There’s an ancient Hebrew story about a Pharaoh who gets so stuck in his ways that he’s unable to change no matter how bad things get for him and his people. As a society and as individuals it seems too many of us suffer the same kind of inflexibility, doing the same things over and over again, from all the terrible news stories we repeatedly see, to clinging to our ideas about being right even when the evidence says otherwise. Perhaps, like Pharaoh, if we can’t break free of our own worst habits they will end up destroying us.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, perhaps a few images of the Cosmos are worth trillions of light years. In this message we will explore our minuscule place in the Universe by reflecting upon a few of its awe inspiring depictions.

Since the term was first coined in the early 20th century, fundamentalism has been associated with a particular religious mindset. Exploring this mindset, however, makes it more akin to a mental disturbance than to a legitimate religious perspective. In this sermon I will call upon the American Psychiatric Association to list fundamentalism as a disorder in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual.

Given all the violence happening in the world by Muslim extremists, some have come to conflate Islam itself with terrorism. Some have even suggested law enforcement should pay special attention to Muslim neighborhoods. And some seem to think all Muslims are foreigners. In reality, Islam is the religion of many peaceful American citizens who ought to have their rights protected and be treated with the same respect anyone else.

Working on my doctorate was profoundly transformative for me. My dissertation on the Psychology of Religion led to certain insights and conclusions that have altered my perspective on life and made me a more content, positive, hopeful, and, perhaps, healthy individual. I’d like to share some of these insights with you.

Creationists regularly dismiss evolution by pointing out it’s only a theory, suggesting it hasn’t been proven. The “theory,” however, has to do with questions about how evolution happens, not if it happens. We can watch it happen in a Petri dish in just a few hours, or look to physiological adaptations in some species that are occurring right now. Saying evolution doesn’t happen because it’s only a theory is like saying music doesn’t happen because we teach music theory.

As we begin a new church year, I’d like to pause and reflect upon some last year’s sermons that have most transformed my own outlook.

It doesn’t seem to be getting much airplay, but there are signs a revolution is occurring in our nation, if not throughout our world, in which ordinary people are demanding a more level playing field for everyone. I’m personally excited and hopeful about this time of peaceful social transformation, but am also cautious about how we should proceed. In this sermon, I will discuss the difference between a rebellion and a revolution, and what it means to be truly revolutionary in our approach.

Even after the nationwide recognition of same sex marriage and the game changing transition of Caitlyn Jenner, there remains much animosity toward those in the LGBTQ community, and there are many working to turn back the clock. Whether it’s bathroom signs in the era of … read more.

Prison in the United States is a kind of Hell on Earth, in which people are locked away as punishment for their evil ways, from which they remain marred with their original sins for the rest of their lives, even if they do get out. … read more.