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For more than 50 years, a “Charlie Brown Christmas” has graced our TV screens. In it, Charlie falls in love with the most pathetic little tree on the lot. “This little green tree needs a home,” he says. “I think it will be perfect. I think it needs me.” The animated classic offers us the opportunity … Continue reading The Perfect Imperfection of Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tree
Rev. John Hasenjaeger, a liberal Presbyterian minister and former teacher of Philosophy and Religion at Mt. Hood Community College, has spoken at Eastrose several times since 2007. He has often introduced us to ideas and figures from his studies that enrich and challenge us in our spiritual journeys. But as he approaches his 80th birthday … Continue reading What I Really Think [This Week Anyway]
Watch the service HERE (apologies for the substandard video recording). With an enormously consequential election two days away, we’ll examine the rise in conspiracy theories (some downright bizarre) that used to reside at the fringes of society, but have moved into the mainstream. One journalist calls this the “crank realignment.” How do these beliefs take … Continue reading Debunkbot and the Crank Realignment
Watch the service HERE. In cities throughout the world, individuals are “checking out” real live people in a program called “Human Libraries.” The goal is to encourage us to engage with others in one-on-one conversations to break down stereotypes and the judgement that comes with focusing on the “cover” and not the “book.” What have … Continue reading Unjudge Someone
Watch the service HERE. We live in a death-phobic, youth seeking culture. From anti-aging face serums to cryogenics to theologies of eternal life to potential AI technologies that could keep the brain alive indefinitely, humans have chased immortality despite the enduring reality: If you are human, your life is finite. Given this immutable fact (at least … Continue reading Chasing Immortality: Would You Want to Live Forever?
Watch the service HERE. I found the reading “A Conversation with a Mayfly” in a decades-long pile of papers I was sorting through. It humorously and seriously considers whether one’s importance is linked to the length of one’s life and what is important. And, after reading it, I spun off on so many different ideas related to those two that … Continue reading A Conversation With A Mayfly
Watch the service HERE. Looking around Eastrose at the quilts and artwork, you’re likely to think: “Wow, these folks are so creative.” And, yes, they surely are. However, creativity lives within each of us and extends beyond the visual, literary, or performing arts. In this service, we’ll explore where creativity originates, how it is sparked … Continue reading I, The Creator
Watch the service HERE. A Reader’s Theater Service with Rev. Robin and the Worship Leaders. Music from Barbara Stevens. Brushing your teeth, sweeping the kitchen floor, a bedtime story, swimming, bringing in the mail, driving the car, meeting on Zoom (!) – when done mindfully, each of our “run-of-the-mill” daily activities can be small spiritual … Continue reading A Day In the Spiritual Life
Watch the service HERE. The publication of Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird prequel, Go Set A Watchman, unleashed a torrent of befuddlement about the recasting of Atticus Finch from paragon of white virtue to an emblem of deep south racism. Mary Louise goes home as an adult and sees a different shade of Atticus … Continue reading Go Set A Watchman: On Radical Honesty
Watch the service HERE. In the words of a colleague, “Autumn people slow down, enjoy a certain pace.” Sounds appealing, doesn’t it? Many of us run around being bouncy Spring people year-round and 24/7, not looking very closely at much except our watches and our smartphones. Can you “remember the kind of September that’s slow … Continue reading Autumn People
