When Polonius tells Laertes, “To thine own self be true” in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, he was advising him to do what he believes is right by remaining true to his values no matter the circumstances. That’s good advice, but this saying could also be taken as an admonition to stop deceiving ourselves by accepting as true the things we want to be true, rather than the things that really are true. Going through life clinging to lies just because they feel good is to be out of integrity with ourselves. That’s no way to live.

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In this guest presentation, “Poetry as Salvation”, Mery Smith, Spokane’s Fifth Poet Laureate, will bring to life the story that has shaped her work as a poet and a person for the last seven years. While raising four children, she struggled with alcoholism and found solace in reading and poetry. Mery will talk about the power of words to heal and her goal to bring poetry to spaces like jails and recovery centers.

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In this sermon, I’ll talk about some of the benefits of and concern about Artificial intelligence by going straight to the source. My response to common questions about job replacement, human ethics, and AI taking over the world will be based on my conversations with Open AI’s ChatGPT.

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I was deeply moved by Rachea Thomas’s January 12 rendition of “Over the Rainbow.” While listening, I felt deep longing for the better kind of world I dream of; the longing and dream that is behind all my sermons. I also realized that it can’t exist up there in some imaginary place; it has to emerge down here, in the real world, and we have to make it happen. In this sermon I’ll discuss my dreams and hopes and what I believe it will take to make them a practical reality.

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Social psychologists have long understood that human beings crave unity in our need for belonging. The age-old phrase “United we stand, divided we fall” became an American motto after Abraham Lincoln used it during his second inaugural speech. In this sermon we’ll explore the opposite position, that the unwillingness to accept social diversity and pluralism might become the true cause of our downfall.

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Join us as we celebrate our partner church.

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In this guest presentation, Dr. Margo Hill, a Spokane tribal member, former Tribal Court Judge, and professor of Urban planning and American Indian Law at Eastern Washington University, will speak about her advocacy on behalf of Murdered, Missing Indigenous Women.

Here are some recent publications on MMIW. The magazine articles are shorter and to the point. This academic article by Anderson and Hill, is a little longer but has excellent firsthand storytelling by Idella.

The Search For Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women

Human Trafficking as a Racialized Economy and the Exploitation of Indigenous Socio-Spatial (Im)Mobility in North America

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) How Can Transportation Stop Traffickers?

The Contribution of State and Local DOTs to Disrupting Human Trafficking

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The Epic of Gilgamesh was written on clay tablets at least 1500 years before Homer composed The Iliad and The Odyssey. It’s one of the oldest stories in the world, yet its insights into human mortality and human nature remain fresh enough to inspire a sci-fi story set thousands of years from today!

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The Epic of Gilgamesh was written on clay tablets at least 1500 years before Homer composed The Iliad and The Odyssey. It’s one of the oldest stories in the world, yet its insights into human mortality and human nature remain fresh enough to inspire a sci-fi story set thousands of years from today!

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During the usual sermon period, Rev. Eklof will respond to live questions about topics he has or hasn’t previously discussed.

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