Sunday morning worship at First Parish of Norwell Mass.

It is a little bit strange when Palm Sunday falls on April Fools Day, but here it is, and it gives us an opportunity to consider what Jesus had in common with mythological trickster figures and with the holy fool archetype.

Grief is not rational. If it is repressed, it may manifest sideways as rage or sickness or depression. Of all the human emotional experiences, grief is one most deeply feared, because it reminds us that no matter what we do to ensure our security, we are ultimately not in control

You could spend all day at the office on Sundays taking the Lord's name in vain, but the third and fourth commandments warn you that to do so is a very bad idea. Why? Why does God impose a day of rest on us when we're so very busy, and what harm could a little superfluous invocation of God's name be?

I don't know any pastor who doesn't constantly hear the refrain, "I'm hurting, but compared to so many other people, I have nothing to complain about." Suffering and complaining are two different things. In this sermon we try to understand a little bit better how to honor suffering such as it is, without comparing it to anyone else's.

Commentary on the sermon "The Gate of Sorrow"

"Hospitality as a global virtue is being eclipsed by security as a national interest." In her response to First Parish member Bev Gardner's "Faith Journey" reflection on supporting the education of twins from our Transylvanian Partner Church, Rev. Victoria Weinstein reminds us, and herself, that hospitality is a religious virtue, and a fast-disappearing one.