolate Service

Sometime in February:

A Theology of the Blues

We’ll need to find a blues band. We’ll explore the themes that the blues provides and the way that the blues can help us think about really important questions.