THESE ARE interesting times. When we have over 40% of the country happily abandoning every value and virtue they were raised in and once believed in, instead following a Pied Piper of mayhem who says, “It’s great! You can say anything and do ANYTHING and nothing happens. Don’t be suckers! Follow me!!” When we have an entire political party of nihilists who believe that governing is for losers, and the only purpose of elected office is to pose and perform, competing to see who can post the most outrageous quotes and stunts… When you have churches purging and excommunicating those who aren’t ‘conservative’ (ahem) enough, or who happen to love the wrong person…

Well, in these interesting times we have this church… we call The Church O’ The Pines. We have a choir of souls who sing the most ancient of hymns from an elevated green loft. We have a congregation whose dogma is hard to discern, except that it involves an evident desire to walk in beauty, to leave room for differences in speech and dress and appearance, to exhibit gratitude and grace and bravery. And to generally be good neighbors. We have green-robed deacons who reach for the heavens, holy water in a bird bath, bouquets of flowers rising from the Earth itself, and a fine Fellowship Hall where all gather to share gossip and coffee and doughnuts. Well, sunflower seeds.

Ours is not a perfect bunch and in their humility would never claim to be, but in their evident virtues, which they never abandon, and in the beauty of the sanctuary they inhabit, we are afforded daily lessons in the process and meaning of life. A fair sort of church, I think. All here wish you, wherever you find peace and meaning, Good Sabbath.