Joe Mohr will present “The Gift of Boredom,” saying “Boredom is usually seen as a problem. But what if boredom is not the enemy of curiosity, but its companion? Studies show that being bored can spark imagination, creativity, and innovation. In the stillness of ‘nothing to do,’ our minds begin to wander, to question, to … Continue reading The Gift of Boredom

Joe Mohr presents “A World to Explore,” noting that “When I asked my 5-year-old about curiosity, she thought for a moment and then replied: ‘It means exploring.’ Out of the mouths of children comes wisdom. Curiosity invites us into wonder, discovery, great wide world, always larger than we imagine. This Sunday we’ll reflect on what … Continue reading A World to Explore

Joe Mohr presents “Limitless,” asking “What does it mean to push the boundaries of human potential? What does ‘limitless’ really look like — and what does it cost us? We’ll consider how embracing possibility means cultivating wholeness, balance, and the fullness of our shared humanity.” Connor Huchingson performs on his violin. OOS While the church … Continue reading Limitless

Joe Mohr presents a sermon that will reflect on Easter from the perspective of those not necessarily grounded in the Christian version of the holy day. He will invite us to explore healthy versions of Easter and its deeper meanings. This week, our special music comes courtesy of Trevor Stewart playing the Chapman stick. OOS … Continue reading Easter Reflection

Joe Mohr presents “Breath of Attention,” stating that “Long before we can direct our minds toward compassion, justice, or love, we must return to the rhythm of breath, the sensations of presence. We’ll explore body mindfulness as a spiritual practice, including a guided breathing exercise.” Thor Bonner returns to perform on his guitar. OOS 3-22-26 … Continue reading Breath of Attention

Joe Mohr presents “The Cost of Distraction,” noting that “Our attention is constantly bought, sold, and stolen by technologies surrounding us. The shortened attention spans and fractured focus of our age shape our relationships, politics, and even spiritual lives. We’ll reflect on how reclaiming our focus can restore depth, connection, and meaning.” Pianist and vocalist … Continue reading The Cost of Distraction

Joe Mohr presents “A Recipe for Resilience.”  Each theme we’ve explored these past months adds an ingredient to the larger recipe for resilience. This Sunday we’ll weave together the lessons from October through February — compassion cultivated, justice harvested, gratitude nurtured, hope chosen, and this month resistance practiced — discovering how each builds upon the … Continue reading A Recipe for Resilience

Joe Mohr presents “How Much Can We Endure?”  The body breaks, and heals. The spirit bends, and finds ways to rise again. How can we endure beyond what we thought possible?  We’ll explore the mystery of resilience: how communities, bodies, and spirits weather pain, injustice, and loss and still create life, beauty, and meaning. We’ll … Continue reading How Much Can We Endure

Joe Mohr presents thoughts on “Resistance Like a Rock.” Resistance, he notes, “is not always loud or forceful.  Sometimes, it looks like a rock — grounded, unmoving,  immovable in the face of injustice. This Sunday we’ll remember the 1958 Dockum Drug Store sit-in in Wichita, Kansas — an overlooked spark of the Civil Rights Movement … Continue reading Resistance Like a Rock

Joe Mohr presents thoughts on “The Longest Night,” when in the midst of holiday lights and Christmas cheer, many among us carry grief, longing, or a sense of not quite belonging. For this service, he notes, “we gather to honor the dark, to make space for sorrow, and to remind ourselves that hope is not … Continue reading The Longest Night

Joe Mohr will present “My Ancestors’ Wildest Dream.” He notes that we carry within us “the labors, sacrifices, and hopes of generations who came before” and invites us to reflect on “the sacred gift of being here now, and how gratitude becomes a bridge between their unfinished work and our unfolding future.” Corey Swertfager provides … Continue reading My Ancestors’ Wildest Dream

Joe Mohr will present “The Giver Should Be Thankful,” recalling a Zen koan reflecting the true gift of gratitude: it belongs not to the receiver, but to the giver. “What happens when we flip our assumptions about giving and thanks? In an age when generosity is too often tangled with ego, recognition, and power, this … Continue reading The Giver Should Be Thankful

Joe Mohr presents “The Harvest of Justice,” noting, “What we plant and how we plant it shapes what we — and generations after us — will harvest. Issues of agricultural justice ask us to look closely at sustainability, food security, and the dignity of farm workers. As people of faith, we are called to imagine … Continue reading The Harvest of Justice

Joe Mohr presents “Nothing Grows by Accident,” positing that “Compassion rarely blossoms by chance — it must be planted, watered, tended. This Sunday we’ll reflect on what it means to intentionally cultivate compassion in our lives, our communities, and our wider world. Drawing on Buddhist wisdom and everyday practices, we’ll explore how compassion becomes not … Continue reading Nothing Grows by Accident

Joe Mohr presents “Sustaining our Shared Harvest,” noting that at this time of uncertainty, when our congregation “has invested energy and care into our community,  from social justice initiatives to civic engagement, our work is a sacred planting. Each call made or act sustained adds to the harvest we hope to gather — for ourselves, … Continue reading Sustaining our Shared Harvest