I hope you will plan to join us during Holy Week and for one of our FOUR services on Easter Sunday. Two are outside (7 am Sunrise & 9:30 Bridge) and two are inside the sanctuary with overflow in the Chapel (9:15 & 11:00). We continue to observe CDC safety protocols. Palm Sunday begins the greatest week of the year for Christians – Holy Week. Jesus’ decision to enter Jerusalem riding on a donkey fulfilled Zechariah’s prophecy and was an emphatic statement of who he was – the messiah. But his kingdom......

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Life is difficult and full of storms. To be human is to experience the existential reality of this statement. On Sunday, I said that over the past year, we have been living in a perfect storm with multiple waves. The first wave was the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the lives it has claimed, the fear it has brought, and the drastic way it has altered our routines. Second, we experienced the wave of heightened racial tension following the unnecessary death of George Floyd which led to protests, riots, anger, and significant......

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During Lent, we are journeying through the Gospel of Mark in a sermon series called “The Life of Jesus.” Mark is the oldest gospel, written by John Mark around 65-70 CE. Scholars believe that Matthew and Luke receive much of their material from Mark. Mark is basing his gospel account on the teachings and perspective of the Apostle Peter. Since Peter was always with Jesus, many think this gospel is the closest thing we have to an eyewitness account of the life and ministry of Jesus. Mark has a strong emphasis on......

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Rev. Michael Curry serves as the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church and recently published a timely book called “Love Is the Way: Holding on to Hope in Troubling Times.” We are certainly living in troubled times. Curry rose to fame in 2018 when he was asked to preside over the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in London at Westminster Abbey. Billions watched from around the world. On that day, Curry discovered that his core message resonated across the globe, in every nation, with all people. Curry says, “Beyond......

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I teach a class at Vanderbilt on faith, politics, and rapid polarization in American culture and how the digital age has now ushered in unprecedented anger, incivility, and a crisis of truth. The research in this field is grounded in moral psychology and the basic foundations of liberal, conservative, and moderate ideologies. NYU professor Jonathan Haidt is a prominent figure whose work is highly respected. In his book The Happiness Hypothesis he says: “My research confirms the common perception that liberals are experts in thinking about issues of victimization, equality, autonomy, and......

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Happy New Year! As we enter 2021, Tennessee remains in a very difficult place related to surging cases of Covid-19. In conversation with our Board and out of respect for the wishes of our Mayor and Governor, we have decided to remain virtual for the next two Sundays (Jan 10th & 17th) for worship. We plan to return to the sanctuary on January 24th with our safety protocols in place. We will also continue to offer our online and live-streamed services. Our leadership continues to monitor the Covid situation. We pray for......

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Somebody once said, “What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.”  But this year, we have lost many lives.  Over 330,000 people in our country started 2020 with absolutely no idea that a novel RNA virus would bring their life to an abrupt end.  Whether they died “from” Covid-19 or “with” Covid-19 really doesn’t matter.  They are no longer here.  Their families are left grieving. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that life is fragile, unpredictable, and should not be taken for granted.  Christmas is now over and we only have......

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