Archives: Services

Burning Bowl

James Donovan will lead our annual Burning Bowl Ceremony over Zoom. This year’s theme is Goodbye 2020.

Christmas Eve Service

Join us on December 24 for our virtual Christmas Eve service! This is a traditional service of lessons and carols, ending with a virtual candlelighting–for this year, you’ll need to provide your own candles. 🙂   It will be streamed live from the sanctuary on Zoom and Facebook at 6:00.   Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/92484402622?pwd=djhvQk1hckhWcndtMGhaOElOYnRZdz09 Passcode: … Continue reading Christmas Eve Service

Don’t Put Off Being Happy

I once heard a preacher say, “Don’t let anything steal your joy.” Let’s explore happiness and holiness as we enter a season that seems to have little of either this year. How do we find true happiness? What in the world is holiness? Here are some lessons about happiness you’ll never forget!

Sing Noel!

Our annual Sing Noel! service is completely virtual this year. Happy holidays from all of us at Hope!

Hope is Yours!

It’s one of those old conundrums: we must lose hope in order to find it. What will it take to be the embodiment of hope, of being hope itself? I’ll offer three ways of doing so, regardless of your circumstances or beliefs. This is the final installment of the Hope Series.

Grief and Gratitude

As we look toward the end of this year of untold grief, we are in a season traditionally focused on gratitude and joy. It can feel somehow wrong or disrespectful to celebrate when we are immersed in such suffering. Yet grief and gratitude are inextricable, as are joy and pain; life is not divided into neat … Continue reading Grief and Gratitude

Where in the World is Hope?

All around the world, hope abounds in the everydayness of life. When ordinary people rise above their circumstances and make life better for others, hope is restored. We’ll survey some of the projects and plans that were built on hope.

Hope is Suffering

Sometimes hope eludes us. We may have to endure hardships and the waiting almost takes us to the breaking point. What is the role of our sufferings on the road to Hope? Why isn’t that road easy to navigate?

Hope is Fleeting

Author Steve Goodier, writing about the human spirit, has observed, “It seems to run on nothing but a morsel of hope. Without it, you have nothing. With it, nothing else matters.” Is it really darkest before the dawn? What if dawn never comes? We’ll consider the experiences of poet Alexander Pope, Brigadier General Robinson “Robbie” … Continue reading Hope is Fleeting