Speaker: Rev. Amy Zucker Morgenstern

In the Middle of the Story

Newborns are an exception. With everyone else, when we meet them, we arrive in the middle of their story, and they arrive in the middle of ours. We may travel alongside together for a while, learning about each other’s pasts as well as getting to … read more.

Support the Weak

How apt that we come to this line of our benediction on the day before the presidential inauguration, because protecting the weak from the strong–whoever those might be at any given moment–is one of the principal purposes of government. Yet the way we achieve that … read more.

Strengthen the Faint-hearted

We continue to explore our unison benediction line by line. Today’s line, “strengthen the faint-hearted,” returns us to the theme of courage: bolstering each other’s when it grows faint. How do we do that? It might help to consider where courage even comes from.

Worship leader: … read more.

Return No One Evil for Evil

Many religious teachers agree with this sentiment from our benediction. Jesus said, “When someone strikes you on one cheek, offer him the other.” The Buddha said “Only love dispels hate.” Muhammad offered kindness to a woman who abused him daily. But we ordinary people, faced … read more.

No-Rehearsal Christmas Pageant

The choir, along with a seven-person band, is here to make our pageant a musical! Well, almost. They’ll sing several pieces to help make the story of Jesus’s birth come to life, along with whoever wishes to take a non speaking role in the play … read more.

Hold Fast To What Is Good

The words of our benediction continue to guide us in how to fight fascism. To hold fast to what is good when there are so many forces that threaten to erode it, we have to first know: what is good? What, in ourselves and … read more.

Be of Good Courage

In the service two weeks ago, we heard about a method of conversation that helps people to change their minds. The down side probably occurred to you: “Can’t anyone use this to make anyone change their minds to any idea–including really bad ones?” Well, … read more.

Uncertainty Is a Reason for Hope

Where to next? We have endured so much uncertainty. Uncertainty itself is so painful that often, we cope better with bad news than with waiting for what might be bad news. Looking at history, though, we can take hope from just how uncertain and unpredictable … read more.

A Day of Death and Love

Today is our annual Remembrance Service, when we particularly call to mind all that we have loved and lost: people, animals, friendships, hopes, abilities. Whether the losses occurred long ago or recently, loom large or are comparatively small, we honor them, because that is how … read more.