Rev. Leuchtenberger is our senior minister. Read more.
We all expect someone who has experienced the death of a close friend or relative to grieve, and we send cards, make casseroles, and participate in rituals to acknowledge their loss. We may be less sure how to respond when someone’s cat dies, or they tell us they are separating from a partner, or they … Continue reading Grief is Grief
It’s delightful to be surrounded by “saints” who do the right thing, say the right thing, and generally model a way of being that is healthy and inspiring to others. “Saints” value community and communities love and welcome “saints.” And then there are those who don’t always do the right thing, say the right thing, … Continue reading Communities of Saints and Sinners
Our mission statement concludes with the aspirational words: “Transforming ourselves and the world.” The choir just sang “Now is the time for change.” And across the political spectrum, the status quo is seen as something that needs molding, revolutionizing, or reforming. So how does it work? What theories of social and cultural change seem most … Continue reading Everybody Want to Change the World
“Radiate boundless love towards the entire world,” the Buddha is quoted. A worthy goal, yet potentially overwhelming and vague in its application and scope. Jesus taught that “faith the size of a mustard seed could move mountains” (Matthew 17:20-21). Perhaps, then, mustard seeds of love, is all we need to reach the larger world as … Continue reading Mustard Seeds of Love
On Nov 17, 1957, Martin Luther King delivered his famous “Love Your Enemies” sermon. We will listen to parts of the sermon and reflect on the timeless relevance of what MLK shared that Sunday, and why he claims we must start with a look at ourselves if we want to understand the hate we perceive … Continue reading Love Your Enemies
Three ways we will embrace the dark: First, a celebration of the darkness so helpful for regeneration, for slowing down, for fallow time, sleep, sabbatical, and rebirth. Then a heeding of the darker sides in all of us, so valuable for accepting ourselves and others more fully. And a nudge to the darkness of grief, … Continue reading Embracing the Dark
“Awe is the emotion we experience when we encounter vast mysteries that we don’t understand,” writes Dacher Keltner in his book, Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. We can find awe anywhere. It requires no money or the burning of fossil fuels. All of us can find … Continue reading Awe, Yes Please
God is mystery. Much of life remains a mystery, often beyond words, yet palpable, real, and open to understanding at some deeper, mysterious level of conscious and unconscious awareness. The mystery shows up in music & art, in the miracles of nature, the brilliance and emptiness of space, the cycles of life, the return from … Continue reading Dancing with Mystery
Touch can be a most important source of healing and joy, for children and adults alike. Many of us long for more touch – from the right person, in the right way, at the right time. Touch can also be a devastating source of pain, fear, and abuse. How do we tap into the healing, … Continue reading The Power of Touch
Come hear first hand stories about what it can be like to arrive in Concord as a refugee, perhaps knowing no English, arriving with few belongings, largely disconnected from networks of cultural and family support. And hear the stories of what it can be like to befriend a family of refugees, growing into a … Continue reading Being & Befriending Refugees in Concord
